Blackhawks Head Coaching Tracker: Top Candidates, Updates & More

We have entered the most important offseason of Kyle Davidson’s tenure as Chicago Blackhawks general manager. In addition to another top-four pick and improving the roster, Davidson needs to hire a new head coach.

While many feel that the next Blackhawks head coach must have NHL experience, Davidson said it isn’t a deal-breaker in his search.

“That’s something we’ve discussed a lot, and I believe there is value in that, but we’ve probably come to the conclusion that it’s not the end-all, be-all,” Davidson said on April 17. “It’s certainly a feather in a candidate’s cap, and you can’t deny that, that type of experience, and they’ve traveled that road before, and there’s something of value there. But it’s not necessarily something that we would consider mandatory if another candidate didn’t have that, but felt like a good fit for us. It’s not something that we’re going to use as a filter to rule people in or out with.”

NHL experience didn’t matter in pursuing University of Denver head coach David Carle, who recently withdrew his name from consideration for the job.

Below are listed six ideal candidates, in order of their NHL experience. We’ve also included “The Field,” which has names of other coaches who might be considered. If they become a serious target, they’ll get their own section. Be sure to check back daily, as we’ll be updating this with all the latest reports until a new head coach is named.

Mike Sullivan (hired by Rangers)

Mike Sullivan should be the Blackhawks’ top coaching candidate. He checks all of the boxes. He’s got 917 NHL games of experience. He’s won two Stanley Cups. He’s gotten the most out of Hall of Famers, such as Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, and Kris Letang. He also has a presence in the locker room that the Blackhawks have missed since firing Joel Quenneville. Sullivan will command instant respect the second he sets foot in Chicago.

The problem is that he’s likely the top candidate in other cities. He has past connections to the New York Rangers and Boston Bruins, which are both looking for new coaches. Sullivan doesn’t want to go to a rebuilding team, so it will be up to Davidson to prove that the Blackhawks are further along than the national perception thinks—that, along with a huge paycheck, which should not be a problem.

Mike Sullivan Updates:

4-29: Elliotte Friedman said the Rangers will be the favorite to land Sullivan.
4-29: Pierre LeBrun reported that five teams have inquired about Sullivan’s services.
5-1: Emily Kaplan reported that the Rangers and Sullivan are in “advanced talks” on what is expected to be the richest contract in coaching history.
5-2: Sullivan was officially named the 38th head coach in New York Rangers history.

Dan Bylsma

Dan Bylsma was not expected to be a candidate for the Blackhawks job. He was recently let go by the Seattle Kraken after just one season behind the bench. He has a .596 points percentage over his 647 games as an NHL coach. Bylsma won the Stanley Cup with the Penguins in 2009 and the Jack Adams Award in 2011. His two seasons with the Buffalo Sabres were underwhelming, but you can say that about every coach who has ever been behind their bench.

Before you label Bylsma as just another “retread” coach, consider his two seasons with the Coachella Valley Firebirds in the AHL. He took them to back-to-back Calder Cup Finals in 2023 and 2024, working with young players like Shane Wright, Ryker Evans, and Tye Kartye. He’s had proven success with developing players, which could give him an edge in Chicago.

Rick Tocchet

Rick Tocchet will not be returning to the Vancouver Canucks, which makes him a top candidate in numerous coaching searches across the league. The Philadelphia Flyers became an instant favorite because Tocchet played over 600 games for them during his lengthy NHL career. He is a polarizing figure, as people within the game say he’s a great coach, while the public perception doesn’t agree.

Tocchet got instant results when he was hired by the Canucks, and won the Pacific Division last season. However, this season was a circus with the Elias Pettersson and J.T. Miller drama. That all happened in his locker room under his watch. Yes, Tocchet will be harder on players than past Blackhawks coaches, but it remains to be seen if what happened in Vancouver this season has hurt his reputation.

Rick Tocchet Updates
5/7 – Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic reports that the Ducks have talked to Tocchet, but have not had an official interview yet. He added that the Flyers have not reached out to Tocchet yet, but expects them to.

Jay Woodcroft

Jay Woodcroft only got one full season with the Edmonton Oilers in 2022-23. He won 50 games in the regular season and nearly took them to the Western Conference Finals. However, he was fired 13 games into the 2023-24 season after a 3-9-1 start. It’s important to note that superstar Connor McDavid dealt with an upper-body injury that caused him to miss a couple of games and not play up to par during this time.

Woodcroft was a finalist for the Columbus Blue Jackets job last offseason. Coaches seem to have a bounce back at their second jobs. They apply the lessons learned from their mistakes at their first job and use them to improve. Look what Travis Green is doing with the Ottawa Senators in his second full-time gig. Hopefully, that’s the case for Woodcroft if he lands the Blackhawks job.

Jay Woodcroft Updates
5/1: Pierre LeBrun reported that the Anaheim Ducks have met with Woodcroft and Carle.

Anders Sorensen

Anders Sorensen was thrown into a tough situation this past season after taking over for Luke Richardson in December. He went 17-30-9 in his 56 games, but how the season ended was encouraging. He was in his element when the roster got younger after the trade deadline. The strides some of the prospects took under his watch will keep him in consideration for the full-time job.

Sorensen received rave reviews from the players and Davidson on his way out this season. He’s proven to be very good at developing young players, but lacks actual game management skills. Those skills can be learned with more time behind an NHL bench. Sorensen and Davidson implied that he would remain with the organization even if he didn’t get the head coach job. Whether that is at the NHL or AHL level is yet to be determined.

Brad Shaw

It feels like the offseason can’t officially begin until Brad Shaw interviews for a vacant head coaching position. He has over 20 years of coaching experience in the IHL, AHL, and NHL, but he’s only been an NHL head coach on an interim basis. He coached the New York Islanders for the final 40 games of the 2005-06 season and nine more for the Flyers this season.

Shaw is known as a defensive coach. Over the years, he has had considerable success developing young defensemen and implementing an effective penalty kill. He’s one of the most respected assistant coaches in the league. Davidson interviewed him for the coaching vacancy in 2022, and he’s here again three years later.

Brad Shaw Updates
5/7 – Kevin Kurz of The Athletic wonders if Shaw is the top choice for the Flyers job.

The Field

Jay Leach (Bruins, assistant)
Jeff Blashill (Tampa Bay Lightning, assistant)
David Quinn (Penguins, assistant)
Kirk Muller (Washington Capitals, assistant)
Todd Nelson (Hershey Bears, AHL)
Marco Sturm (Ontario Reign, AHL)
Jay Pandalfo (Boston University)
Dave Hakstol
Pascal Vincent