Blackhawks hire Vellucci as an assistant coach under Blashill
Updated: 10:56 AM EDT Jun 3, 2025
After I think very careful consideration, discussion, uh, deliberation that, um, we’ve parted ways, uh, with the head coach Mike Sullivan, um, what I’d first say is that, um, Sully I think means *** great deal to *** lot of the people in the room, great deal of the community, uh, and, um, we’ll, we’ll move on from the Penguins having left *** truly incredible mark on the franchise, the winningest coaching team history, uh, two Stanley Cup championships, but I think. Beyond the success on the bench and what it led to on the ice for the city of Pittsburgh and for the fan bases, uh, the mark that he’s made on the people here, which, which I’ve, uh, got to see and experience firsthand the last two years, uh, the impact on their careers, the impact on their families, and, and what he means to them and then also in my conversations with him the last week, I think, uh, what the city of Pittsburgh, the franchise and the people here mean to him, uh, and, uh. That’s what makes these moments and times very difficult. I’ll, I’ll let Sully speak to that, um, uh, when he deems the the right time to do it, um. From my vantage point here, um, my full intention when coming into the job, um, was that I thought it was *** great opportunity to work with, uh, one of if not the best head coaches in the league, uh, to continue to, uh, give the team *** chance to contend, uh, and then transition it through back to contention, and I think what I’ve learned, uh, in the two years is that. There’s *** reason why it’s uh essentially impossible and has not been done where *** coach has led *** team to winning and and being in contention and through *** transition all the way back um there’s *** number of uh factors that play in on the relationship side with the players with the staff, um, and, uh, that make it very difficult to do so. Um, and I think that two things can be true that someone could be *** great head coach and that we’ll, they’ll move on to become *** great head coach on their next stop and, uh, it could also be time for for change, uh, here, uh, and I think that is, uh, that was the conclusion that, uh, I’d come to it been something on my mind during the season, um, but I have great respect for Sully, uh, and, um. Just want to see it through to the end of the year and then have *** discussion with him at the end of the season before uh making our uh having discussions with him and then going through that together so um that is where we’re at today um we will begin *** very thorough and methodical search uh to give you all the timeline. I see, um, that being, um, virtual interviews here over the next month, uh, followed by in-person interviews, uh, at the end of May into early June and then, uh, likely naming *** head coach. Uh, in early June that will lead the team forward, uh, that may be delayed because some of the people that, uh, and just in very quickly started to put together *** list of the top folks, um, some of those people are employed either by top AHL teams or they’re on NHL staffs as we speak right now. So, uh, that would be the only delay in it that will give you ***, *** preview of what we’re about to undertake, um, as it pertains to the remainder of the staff, uh, there are 3 staff members who are, uh, coming to the end of their term on their contracts. Mike Volucci, Ty Henness, and Andy Kyoto, I spoke with them yesterday, uh, and believe it’s most fair to allow the slate to be clean for, uh, *** new head coach when they come in, um, and so the exact message given to them was that they are free immediately to, um, uh, to begin, uh, their own search for for their next spot, um, but if they would like to wait for us to name *** new head coach, I could promise them an audience with them as well. And the remainder of the staff, uh, uh, remains under contract and with the team, um, and, uh, that is the full update from the, uh, Pittsburgh Penguins on the coaches room and the hockey operations side, and I will turn it over to, uh, to questions. If you guys have *** question, just make sure I give you some sort of. Uh, Kyle, too, if I may, um, when did this come together with Mike and was it sort of *** mutual decision that this both of you guys thought this wasn’t gonna be *** marriage continue and what qualities are you looking for in your next head coach? Uh, I think so, uh, with, with, I mean, obviously I, I talked to him every day throughout the year and work together every day throughout the year, uh, and there were times throughout the year where I, I started to think that. It, it may just be time, uh, for *** number of reasons. It’s *** lot to ask of somebody, uh, when they’ve done such *** long and successful job here to be managing that and be continue to transition the team through and as I said, it just if you go back and look like I, I off the top of my head, I think I don’t know that there’s ***, there’s *** coach in the NHL that’s done that. Maybe you could point to Lindy Ruff, late 90s Sabres rebuild and then, but then you come out of the lockout in *** different system. Salary cap era and and their uh rebuild efforts came to fruition at that same time otherwise it just doesn’t really exist and I think in the two years I started to see why that is um it’s just very difficult and um I think you know last week uh Sully and I spoke about *** lot of the same stuff we’ve talked about the whole year um and it just became clear to me that it was, it