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Blackhawks: Coaching Candidates who could take the reins right now

By Seth Stauffer

Jeremy Colliton, Chicago Blackhawks Mandatory Credit: David Berding-USA TODAY Sports
Jeremy Colliton, Chicago Blackhawks Mandatory Credit: David Berding-USA TODAY Sports /
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EDMONTON, ALBERTA – AUGUST 02: Head coach Rick Tocchet of the Arizona Coyotes handles bench duties during the game against the Nashville Predators in Game One of the Western Conference Qualification Round before the 2020 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs at Rogers Place on August 02, 2020 in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. (Photo by Jeff Vinnick/Getty Images)
EDMONTON, ALBERTA – AUGUST 02: Head coach Rick Tocchet of the Arizona Coyotes handles bench duties during the game against the Nashville Predators in Game One of the Western Conference Qualification Round before the 2020 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs at Rogers Place on August 02, 2020 in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. (Photo by Jeff Vinnick/Getty Images) /

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?

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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.

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