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Blackhawks Fire Jeremy Colliton

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The Blackhawks have decided to make a change behind the bench as the team announced that head coach Jeremy Colliton along with assistants Tomas Mitell and Sheldon Brookbank have been relieved of their duties effective immediately.  Derek King, who had been coaching with AHL Rockford, will take over as interim head coach while Marc Crawford remains on as an assistant coach.  Anders Sorenson, meanwhile, replaces King as the head coach with the IceHogs.  Interim GM Kyle Davidson released the following statement:

Our on-ice goal remains the same: to build an elite system of hockey – and we have not delivered on that. The fact is our play and competitiveness must improve. Every game, every shift. Today’s coaching changes are difficult, especially given the incredible personal connections Jeremy and others have made with our players in their development. We appreciate Jeremy’s contributions to the organization over the last three seasons, and we wish him and his family the best.

We appreciate Derek’s willingness to step in behind the bench as we embark on our search for our next permanent head coach. His NHL experience as a player and work with our younger players in Rockford over the last four years gives us great confidence in his ability to lead the Chicago Blackhawks in this interim role.

The dismissal comes three years to the day that Colliton took over from former head coach Joel Quenneville.  Over that stretch, Chicago hasn’t really progressed.  The team posted a 87-92-26 record with the 36-year-old behind the bench with their only playoff appearance coming in 2019-20 where they lost in five games to Vegas in the first round.  That, of course, was the season that the postseason was expected in the summer bubble; their record wouldn’t have been good enough to qualify otherwise.

After a tough showing last season, now-former GM Stan Bowman tried to bolster the roster, adding Seth Jones and Jake McCabe to their back end, Marc-Andre Fleury between the pipes, and Tyler Johnson up front while welcoming Jonathan Toews back to the fold as well.  At a minimum, they were expected to be considerably better if not contending for a playoff spot.  Instead, they struggled mightily as Chicago has just a 1-9-2 record this season while they’ve allowed the most goals in the league with 47.  Clearly, something wasn’t working and Davidson has decided that a fresh voice is needed to try to turn things around.

While King is quite familiar with several players on Chicago’s roster having worked with them with the IceHogs since 2016-17 (including as the head coach since 2018-19), it will be his first coaching role at the NHL level of any kind.  That, coupled with the hole they’ve dug themselves in the standings, puts the 54-year-old in a tough situation, not entirely dissimilar to the one Colliton was in when he took over for Quenneville.

The fact that Davidson, himself only in the GM role on an interim basis, was given the green light to make this significant switch is noteworthy.  CEO Danny Wirtz indicated in a statement that Davidson has “our full confidence and autonomy to make hockey decisions” which certainly suggests he’ll be given consideration for the full-time GM position.  In the meantime, Chicago will be conducting parallel searches with the team looking to determine Bowman’s replacement and Davidson likely heading up the search for the full-time head coach.  It’s not too often that a team has both an interim head coach and general manager but that’s the situation that the Blackhawks now find themselves in moving forward.

ESPN’s Emily Kaplan was the first to report that Colliton had been let go with King taking over.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Nicolas Beaudin Sent Back To Rockford

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  • After playing in his first game of the season on Friday, Blackhawks defenseman Nicolas Beaudin is headed back to AHL Rockford, per a team release.  The 2018 first-rounder has played in 21 career NHL contests and has been productive in limited minor league action between last season and the start of 2021-22 with 13 points in 14 games with the IceHogs.

Crosby, Others Added To COVID Protocol For Penguins, Blackhawks

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Nov 4: Head coach Mike Sullivan will not be behind the bench for the Penguins tonight, as he too has been added to the COVID protocol. Assistant coach Todd Reirden will take over head coaching duties while Sullivan is out. In better news, Letang has been officially activated and is in the lineup.

