Why the Chicago Blackhawks should target this other Frozen Four-winning head coach

The Chicago Blackhawks are reportedly targeting University of Denver's David Carle to be the club's next head coach.

However, the team should also check in with the man who beat Carle's Pioneers in the Frozen Four.

Pat Ferschweiler is receiving a lot of credit for not only beating Denver in the Frozen Four semifinals but also winning the whole thing at Western Michigan. He did it with a team that did not need NIL money to build a championship roster.

Also, he would bring an exciting style of hockey to Chicago.

General manager Kyle Davidson might have to make some tweaks to who the team adds in the draft during the rest of the rebuild since most of the forwards are on the smaller side.

However, the baby blueline players the Hawks have come with the ideal size to play a physical game that Ferschweiler likes to run.

Also, he has a track record of developing his guys into NHL players. What makes Ferschweiler even more appealing is his ability to get most of the players he has on his roster, despite not always having the highest pedigree.

This is not just throwing out his name because he won a title and beat Carle. He is considered a shatter-the-mold type candidate on ESPN's Greg Wyshynski's long list of head coaching candidates for all of the NHL head coaching vacancies. It would be nice for the Hawks to avoid the cookie-cutter coach they last brought in with Luke Richardson.

It is not like Wyshynski was throwing Ferschweiler's name out there because he won a title. Ferschweiler does have experience coaching in the NHL when he was an assistant with the Detroit Red Wings for four seasons last decade.

Carle sounds like the club's preferred choice and is another creative coach to hire, but he has never coached at the NHL level. Ferschweiler having that NHL bench experience, along with building a powerhouse program, does make him Carle's equal.

It is not like the Hawks would be the only NHL team likely interested in him. He has ties to the Philadelphia Flyers.

Ferschweiler did sign a contract extension in December, however, the Hawks could easily pry him out of Kalamazoo when it comes to money.

It would come down to if Ferschweiler wants to leave the good thing he has going at Western Michigan, plus he is an alum of that school.

However, a lot of coaches would jump at the chance to coach a team toward winning a Stanley Cup someday.

The match might not be right since Davidson has amassed an impressive group of forwards, but many of them are more on the smallish, fast side.

That is not to say Ferschweiler would say overhaul the team, but for example, his championship roster does not have many players under six feet.

It is just another name Davidson should check in with, especially if Carle decides to stay at Denver, or even worse, take a different NHL job.