Jeff Blashill

Jeff Blashill

Jeff Blashill

Blashill pictured behind the bench during his tenure coaching the Grand Rapids Griffins
Born (1973-12-10) December 10, 1973
Detroit, Michigan, U.S.
Current position Head coach
Current general manager Ken Holland
Current team Detroit Red Wings
Previous team(s) Ferris State (asst)
Miami (OH) (asst)
Indiana Ice
Western Michigan
Detroit Red Wings (asst.)
Grand Rapids Griffins
Years as a coach 1999–present
Years as an NHL coach 2015–present
Years with current team 2015–present

Jeff Blashill (born December 10, 1973) is an American professional ice hockey head coach currently with the Detroit Red Wings of the National Hockey League (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, 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 will 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]

International

Blashill has also been a member of Team USA's coaching staff three times in international competition, at the 2006 Ivan Hlinka Memorial Tournament, the 2009 World Junior A Challenge and the 2009 IIHF World Junior Championship.[17]

Personal life

Blashill was 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.[18][19][20] Blashill and his wife Erica live in East Grand Rapids with their three children, Teddy, Josie and Owen.[17]

Head coaching record

NHL

Team Year Regular season Post season
Games Won Lost OTL Points Finish Won Lost Win % Result
DET 2015–16 82 41 30 11 93 3rd in Atlantic 1 4 .200 Lost in First Round
DET Total 82 41 30 11 1 4 .200
Total 82 41 30 11 1 4 .200

Other leagues

Team League Year G W L T OTL Result
Indiana Ice USHL 2008–09 60 39 19 0 2 Clark Cup champions
Indiana Ice USHL 2009–10 60 33 24 0 3 Lost in semifinals
Western Michigan University CCHA 2010–11 42 19 13 10 0 NCAA Tournament first round
Grand Rapids Griffins AHL 2012–13 76 42 26 0 8 Calder Cup champions
Grand Rapids Griffins AHL 2013–14 76 46 23 0 7 Lost in semifinals
Grand Rapids Griffins AHL 2014–15 76 46 22 0 8 Lost in conference finals
Minor League Career Totals 6 seasons 390 225 127 10 28

References

  1. 1 2 "Broncos Bio". Western Michigan University. Retrieved June 16, 2011.
  2. 1 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. 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. 1 2 "Jeff Blashill Bio". Grand Rapids Griffins. Retrieved June 4, 2014.
  18. ↑ 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.
  19. ↑ "Sault native wins National Coach of the Year". eupnews.com. Archived from the original on June 16, 2011. Retrieved June 16, 2011.
  20. ↑ Tim Blashill. "Tim Blashill". Ferris State Bulldogs. Retrieved February 25, 2014.

External links

Preceded by
Mike Babcock		 Head coach of the Detroit Red Wings
2015–present 		Incumbent
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