was probably time for, for *** change and, and to move on and uh I went yesterday and, and uh met with Sully and. Like you know, and sat down with him in Boston and, and, um, I just kind of went through that with him and, and there was sometimes there’s disagreement when you have those conversations and other times there’s agreement. I don’t wanna speak for for him and how he, uh, he views it, but I, I, I would say it was very amicable in the conversations with them have continued to stay that way so yeah oh qualities. Yeah, I mean for me what we’re looking for now is, um, and we’re looking for to hire *** great head coach, someone that could come in, continue to partner with us on on all that we’re undertaking, understands that the job ahead is going to be *** time of transition. It’s gonna be continuing to maximize um the prime or the end of careers of some of the players that we have and it’s going to be uh expeditiously. Some of the young players that have already come onto the roster that are about to come onto the roster continue to make tweaks and changes around the system and the way that we integrate players, uh, put their own stamp on the organization. They don’t have to continue on, uh, what’s been built on the coaching side. I think we want to protect the core ideology of the team while continuing to stimulate the the outside and there’s *** lot of great things about the Pittsburgh Penguins and. We want to preserve those while continuing to to move the team ahead and and move the team forward and um we’ll cast *** wide net on the search, you know, uh long time head coaches, coaches from Europe, coaches from uh junior college, etc. we’ll uh we’ll turn every page to find the best person for the job. Um, to follow up on that on the search for the next head coach, do you, do you find yourself valuing or prioritizing someone who does have recent experience in *** development role, AHL minors just given the phase you’re in right now? Uh, I just think any history of *** tailor of, of, uh, you know, and and we’ll have deep questions as we go through the process on. What their experience has been developmentally and Sully had that Sully was in in player development with Chicago. He coached in the American League, an assistant coach, so that that’s something I think especially now to salary cap here you have to always be developing your own guys. Part of that is on the player personnel department to provide the the the development staff, the minor league staff, and the coaching staff with good enough players that can help the team. And you know Wes Clark and his group will will be on that and then we’ll be making sure that we’ve got that developmental uh system regimented all the way through. So of course it’s always important to be tough to for for me personally to go with somebody that has no record or real passion for development. Those are becoming fewer and fewer in the in that uh in that brethren of coaching right now, but, um, so it’s that’s, it will be *** vital component for sure. right. Uh, Kyle, how does Sid feel about this because he is notoriously abhorrent to change. I’m, I’m not gonna speak for Sid Mark like, uh, you know, he’s. I’m not disputing whether it’s fair or not. I’m, I’m just when I, when we go through and make coaching changes or any changes in the organization, I have to do what I think is best for the organ for the organization. I haven’t. I called Sid yesterday morning before I met with Sully to give him the, the heads up. Uh, he’s been through it before, um, but in terms of how he, how he feels about it, um, you know, I, I had *** 5 minute conversation with him before about the fact that we were, you know, we were going through this to make ***, make *** change, and we didn’t get into the. The ins and outs of it. So, uh, I have to do what I think is best for the organization. Every single player, if you, if you pull that room of players, every, uh, you know, you’re gonna largely have probably 7 of them that love the coach, 7 of them that hate the coach, and 7 that are indifferent, and the same applies to management, same applies to the remainder of the staff as well. So I, I, I think pulling players on their feeling of the coaches is, is not always the greatest thing to do when you’re trying to make that change, and I, I had to take all the information from the last two years and, and do. And do what I think is best. Some Uh, Kyle, uh, first, with regards to Mike if he pursues employment elsewhere, would you need to make grant any kind of permissions in that regard and, um, is anyone, um, on staff at all *** candidate or consideration for the position, uh, whether it’s Mike, David, or even Kurt McDonald Wilkes? Um, I, I don’t, uh, teams are gonna reach out and ask for permission. It’s Mike Sullivan, so they, they, you know, he’s, he’s got term remaining on his contract, so they’ll reach out, we’ll grant permission. There’ll be no issue at all, um. Uh, with regards to people on the staff, I haven’t really dug into that. Kirk won’t be, uh, *** candidate at this time. He’s just on one year and, and Wilkes. That’s ***, you know, we, that’s *** different tale is *** disappointing end there as well. So, um, I just think he will need, he needs to establish himself as *** successful coach there before we consider him. He’s *** huge part of the organization, but, uh, David’s got, you know, deep, uh, deep experience at, at this level. So, um, you know what I, I haven’t, I haven’t dug too far into that yet. This is over here, Kyle. This