Nov 3: The Pittsburgh Penguins and Chicago Blackhawks have added several players to the COVID protocol. For Pittsburgh, it’s a worst-case scenario, as Sidney Crosby and Brian Dumoulin have entered the protocol. Both are confirmed positives, and while Dumoulin is asymptomatic, Crosby is experiencing mild symptoms. That means the captain is out for at least ten days.

Crosby only just returned from injury, playing one game for the Penguins on Saturday. He managed over 19 minutes in his return, but certainly seemed to have a bit of rust after a long injury rehab. He was dominated in the faceoff circle and was on the ice for three of New Jersey’s four goals (the other was a penalty shot), failing to record a point. He’ll now be taken away from the rink for a while longer, certainly not helping him shake off that rust.

Losing Dumoulin though is just as defeating for the Penguins, if not more so. The veteran defenseman is averaging more than 21 minutes a night this season, helping to carry the load while Kris Letang was in the protocol and some of the younger options struggle. If he doesn’t experience any symptoms, there’s a chance he could return before Crosby, though it will depend on his test results in the coming days.

In Chicago, things aren’t much better. Though Henrik Borgstrom has been removed from the protocol, Tyler Johnson and Isaak Phillips have been added, meaning they’re unavailable for tonight’s game against the Carolina Hurricanes. The Blackhawks have not confirmed whether either one is a confirmed positive case.

Chicago has dealt with quite a few COVID-related absences this season, but had recently been restored to full availability as players like Patrick Kane, Riley Stillman and Jujhar Khaira came out of the protocol. While Johnson and Phillips aren’t the team’s most important players, the group can ill afford to lose any depth while they try to climb out of the basement. The Blackhawks only just secured their first win of the season and are well behind the pack for the playoffs.

Chicago Blackhawks Sign Louis Crevier

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Chicago Blackhawks interim GM Kyle Davidson has made his first move, signing prospect Louis Crevier to a three-year entry-level contract. The deal carries a cap hit of $850,833.

Selected 188th overall in 2020, Crevier is off to an outstanding start to his 2021-22 season, scoring six points in eight games with the Quebec Remparts of the QMJHL. An offseason trade took him away from the Chicoutimi Sagueneens, where he had 14 points in 26 games during last season’s shortened campaign.

Points aren’t what you notice first about Crevier though, not when he’s standing 6’8″ and towering over the rest of his junior contemporaries. The hulking defenseman can break up plays with a stick that seemingly reaches from blue line to blue line, but his skating ability has improved enough that he’s also able to effectively move the puck himself.

That frame is obviously enough for the Blackhawks to bet on, giving him an entry-level contract even as a seventh-round pick.

Several Blackhawks Removed From COVID Protocol

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Nov 2: After Kane made his triumphant return last night, the Blackhawks got a few more bodies back today. Jujhar Khaira, Riley Stillman and assistant coaches Marc Crawford and Jimmy Waite have all exited the protocol and rejoined the team.

Nov 1: The Chicago Blackhawks could soon have their best player back in the lineup, as Patrick Kane is out of the COVID protocol. Kane was seen on the ice at this morning’s skate, though it is unclear if he’ll go directly into the lineup for tonight’s game. Assistant coaches Tomas Mitell and Matt Meacham are also out of the protocol.

Chicago could certainly use the help, given they are still looking for their first win of the season. The team is now 0-7-2 on the year after losing a 1-0 match against the St. Louis Blues on Saturday night. This evening they will welcome the Ottawa Senators into town, a group that is much improved over the bottom-dweller they have been the last few years.

Kane has only been a part of five of those nine losses, missing the last several games after being placed in the COVID protocol. He does have five points on the year though, which is still good enough to tie Alex DeBrincat for the Chicago lead among forwards. Should he get in tonight, it will be a huge boost for the reeling Blackhawks, even if he does have a bit of rust to knock off.

