These three would be great at guiding the Blackhawks toward the playoffs.
The Chicago Blackhawks’ season is coming down to the final fifteen games, and it is safe to say some changes will be in order after what is looking like another bottom-three finish in the NHL standings.
Currently sitting 31st in the NHL with a 20-40-9 record, the Blackhawks have failed to meet the expectations they placed on themselves going into this season.
Earlier this season saw a coaching change as Luke Richardson was relieved of his duties behind the bench, replacing him in the interim was Rockford IceHogs (AHL) head coach Anders Sorensen.
The Swedish-born coach had shown impressive results developing young talent in the AHL and was given the opportunity to show what he can do at the NHL level.
Through mixed results, the consensus is that the experiment with Anders Sorensen as an NHL head coach will not carry into next season.
That means the Blackhawks’ will look to bring in a new face to be their permanent head coach.
Sorensen has proven in his tenure with the organization that he is, currently, best suited in a developmental role with the IceHogs.
It would not be a shocking turn of events if he were to return to the AHL and continue the work he was doing prior to being named interim head coach.
When looking at which coaches are, and who could be, available, there are three names that standout as being strong candidates.
Jay Woodcroft
Formerly of the Edmonton Oilers, he is a coach who is likely to be among those getting calls from most teams with a vacancy behind the bench.
Woodcroft was promoted to head coach of the Oilers after spending four years manning the bench for their AHL affiliate Bakersfield Condors. His promotion came at the right time as the Oilers needed a change in an underperforming season.
The Oilers went 26-9-3 under Woodcroft for the remainder of that season. He ended up having two successful regular seasons in Edmonton while going 14-14 in the playoffs over two seasons.
After a slow start to the 2023-24 season, Woodcroft was fired and finished his time in Edmonton with a record of 79-41-13 and proved he can be a viable coach in the NHL who should be deserving of a second chance elsewhere.
David Carle
Carle has spentĀ over a decadeĀ at the University of Denver working his way up from assistant to head coach and has built a strong resume for himself in that time.
In 2022, Carle became theĀ fourth-youngestĀ coach to win a national title inĀ NCAAĀ history at the age of 32-years old. He followed up that performance with another title inĀ 2024.
Carle’s expertise behind the bench at Denver has seen the club become one of the most dominant in college hockey, leading Carle to coach Team USA at the world juniors for theirĀ back-to-backĀ gold medal victories in 2024 and 2025.
One of the winningest coaches outside the NHL, Carle brings a championship attitude with a high-level understanding of the modern game.
His evaluation of talent was showcased at the recent world juniors with his deployment of certain line combinations with various roles that made his team difficult to play against.
Carle also has coached many of the Blackhawks’ young players, Aidan Thompson has been one of his go-to players at Denver and has also worked with players such as Frank Nazar, Oliver Moore, Sam Rinzel, and Gavin Hayes while coaching Team USA in the World Juniors.
With a winning attitude and an understanding of how to coach young talent, especially those already in the Blackhawks’ system, David Carle will make a strong case to be the next coach in Chicago.
Mike Sullivan
While it is not certain as of right now if he hits the open market, a veteran coach with a decorated resume like Sullivan might be just the man for the job in Chicago.
Sullivan has been the head coach of the Pittsburgh Penguins since theĀ 2015-16 seasonĀ where he immediately led the team to back-to-back Stanley Cup victories, and has been one of the league’s winningest coaches in his tenure.
After starting his career with the Boston Bruins, Sullivan worked his way back up to the NHL where he has a current record ofĀ 403-251-87Ā in Pittsburgh, with 44 playoff wins in that span.
The reason Sullivan could become an option for the Blackhawks’ is because the Penguins are near the bottom of the NHL standings for the first time in this era of their franchise. The additions of veterans past their prime and an overall lack of depth has seen the Penguins window of competition close, and it might be time for a fresh start.
Sullivan is a well-respected coach who understands what it takes to compete in the NHL. His cup-wining rosters were filled with youth and speed beyond their star talent which made them formidable groups to play against.
He also comes with a background of coaching and earning the respect of star talent, his experience of coaching players like Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin is invaluable and givesĀ Connor BedardĀ a voice that understands how to put him in better positions to succeed in the NHL.
Though time will tell is Sullivan will be looking for a new team this summer, his combination of experience and success will be highly sought after by many teams throughout the NHL.
