Jeff Blashill

Jeff Blashill (born December 10, 1973) is an American professional ice hockey coach. He is the current head coach for the Detroit Red Wings of the National Hockey League (NHL).

Jeff Blashill
Blashill coaching the Grand Rapids Griffins in 2012
Born (1973-12-10) December 10, 1973
Detroit, Michigan, U.S.
NationalityAmerican
OccupationIce hockey coach, player
Coaching career
PositionHead coach
General managerSteve Yzerman
TeamDetroit Red Wings
Years as a coach1999–present
Years as an NHL coach2015–present
Years with current team2015–present

Blashill previously served as the head coach for the Grand Rapids Griffins of the American Hockey League (AHL), an assistant coach for the Red Wings, the head coach of the Western Michigan University ice hockey team,[1] the head coach and general manager of the Indiana Ice and the assistant hockey coach at both Ferris State University and Miami University.

Playing career

Blashill was born in Detroit, Michigan, but grew up in Sault Ste. Marie. He played college ice hockey as a goaltender at Ferris State University for the Bulldogs from 1994 to 1998.[2] He earned team Rookie of the Year honors in 1994 and was named to the Central Collegiate Hockey Association (CCHA) All-Academic Team in 1997.[3] Prior to his collegiate career, Blashill played at the junior level for the Des Moines Buccaneers of the United States Hockey League (USHL) from 1991 to 1994.[2]

Coaching career

After his playing career ended, Blashill joined Ferris State's Bulldogs team as an assistant coach in 1999. He remained there for three seasons before joining Miami University as an assistant coach for the RedHawks in 2002.

In 2008, Blashill was named head coach and general manager of the Indiana Ice, a Tier 1 junior hockey team in the USHL. In his first season, the Ice won the Clark Cup as USHL champions.[1]

Blashill was later named head coach of Western Michigan University's Broncos team on April 6, 2010.[4] In his first season as head coach, Blashill led Western Michigan to a top-four finish in the CCHA, the CCHA Championship game and the 2011 NCAA Division I Men's Ice Hockey Tournament, the most successful season for the University in 15 years. After the season, he was named USCHO Coach of the Year, Inside College Hockey Coach of the Year and College Hockey News Coach of the Year.[5][6]

In July 2011, after one season at the helm of the Broncos, Blashill accepted an assistant coaching position with the NHL's Detroit Red Wings under head coach Mike Babcock.[7]

On June 25, 2012, it was announced that Blashill would become the head coach of the Grand Rapids Griffins, the top minor league affiliate of the Red Wings in the American Hockey League (AHL). He replaced Curt Fraser, who had accepted an assistant coaching position with the Dallas Stars of the NHL.[8] Blashill was replaced on the Red Wings staff by NHL veteran assistant Tom Renney.[9]

On June 18, 2013, the Griffins under Blashill won the Calder Cup as AHL champions for the first time in club history.[10][11]

In his second season with Grand Rapids, Blashill was awarded the Louis A. R. Pieri Memorial Award as the AHL's most outstanding coach for the 2013–14 season. In two seasons as head coach, he guided the Griffins to a combined 88–48–2–12 record. During his tenure, Griffins posted three separate seven-game winning streaks while never losing more than two consecutive games in regulation.[12]

On June 4, 2014, it was announced that Blashill had agreed to a new three-year contract with the Red Wings organization through to the 2016–17 season to coach the Griffins.[13]

With a win over the Rockford IceHogs on April 1, 2015, Blashill became the first coach in Griffins franchise history to post three 40-win seasons and three 90-point seasons.[14] In three seasons with the Griffins, he compiled a 134–71–12–11 regular season record and won seven of nine AHL playoff series. He is the only coach in Griffins history to qualify for the Calder Cup playoffs in three consecutive seasons.[15]

Following the departure of Detroit head coach Mike Babcock to the Toronto Maple Leafs, Blashill was named head coach of the Red Wings on June 9, 2015.[16] On April 2, 2019, the Red Wings announced they signed Blashill to a two-year contract extension.[17]

International

Blashill has also been a member of Team USA's coaching staff four times in international competition, at the 2006 Ivan Hlinka Memorial Tournament, the 2009 World Junior A Challenge, the 2009 IIHF World Junior Championship, and the 2017 IIHF World Championship.[18][19]

Personal life

Blashill was born in Southfield, Michigan and raised in Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan, where his father Jim was a professor at nearby Lake Superior State University. Jim had originally worked as a police officer in Detroit and served as a professor of criminal justice at LSSU for over 30 years. Jeff's brother, Tim Blashill, also played and coached college hockey. Tim currently coaches high school hockey in Big Rapids, Michigan, and also serves as program coordinator for Ferris State University's Ewigleben Arena.[20][21][22]

Head coaching record

NHL
TeamYearRegular seasonPostseason
GWLOTLPtsFinishWLWin%Result
DET2015–16 82413011933rd in Atlantic14.200Lost in First Round (TBL)
DET2016–17 82333613797th in Atlantic———Missed playoffs
DET2017–18 82303913735th in Atlantic———Missed playoffs
DET2018–19 82324010747th in Atlantic———Missed playoffs
DET2019–20 71*17495398th in Atlantic———Missed playoffs
Total39915319452  14.200 
  • Shortened season due to the COVID-19 pandemic during the 2019-20 season.