Injury Notes: Saad, Girard, Kraken, Johnson

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St. Louis Blues forward Brandon Saad is skating Saturday after spending the past nine days on the NHL’s COVID-19 protocol list, per Blues reporter Chris Pinkert. Saad is expected to return to the lineup for their Wednesday game against the Los Angeles Kings. He’s ineligible to play in Saturday night’s game versus the Chicago Blackhawks. It appears to be a huge boost for the Blues, who are also without captain Ryan O’Reilly as he was placed on the COVID-19 protocol list on October 26. Saad had two points in three games before being placed in the protocol, but his absence has caused him to miss the last three (that number will be made four tonight). In his absence, younger forwards such as Klim Kostin and Jake Neighbours have gotten extended looks in the lineup.

Other injury notes from around the league on Saturday:

  • Colorado Hockey Now’s Adrian Dater reports defenseman Samuel Girard will return to the lineup for tonight’s home game against the Minnesota Wild. Expected to play on a pairing with Erik Johnson, it’s another step closer to full health for a Colorado blueline that’s faced injuries to their best two left-shot defensemen early on this season. Girard missed Colorado’s last two games after suffering an injury on a hit from the Tampa Bay Lightning’s Steven Stamkos at the end of a game on October 23.
  • Seattle Kraken head coach Dave Hakstol issued injury updates today on forward Mason Appleton and goaltender Chris Driedger. Appleton was placed on injured reserve today and is now out indefinitely, while Driedger is now labeled as day-to-day. Kraken reporter Bob Condor relays information that Driedger practiced today, and could potentially work his way into game action as the Kraken have a back-to-back this Sunday and Monday. Appleton was in the midst of a rough start to his Kraken tenure, posting just one assist in seven games and playing just 11:14 per game.
  • The Chicago Sun-Times’ Ben Pope reports that Chicago Blackhawks forward Tyler Johnson suffered an apparent arm or wrist injury during the team’s 6-3 loss to the Carolina Hurricanes on Friday and is expected to miss Saturday’s game against the St. Louis Blues, if not more time. Johnson was playing in a top-line role, flanking Kirby Dach along with Dominik Kubalik prior to the injury with Patrick Kane in COVID-19 protocol. Johnson’s scored one goal and two assists in eight games this season. Forward Dylan Strome could draw into the lineup tonight in his place.

Snapshots: Team USA, Wild, Ghost Pirates

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When Stan Bowman stepped away from the Chicago Blackhawks yesterday, he also removed himself from the position of Team USA general manager for the upcoming Olympics. According to Steven Ellis of The Hockey News, that position is expected to go to Minnesota Wild GM Bill Guerin, who had previously been serving as AGM for the team.

Guerin, who had previously been involved in an investigation hailing back to his time with the Pittsburgh Penguins, was cleared recently by the U.S. Center for SafeSport according to Ellis. (UPDATE: Katie Strang of The Athletic reports that it is not quite that simple, and Guerin has not been cleared of wrongdoing as the case has not even progressed to the level of complainant interviews yet.)

  • The Minnesota Wild may be facing a COVID protocol situation, according to Michael Russo of The Athletic. The team is waiting for further testing and canceled practice today, as they prepare for their game tomorrow night. Russo believes at least two players are expected to be moved into the protocol, while the Wild are going to recall Kyle Rau, Connor Dewar and Jon Lizotte from the AHL.
  • The ECHL has announced their newest franchise, set to join the league in 2022-23. The Savannah Ghost Pirates will start play next season and sport green and black as their primary colors.

Stan Bowman, Al MacIsaac Leave Blackhawks Organization

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The Chicago Blackhawks have released the findings of an investigation into allegations of sexual assault by Brad Aldrich in 2010 when he was employed as a video coach with the team. As a result of the investigation, general manager Stan Bowman has “stepped aside” from the organization, admitting he made a mistake in 2010. Senior vice president of hockey operations Al MacIssac has also left the organization.

