Chicago Blackhawks Name New Head Coach Following Firing Of Luke Richardson On Thursday

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Jim Precourt
December 5, 2024 (6:36 PM)

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The Chicago Blackhawks have announced that Rockford Icehogs head coach Anders Sorensen will be promoted and serve as the Blackhawks interim head coach after the firing of Luke Richardson, per Elliotte Friedman.

Richardson's firing was long overdue, as he would scramble the lines up not only before the games, but during the games, and got in the way of Connor Bedard's development.

Plus, this was a year where the team was expected to be better, and they're trending worse than they were last season.

Sorensen, on the other hand, has the potential to be a capable head coach until the Blackhawks find the right fit for the coaching position.

Anders was a developmental coach for both the Hawks and the Icehogs from 2014-2019, until he moved permanently to Rockford to be the assistant head coach until 2022. Sorensen earned the head coaching position for Rockford mid-season in 2022, so it isn't the first time he's been thrown into a head coaching role unexpectedly.

Sorensen runs an offensive-first game, while Richardson runs a defensive-first campaign, which is beneficial to Bedard in particular, which could be why Sorensen was more enticing over current Chicago assistant coach Derek King, who was an interim head coach after Jeremy Colliton got fired.

Sorensen's offensive play style really elevated Kevin Korchinski's and Frank Nazar's game down in the AHL, as they're both getting more comfortable offensively.

The Icehogs have an average of 3.05 goals scored per game across 19 contests, while the Blackhawks have an average of 2.44 through 26 games.

Maybe Sorensen will take Nazar and Korchinski with him and they'll get some NHL experience, especially Korchinski's new and improved game, at the end of the year. If anything, it's the best time to do it, as by now they're familiar with the coach.

This is the fourth head coach for the Hawks through three years, which is embarrassing. Hopefully, Kyle Davidson and his team really take their time and find the perfect coach, because this coaching carousel could make potential suitors, and maybe even prospects, run away.