College
Statistics overview
Season Team Overall Conference Standing Postseason
Western Michigan Broncos (CCHA) (2010–2011)
2010–11 Western Michigan 19–13–1010–9–9–54thNCAA Midwest Regional Semifinals
Western Michigan: 19–13–1010–9–9–5
Total:19–13–10

      National champion         Postseason invitational champion  
      Conference regular season champion         Conference regular season and conference tournament champion
      Division regular season champion       Division regular season and conference tournament champion
      Conference tournament champion

TeamLeagueYearGWLTOTLResult
Indiana IceUSHL2008–09 60391902Clark Cup champions
Indiana IceUSHL2009–10 60332403Lost in Semifinals
Grand Rapids GriffinsAHL2012–13 76422608Calder Cup champions
Grand Rapids GriffinsAHL2013–14 76462307Lost in Conference Semifinals
Grand Rapids GriffinsAHL2014–15 76462208Lost in Conference Finals
Minor League Career Totals6 seasons3902251271028

References
  1. "Broncos Bio". Western Michigan University. Archived from the original on March 15, 2012. Retrieved June 16, 2011.
  2. "Jeff Blashill stats". hockeydb.com. Retrieved June 10, 2015.
  3. "Official site of the Grand Rapids Griffins: Front Office". Griffinshockey.com. June 25, 2012. Archived from the original on March 28, 2014. Retrieved February 25, 2014.
  4. Couch, Graham. "Western Michigan willing to wait for Jeff Blashill: New hockey coach in midst of USHL playoffs". Kalamazoo Gazette. Archived from the original on June 16, 2011. Retrieved June 16, 2011.
  5. Bodnar, Adam. "Blashill completes hat trick of National Coach of the Year awards". Western Michigan University. Archived from the original on June 16, 2011. Retrieved June 16, 2011.
  6. Horgan, Candace. "Western Michigan's Blashill gets USCHO nod as top coach". USCHO.com. Archived from the original on June 16, 2011. Retrieved June 16, 2011.
  7. "Blashill Resigns For Red Wings Position; Search Begins Immediately". Western Michigan University. Retrieved July 8, 2011.
  8. Steve Amorose FOX 17 Sports (June 25, 2012). "Griffins New Head Coach: Jeff Blashill Named the New Grand Rapids Griffins Head Coach". chicagotribune.com. Retrieved February 25, 2014.
  9. "Wings tab Renney as associate coach". Detroit Red Wings. Retrieved February 25, 2014.
  10. "Grand Rapids Griffins win the Calder Cup thanks to late goal by Brennan Evans". MLive.com. Retrieved February 25, 2014.
  11. "Calder Cup Finals: Grand Rapids Griffins hold off Syracuse, win first AHL crown". SBNation.com. Retrieved February 25, 2014.
  12. Roose, Bill (April 15, 2014). "Blashill earns coach of the year award". Detroit Red Wings. Retrieved April 15, 2014.
  13. Roose, Bill (June 4, 2014). "Wings give Blashill new 3-year contract". Detroit Red Wings. Retrieved June 4, 2014.
  14. Wallner, Peter (March 31, 2015). "Coach Jeff Blashill rewriting the record book". MLive. Retrieved April 1, 2015.
  15. Roose, Bill (June 9, 2015). "Blashill hire was a year in the making". Detroit Red Wings. Retrieved June 9, 2015.
  16. "Red Wings hire Jeff Blashill as new coach". June 9, 2015. Retrieved June 9, 2015.
  17. Kujawa, Kyle (April 2, 2019). "Red Wings agree to new deal with head coach Jeff Blashill". Detroit Red Wings. Retrieved April 2, 2019.
  18. "Jeff Blashill Bio". Grand Rapids Griffins. Archived from the original on March 28, 2014. Retrieved June 4, 2014.
  19. "Blashill named head coach of U.S. Men's National Team". Detroit Red Wings. April 11, 2017. Retrieved April 11, 2017.
  20. Couch, Graham. "'A force of nature': Jeff Blashill era of Western Michigan hockey about to begin". Kalamazoo Gazette. Archived from the original on June 16, 2011. Retrieved June 16, 2011.
  21. "Sault native wins National Coach of the Year". eupnews.com. Archived from the original on June 16, 2011. Retrieved June 16, 2011.
  22. Tim Blashill. "Tim Blashill". Ferris State Bulldogs. Retrieved February 25, 2014.
Preceded by
Mike Babcock		 Head coach of the Detroit Red Wings
2015–present		 Succeeded by
Incumbent
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