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Blackhawks: Why Derek King is the Right Coach moving forward

By Jeremiah Lee |
Interim Head Coach Derek King, Chicago Blackhawks (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)
Interim Head Coach Derek King, Chicago Blackhawks (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)
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Derek King is an interesting story in the best way for the Blackhawks this year.

Under Jeremy Colliton, the Blackhawks were tight, monotoned, and, quite honestly, a very lost team on the ice. No one knew where to go and no one knew what to do with the puck. The coach did not look to be into the part of his job where he relates to the fan base who already despised him because Coach Q was fired for him.

Then, over four seasons under a microscope, the Blackhawks fired Colliton due to the poor performance of his team. Then, the Blackhawks brought in Derek King to lead the team for the remainder of the 2021-22 season. We already know the story about this, BUT what about Derek King pushes the right buttons?

1. A Free-Style of Play

The first thing is that Derek King allows his players to play their game rather than try to force his ideals onto them. Patrick Kane is not a checker, neither is Alex Debrincat, but Colliton tried to force them to play outside of their comfort zone. This in itself is not a bad thing, but it resulted in mediocre efforts and the players just looked flat out done with the system. That’s all they did on the ice and no one was able to have any fun playing (or watching) hockey.

King allows his offensively talented guys to go out there and make plays when they can. He allows Patrick Kane to skate up with the puck and make a play out of nothing. His guys go out there and play offense, then get back to defend on time without odd-man chances or goals against in less than twenty seconds. It’s a great turnaround for this team. Seth Jones is flourishing now as well, showing the reasons why he was given a 9.5 million salary.

Marc Crawford, Chicago Blackhawks (Photo by Jeff Vinnick/Getty Images)
Marc Crawford, Chicago Blackhawks (Photo by Jeff Vinnick/Getty Images) /

2. Listens to his Staff

The other thing that made the difference between Colliton and King is that Derek King listens to his staff and relies on their input. This Blackhawks team changed almost immediately after the coaching change, and Marc Crawford was elevated to an associate coach to aid in the change. Now, this team has two experienced voices, one from a coaching side and another from a NHL veteran’s side. King is a former first-round selection at 13th overall, played 830 games in the league, scoring 612 points. He also appeared in 47 post season games as well, making his credibility high above that of Colliton.

King was open about his inexperience and Marc Crawford has been helping him ease into the league by taking some responsibility from him. In just four games or so, this team looks like they know what they are doing more often than not, and the guidance from proven NHL sources look like they are making a deeper impact than Colliton and the young guys he brought with him.

King could have easily come into the locker room with an ego, telling the guys that he’s the coach now and that Crawford will listen to what he wants. What happened was the opposite, and it looks like the coaches are finally lead the team together, not just one guy at the helm. This has brought a better atmosphere with communication all around the team.

Chicago Blackhawks, Patrick Kane #88 (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images)
Chicago Blackhawks, Patrick Kane #88 (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images) /

3. He Embraces the Fanbase

Derek King has won the fanbase over in less than a month, embracing his comparison to Walter White, cracking jokes all the time, and elevated the Blackhawks’ play in a short amount of time. He brings in an aura that felt like he “freed the franchise”, and it felt like a breath of fresh air when he arrived. He joked with the reporters and embraced the Walter White comparison and the fans love him for it. We love a coach who can laugh at himself (or at all, really).

Maybe it’s because Colliton was the replacement for Coach Q, but his work afterward didn’t really do him any favors. The Blackhawks did place him in a sticky situation right off the bat, but he did nothing to appeal himself to the fanbase. King looked to have learned from that mistake and immediately won over the fanbase with his personality. As much as it is needed for a coach to appeal to and earn the respect of his players, he has to appeal to the fans as well.

Conclusion

In all, Derek King allows his players to play freely and finally enjoy playing the game again. His systems are more effective AND more entertaining than Colliton’s. King also embraces the fanbase and the journalist, interacting with them. The Walter White comparison brought a loud cheer in the United Center, showing that he already has the loyalty of the fanbase in less than two weeks.

So far, he is helping this franchise meet expectations and he can only improve as he learns under Marc Crawford. This team is performing for him right now, and finding ways to further release this loaded roster is to be expected as the season continues. I personally feel like Derek King is worth taking a long look at as the permanent head coach.

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