is very much *** follow up to what Seth asked dovetails in terms of what you guys might be entitled to in terms of compensation for Mike can you kind of explain what rules do or do not exist in terms of coach compensation going from one organization to another and I, I guess I’m asking that because when you say mutual parting ways people wonder, well, OK, if he wants to go, then what do you get? uh. The league, *** couple of years ago I, I forget exactly when had rules that govern this where if you had *** person under contract and you, um, you allow them to go to to another team, uh, you got draft pick compensation and then they eliminated that uh in years past so you you aren’t entitled to any compensation from another team if you want to trade the the the coach per se. You can’t trade it. I can’t trade Jason Spezza or Amanda Kessel or or Mike Sullivan and get anything back by league rule. So so then you are, you are no longer on the hook then for whatever compensation wise. No, we are, yeah. No, no, that, that’s the, so, so the sets the way that it works is that *** team would request permission to speak to us. The team in every case it was the case with me here coming here as well. So, uh, I was with Toronto. I was fired by Toronto. Toronto, uh, the Penguins requested permission. They were granted permission from the day I was hired June 1st, whatever was left on my contract, the Penguins had to take it over and pay. Toronto was off the hook, so that’s, that’s the way that it works in in hockey and it’s governed by the league. Yeah Uh, Kyle, I, I’m curious you mentioned relationships within the organization and such with Mike Sullivan. Was that part of the stagnant or complacency that you feared and that you mentioned last week? Perhaps maybe slowing some change you’d like to see? No, I, I, I don’t think so, Dan, when I, so when I talk about his relationships, I, I think when you work someplace for when you work somewhere for 10 years, like I, I have it in my time, but especially here where there was. You know there is, there is ***, it’s *** championship relationship I’m and I’m speaking about the the staff that are here. I see the relationship that Mike has with those staff. I don’t wanna speak for them or speak for him, but that, that creates *** special bond that that you have. And so when I was talking about those relationships and the impact that they’ve had, I think when you when you when I talked to the staff this morning or I talked to. When I, when I met with uh Sully yesterday, um, those are special situations and, and bonds that are formed. I, I think you can have those special bonds be formed and, and not have any, um, any complacency or, or, or have there be any stagnant feeling. So those, those are two very separate things. I’m just talking about the impact on the people here on Sully and and vice versa. Chef and what. Kyle, can you differentiate between Mike and the style of play he wanted to, he wanted to play? Was that *** key issue for you in the way he wanted to play and what type of style of play do you want to see from this team with *** new head coach? Well, I, I think Sully, um, I think with the, with the right personnel the the style of play is proven to be very effective here obviously there’s. There are two banners that hang there because of, because of the, the way that Sully coaches not only with the style. I mean, in, in hockey, especially there’s the style that the team executes there’s getting the most out of the players to execute it. There’s the consistency which you’re able to instill part of that also depends on, you know, them being provided with the the requisite players that can that can play that way. I think in terms of what I expect in in style, uh, you know, for me I don’t, I don’t. Um, lock myself into any one thing and we wanna go through with with it’ll be *** key part of the coaching process that we go through to identify with them what style they have certain tenets of style that they like to, uh, that they like to, to stick to, uh, how does our current personnel group fit? What can we do to get them players that will fit that and then start to build out *** plan in the interview process so it’s not *** surprise after, um. So for me I think that the key part is number one we have to be way more competitive. The players have to be more and more competitive. We have to find more competitive players, um, you know, we want, we what we need to become faster. We need to become more talented and skilled. Those are the, the core overarching themes that we’re gonna focus on in the draft and, and in acquisition, um, and then determining what the best style of play is for that group. We’ll work with the coaching candidates on that and determine that. Kyle, you, uh, mentioned the young players that are working their way through the system, but obviously there’s also the well established core veteran players here just for anybody coming in. Is there *** unique challenge uh to be able to handle both of those things when you have players that have been here for *** while and had success but also younger guys that are working their way in? I, I don’t look at it as so much as *** challenge. I think every one of these jobs is challenging. I think when you’re when you’re coaching at this level, it’s, it’s the highest level it’s very difficult, um, and, um, but, but I think it provides *** tremendous opportunity for, um, whoever comes in. You have players that set *** wonderful example every day. Um, that could