In a stunning improvement, the Chicago Blackhawks group announced that it had terminated its relationship with head coach Luke Richardson.
Anders Sorensen, who had been serving as head coach of the workforce’s AHL affiliate, the Rockford Ice Hogs, will function interim head coach. The workforce additionally shared that assistant normal supervisor Mark Eaton has been named interim head coach of the Ice Hogs.
The transfer is surprising contemplating the Blackhawks weren’t reportedly one of many a number of groups seeking to make a change behind the bench. They’ve change into the third group to half methods with their head coach.
Common supervisor Kyle Davidson shared his ideas behind the transfer in a press launch saying, “At present I made the tough choice to maneuver on from Luke as our head coach. We thank him for his efforts and contributions to the group and our group. As we’ve got begun to take steps ahead in our rebuilding course of, we felt that the outcomes didn’t match our expectations for a better stage of execution this season and finally got here to the choice {that a} change was obligatory. We want Luke and his household all the most effective shifting ahead.”
It’s robust to determine the expectations positioned on the workforce earlier than the beginning of the common season. Chicago was comparatively aggressive this previous summer season including veterans Tyler Bertuzzi, Teuvo Teravainen, Ilya Mikheyev, Pat Maroon, Craig Smith, Alec Martinez, T.J. Brodie and Laurent Brossoit to a youthful roster. Nonetheless, any analyst would have been hard-pressed to think about this workforce a playoff contender.
Davidson possible didn’t suppose the Blackhawks could be in final place within the league standings. Practically each skater on the roster, together with budding famous person Connor Bedard, is having a depressed season and this can be the underlying purpose for Richardson’s dismissal.
Richardson will finish his first go-around as a head coach within the Nationwide Hockey League with one of many extra dismal information possible. Chicago has managed a 57-118-15 in Richardson’s 190 video games behind the bench (30% successful proportion).
Many of the blame could be positioned on the standard of the roster at Richardson’s disposal for the primary two years of his tenure however the Blackhawks have been on the lookout for an even bigger step ahead this season. Now, Sorensen will lead the roster in the interim till Chicago can discover a longer-term answer to develop their children into championship-caliber gamers.
The Södertälje, Sweden native is in his eleventh season with the Blackhawks group, becoming a member of the workforce throughout their most up-to-date Stanley Cup championship in 2015. He was named interim head coach of AHL Rockford halfway by way of the 2021-22 AHL season and has been in the identical capability since. Sorensen ought to be accustomed to a lot of the Blackhawks roster, on condition that Chicago has graduated a number of gamers from the Ice Hogs over the previous couple of years.
Frank Seravalli of the Daily Faceoff was the first to report the Blackhawks had fired Richardson.
Tracey Myers of NHL.com was the first to report Sorensen had been named interim head coach.
Servalli was the first to report Eaton had been named interim head coach for AHL Rockford.
