Blackhawks: Coaching Candidates who could take the reins right now

Let’s pretend that fan outrage made things happen upstairs for the Blackhawks and the current head coach was turfed. Who would take his place? While it might seem like there aren’t many candidates that immediately come to mind, there are quite a few people who fill the role.

Like any other team, the Chicago Blackhawks would probably prefer NHL experience of some variety for their future head coach. Now that isn’t always a requirement, but it’s certainly preferable. A general manager, in this case, Stan Bowman, would want to see that the person hired knew the league they’d be coaching in.

However, it would certainly be possible to cast the net a bit more widely. Simply having played in the NHL doesn’t make someone a good coach. Having prior experience as a coach in the NHL doesn’t necessarily even make someone a good candidate to be a head coach at all.

The current boss, Jeremy Colliton, is probably almost certainly to be under the microscope as the season progresses if he isn’t already. The Blackhawks look shambolic, and many people, myself included, largely hold him accountable for the team that takes the ice. No guarantee replacing him will get better results, just like when Colliton replaced Joel Quenneville and couldn’t get the team to win more. Don’t believe that the pressure is increasing for Colliton, consider this little chat from NHL Network:

Changes are almost certainly coming if things don’t improve, but what are some other characteristics Chicago’s brass might consider beyond experience with the league? Previous success at a certain level, i.e. having won a Stanley Cup? Age? Contract demands? Coach of a former rival team? As much as it’s about getting success on the ice, the organization would need to be able to convince fans that the person is the right one for the job, and that means winning games. Nothing more, nothing less.

Considering the state of the organization, with the fans having turned against Colliton in just a few games this year, the lawsuits that are making their way through the legal system, and the lack of success enduring for years now, it’s probably important to choose a head coach wisely. The easiest choice is just to let things ride with Marc Crawford.

The tried and true formula is to promote the assistant coach, in this case, Marc Crawford. He’s got plenty of experience behind the bench and has even been in a situation of haven taken over as interim coach  (see Guy Boucher of the Ottawa Senators further down this list).

He certainly fits the bill on paper as a decent coach, but his record has been pretty spotty. Yes, he’s got a Stanley Cup to his name, and that’s important, but that was also in 1995-96. Ever since his time with Colorado he doesn’t have an overwhelmingly impressive record. He has the experience, but is he an upgrade?

Cynics will say that anyone is an upgrade, but what does Crawford offer Chicago as a head coach? It’s not like he’s an in-demand name when it comes to a team’s coaching staff. It’s also not clear if Chicago wouldn’t just remove the entire bench should it come down to a coaching change.

Chicago needs to make or break for the playoffs and Crawford has been a part of the Blackhawks as an assistant for several years. It’s not clear where Colliton’s influence ends and the assistant’s begin, but it’s hard to see where Crawford would be a difference-maker for Chicago. Maybe, he’s got the experience and the Stanley Cup pedigree, but it might also be time for a fresh start.

And if anyone needs a fresh start, it’s John Tortorella who is available, although he might be a slightly controversial choice. His departure from Columbus was a “mutual agreement” according to a variety of outlets including the Score. In and of himself, he’s a colourful character, and would certainly make post-game press conferences a bit more entertaining.

He’s a respected coach and has a great record. The fact that his split with the Blue Jackets was agreed upon by both parties means that he wasn’t fired because they thought he was incompetent. Instead, he probably left because the team wasn’t winning and management wanted to go a direction he wasn’t interested in.

Would he be a good fit in Chicago? Maybe. Like Marc Crawford, Tortorella has the Stanley Cup pedigree, as well as a solid lifetime record as a coach. His overall record boasts 673 wins, which is pretty impressive. Additionally, he has a connection with Seth Jones. (Not sure if that’s a good thing…) The question here for Chicago is, do they want to go this route?

Tortorella may very well help Chicago in the short term, but will he be able to coach the team to the Stanley Cup? Again, the answer is maybe. His abrasive personality isn’t for everyone, and he may find himself out of a job if the team suddenly starts piling up losses.