probably benefit from, uh, they might not see it this at this time, and I again I don’t want to speak for them because I haven’t had those discussions with them, but you know I think when you, when you have the same coach for *** long time, um, you get ingrained in *** certain way of doing things each day, and I think *** fresh person coming in may be able to to spur them in the in the right direction and it might have the opposite effect on some guys, frankly. Um, but I think it’s *** great opportunity because you’re coming into *** group of, of players that have accomplished *** lot, uh, they’ve accomplished *** lot together, uh, and they still have, as you see on the ice during the year, they still have *** lot to give to the game, uh, in combination with younger players that are going to, to come along. So I, I view it as ***, as *** great opportunity if we were, you know, if we, if we didn’t have some of those younger guys that had come up and played, I would say it would be *** little bit more daunting, but goes back to what I said last week about being *** little bit better about where we’re at right now with the group. Kyle, when we spoke with you last week, you said that Mike has been very open to this, that this was still what he wants to do. He wanted to see the team through this. What was it in your mind that changed to really reaffirm that that wasn’t the case? Yeah, I think last week, you know, when, when asked, um, I was just reaffirming what Mike had said to the group here and um. So, so to me and my, you know, he and he and I met last Tuesday about where we’re at, where we’re going, the road that we see to to get there, the challenges that lie ahead and, and, um, in my mind I I left there, you know, and, and there have been *** few times during the year where I where I felt this as well after certain stretches or after certain games where I started to feel that maybe it was just time someone can be *** great coach and it might be time for them to to go elsewhere and and. Uh, and reapply that and like you know you could use whatever analogy you want sometimes the class needs *** new professor and sometimes the professor needs *** new class and after my conversation with Mike on Tuesday about, you know, his feelings of where we’re at and and where we need to go, just sat and contemplated it for the week and then, um, made the decision to to go yesterday and and uh and have you know conversation with him just essentially saying that I think it’s. I think it’s just time and um you know he was I’ll I’ll let him speak to it at at uh when when he uh when he’s ready to but I I don’t think there’s *** massive disagreement on that front. Kyle, I know you said you spoke with Sid yesterday, *** 5 minute conversation, uh, bringing him up to speed. Obviously his opinion is *** big one throughout this organization I would imagine, but are you concerned that he’s gonna want to leave now after given his relationship with Sully? No. Well, Uh, Kyle, I just to follow up on Jenna’s question because she stole it, um, you said at the end of year when you’re talking about, uh, Sully last week you said, uh, he’s been very open about this, what he wants to do, so we’ll just continue to reaffirm that and as long as he’s on that side of it, we will roll with that. In those conversations that you had with him was your takeaway that he that it did not align necessarily with what you saw for the vision of the of the next handful of years for the Penguins? Yeah, I, I wouldn’t say there was any one specific, uh, one specific item or one specific area or 11 specific um part of the operation. I think sometimes you just leave conversations with with people and and especially in that one where’s the relationship between the general manager and the coach and and as You know, as I said last week, it’s, I mean just being very open with you all, it’s ***, it’s *** tough thing that I know there’s certain demands on having to come and do the media and then you know after the season and then as I said last week we I haven’t gone through those conversations with Mike and um for me part of the the reaffirmation of where of where we’re at is is he still like up for this? Does he want to go through this? Where does he uh sense it’s at and what’s his energy and passion for it? And I think. In *** perfect world that he would love to grind and see it all the way through with the penguins, but I think in my mind after my conversation with him last week and, and more contemplation during the week, it’s not there’s not any one thing that I would look at and say no we had mass disagreement on these two areas I think it was just in general. Uh, the feeling that the, the demands of this and, and what we’re asking, it just, it’s, it was to me time to for him to to go elsewhere to apply it and for us to to move on as well. So I mean sometimes it’s just in ***, in *** not *** really even an accumulation but just *** general feeling that we have and in this position you have to make those decisions and and uh. And um they’re hard, but that’s that’s the job. I ask in that meeting yesterday, there were no demands issued by Mike Sullivan in order to stay with the Penguins were there? There were no demands from Mike Sullivan in the meeting yesterday. Sorry, that wasn’t my actual question. Um, uh, yeah, jittery here uh there were no just just I’ll just I’ll just not attack this but I’ll. There were no demands last Tuesday. There were no demands on yesterday, and there were no demands in the period