Jeff Blashill (born December 10, 1973) is an American professional ice hockey coach who is the head coach for the Chicago Blackhawks of the National Hockey League (NHL). He was formerly the head coach for the Detroit Red Wings of the NHL.
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 and Tampa Bay Lightning, the head coach at Western Michigan, the head coach and general manager of the Indiana Ice and the assistant hockey coach at both Ferris State and Miami University.
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Playing career
Blashill was born in Detroit, Michigan, but grew up in Sault Ste. Marie in the state's Upper Peninsula. He played college ice hockey as a goaltender at Ferris State University for the Bulldogs from 1994 to 1998. 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. 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.
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.
Blashill was later named head coach of Western Michigan University's Broncos team on April 6, 2010. 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.
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.
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. Blashill was replaced on the Red Wings staff by NHL veteran assistant Tom Renney.
On June 18, 2013, the Griffins under Blashill won the Calder Cup as AHL champions for the first time in club history.
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.
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 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships, and the 2017 IIHF World Championship.
Personal life
Blashill was born in Detroit, 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. Blashill is married with three children. 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.
Head coaching record
NHL
Shortened season due to the COVID-19 pandemic during the 2019–20 season