If he gets a solid team, then it’s certainly realistic to think that Chicago could make a deep playoff run. It’s also possible that his time with the Blackhawks could be like his time in Columbus. He had a great roster for a year, couldn’t get the postseason wins, and saw the GM break up the team. Chicago doesn’t have many players under contract for more than a couple of years, and history may repeat itself for Tortorella.

How about a guy who coached rival teams? Bruce Boudreau, former Anaheim Ducks and Minnesota Wild coach,  was oddly passed over by every NHL team in search of a coach. This seems bizarre because Boudreau’s lifetime record is really good for all his years behind the bench. He’s got 567 wins, which is pretty impressive, and a lifetime winning percentage of .635%, for the regular season.

It’s his lack of postseason success that makes him an issue. During the regular season, Boudreau’s teams have been fantastic, but for some reason, he hasn’t been able to get talented rosters into the Stanley Cup Final. Chicago helped quash that for him in 2014-2015 when the Blackhawks went through Anaheim, where he was head coach, before going on to defeat Tampa Bay to win the Stanley Cup.

Boudreau understands the game and the league, but he doesn’t have a great record in the postseason. I have complete faith he could get the Blackhawks to the playoffs, but I question whether or not he could take them all the way. History says, “no”, but he might be available if Chicago wanted him. He could certainly help turn things around shortly. At the very least, he could likely get more out of the roster than the team is showing currently.

Remember earlier when I mentioned that Marc Crawford was an interim coach? It was after Guy Boucher, who took the Ottawa Senators to the Eastern Conference final was fired. That series against Pittsburgh was great, and Ottawa missed the Stanley Cup Final by a single goal in a Game 7 double-overtime thriller. It was a great run, and maybe even a better Cinderella story than Montreal’s path to the Stanley Cup final just this last season.

If Boucher were interested, would be the guy? He’s had success and will get results. However, people have criticized him for coaching teams to play boring hockey with his 1-3-1 approach that can be a real game killer. Stifling defence and opportunistic goals. It’s a recipe for success, but not for fun.

He’s been around and has quality NHL experience. The situation in Ottawa wasn’t his fault either. Shortly after the Senators didn’t make the Stanley Cup Final, the team was broken up, including the departure of captain Erik Karlsson.

The issue with Boucher, in particular, is his very mixed track record. He hasn’t won any awards at the NHL level, and his track record is a bit mixed. He has a lifetime winning percentage of just over 500 (.505), so it could go either way. He is, regardless, an experienced and capable coach that is likely available right now. There wouldn’t even be any of the awkward conversations about him coaching a rival team.

There are others available as well. Rick Tocchet, for example. After being shown the door in Arizona, he hasn’t taken up a regular full-time post at another team. It’s hard to say how he would fare in Chicago because Arizona isn’t a good comparison. The team out in the Southwest has been pretty bad for a long time, and sometimes apparently intentionally so to secure quality draft picks. He didn’t have much success out there, but there’s a good chance not many coaches would have with the Coyotes.

Additionally, there could be a dark horse pick. It would be a good way to make sure the team considers a wider array of candidates including women and minorities. Logic would dictate that if there aren’t any interesting candidates around at the NHL level, then the search would continue to the AHL. Surely someone between those two leagues fits the bill.

That is essentially how Colliton joined Chicago in the first place. He had been coaching, successfully, in Sweden, and was brought over to run things in the AHL. Then he was quickly promoted to the NHL with only a few years of experience to his name. Despite his current record, Stan Bowman saw something in him and gave him the job. Perhaps Chicago’s GM is having buyer’s remorse?

There are no obvious answers to this question, but there are candidates and no shortage of them. Maybe the options aren’t perfect, but the options exist. It would just be a matter of deciding which direction the team wanted to go in. There are competent, qualified coaches available right now, that would be only too happy to take over for Colliton as head coach of the Chicago Blackhawks. If things don’t turn around soon in the Windy City, a replacement may be on the way.