between. There had never been any demands for Micas or whatever it’s termed as. I just got briefed on it on the way over here, non-negotiables. Never happened. Um, any coach that replaces *** coach is successful as that, there, there’s going to be sort of pressure. Also, when you’re *** coach and you’re inheriting *** team that’s undergoing the process, you’re undergoing, um, it’s ***, it’s *** different job than maybe some. Do veteran coaches versus guys. Guys that may have more of experience, you mentioned college before, this is why I asked. College coaches, guys from junior, things like that, they might have more experience with some younger players as opposed to veterans. Is that sort of on your radar right now as you begin this process? I, I don’t, in my mind, Rob, I think, um, I think if you look throughout the league and some of the, some of the stuff that we’ve brought up here in the previous, you know, go back to last Tuesday. If you look at the coaches who’ve gone to places and, and spurred very positive reaction in similar settings, they’ve, they’ve generally been coaches in their first chance at it, um, and I guess just speak specifically you got Sencer Carver. Threw all the way up ahead Spencer in Toronto, uh, you know, he left Toronto right he was interviewing with Washington as I um was, was coming here. Um, and then you have Jim Hiller who, you know, has, has, uh, gone throughout the league as an assistant coach I’m talking about in, in LA. So and, and then you have Marty Saint Louis in Montreal that, you know, he, it’s ***, it’s ended up being *** great hire by them, but those are all three very different paths taken. One is just *** pure assistant coach in the NHL, came from junior into the NHL as an assistant coach, ran Power plays Detroit, um, Toronto, New York. Coach, then you have uh Spencer who worked his way all the way up the entire way and and uh and then Marty Saint Louis who came from Fairfield U 13 AAA after *** Hall of Fame career. So Um, that’s why when I say we’re going to cast *** wide net, it’s because the evidence is there that shows *** couple of things. Number one, to, to ask *** coach to like in Sully’s of Sully’s capability to, to find *** way to go from contender to transition back to contender, there’s there’s no proof that exists and I see why now. uh, and then on the other end there’s coaches who’ve come into situations similar to this. *** number of ways, but they’ve come from very different places of success. and and find the right person for the job. And bring them in and get rolling with them.
Blackhawks hire Vellucci as an assistant coach under Blashill
Updated: 10:56 AM EDT Jun 3, 2025
The Chicago Blackhawks have hired Mike Vellucci as an assistant coach for Jeff Blashill’s first staff with his new team.The Blackhawks announced the addition of Vellucci on Monday. He joins Michael Peca and Anders Sorensen as Blashill’s assistants. Goaltending coach Jimmy Waite, video coach Matt Meacham and assistant video coach Adam Gill round out the staff.Vellucci, 58, spent the previous five seasons with the Pittsburgh Penguins. He was an assistant general manager and director of hockey operations for the Carolina Hurricanes from 2014-19.Vellucci also was an assistant coach for the U.S. when it won the world championship last month. Blackhawks forward Frank Nazar and defenseman Alex Vlasic were part of the winning American team.“Serving as an assistant coach at the world championship this summer and winning a gold medal for our country alongside Frank Nazar and Alex Vlasic will bring such valuable experience to this group,” Blashill said in a release. “That kind of championship-caliber background only makes our team better and I’m excited to get to work.”Blashill, 51, took over as Chicago’s head coach last month. He spent the last three seasons as an assistant to Jon Cooper with the Tampa Bay Lightning.
CHICAGO (AP) —
The Chicago Blackhawks have hired Mike Vellucci as an assistant coach for Jeff Blashill’s first staff with his new team.
The Blackhawks announced the addition of Vellucci on Monday. He joins Michael Peca and Anders Sorensen as Blashill’s assistants. Goaltending coach Jimmy Waite, video coach Matt Meacham and assistant video coach Adam Gill round out the staff.
Vellucci, 58, spent the previous five seasons with the Pittsburgh Penguins. He was an assistant general manager and director of hockey operations for the Carolina Hurricanes from 2014-19.
Vellucci also was an assistant coach for the U.S. when it won the world championship last month. Blackhawks forward Frank Nazar and defenseman Alex Vlasic were part of the winning American team.
Minas Panagiotakis/Getty Images
MONTREAL, CANADA – DECEMBER 12: Assistant coach Mike Vellucci of the Pittsburgh Penguins handles bench duties during the second period against the Montreal Canadiens at the Bell Centre on December 12, 2024 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The Pittsburgh Penguins defeated the Montreal Canadiens 9-2. (Photo by Minas Panagiotakis/Getty Images)
“Serving as an assistant coach at the world championship this summer and winning a gold medal for our country alongside Frank Nazar and Alex Vlasic will bring such valuable experience to this group,” Blashill said in a release. “That kind of championship-caliber background only makes our team better and I’m excited to get to work.”
Blashill, 51, took over as Chicago’s head coach last month. He spent the last three seasons as an assistant to Jon Cooper with the Tampa Bay Lightning.