The Blackhawks have also been fined $2MM by the league for “inadequate internal procedures and insufficient and untimely response in the handling of matters related to former video coach Brad Aldrich’s employment with the Club and ultimate departure in 2010.” Half of that amount will be dedicated to fund local organizations that provide counseling and training for, and support and assistance to, survivors of sexual and other forms of abuse.

Bowman, 48, joined the Blackhawks in 2005 as director of hockey operations and was named general manager in 2009. He was given the title of president of hockey operations in 2020 after previously serving as senior vice president. He retained the title of general manager and conducted a drastic overhaul to the roster over the last few months, bringing in players like Marc-Andre Fleury, Seth Jones, Jake McCabe, Caleb Jones, Tyler Johnson, and Adam Gaudette. That roster will now be inherited by Kyle Davidson, who will be serving as interim general manager as the club searches for a new front office leader.

Not only was Bowman in charge of the Blackhawks, but he also served as general manager for the U.S. National Team that is set to take part in the 2022 Olympics. Bowman has stepped down from that position as well. No replacement has been named.

At the time of the incident, in which Aldrich is alleged to have sexually assaulted two players during the 2010 playoffs, a meeting was reportedly held between skills coach Paul Vincent, then team president John McDonough, Bowman, MacIsaac, and sports psychologist James Gary, with Vincent reporting the incident and asking management to take it to the Chicago police. According to Vincent, who spoke with Rick Westhead of TSN, they refused.

In the press conference today, former assistant US attorney Reid Schar, who conducted the investigation, revealed that there was a meeting between MacIsaac, Bowman, McDonough, Gary then assistant general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff, then executive vice president Jay Blunk, and then head coach Joel Quenneville where the allegations were discussed, though accounts of the meeting “vary significantly.” After being informed of the incident, no action was taken for three weeks. The investigation also found that Blackhawks ownership was not aware of the allegations until this year. Cheveldayoff and Quenneville have previously denied knowing about the allegations.

NHL commissioner Gary Bettman will meet with Cheveldayoff, currently the general manager of the Winnipeg Jets, and Quenneville, head coach of the Florida Panthers, to “discuss their roles in the relevant events.” It is not clear if they will receive additional punishment from the league. He also explains that if the four executives linked to the decision–Bowman, McDonough, Blunk and MacIsaac–wish to re-enter the league in some capacity, they will need to meet with Bettman before accepting any NHL-related position to determine “the appropriate conditions under which such new employment might take place.”

McDonough informed the team’s human resources director after the 2010 playoffs, and Aldrich was given the option to undergo an investigation or resign. He resigned that June. McDonough, who had been with the team since 2007, was fired in 2020. No executive involved in the 2010 incident will remain with the team.

139 witnesses were interviewed during the investigation, including the player who initially filed a lawsuit against the team earlier this year and some current Blackhawks players. The full report can be read here.

Jonathan Toews, Henrik Borgstrom Added To COVID Protocol

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The Chicago Blackhawks have been dealing with several COVID-related absences lately, and you can add a new pair of names to that list. Jonathan Toews and Henrik Borgstrom will not practice today as they have been added to the protocol. Patrick Kane, Ryan Carpenter, and Erik Gustafsson had previously missed practice, and while the latter two were cleared before Sunday night’s game, Riley Stillman, Jujhar Khaira and several assistant coaches all joined Kane.

Importantly, just because Toews and Borgstrom are in the protocol, it does not mean they have tested positive for coronavirus. Included in the NHL’s list of possible reasons for someone being on the COVID Protocol Related Absences list are the following:

(1) an initial positive test which remains unconfirmed until confirmatory testing is completed pursuant to the Positive Test Protocol; (2) mandated isolation for symptomatic individuals pursuant to the Positive Test Protocol; (3) required quarantine as a high-risk close contact in accordance with the Positive Test Protocol; (4) isolation based on a confirmed positive test result and/or; (5) quarantine for travel or other reasons as outlined in the COVID-19 Protocol.

Toews and Borgstrom will not be able to participate in practice today, but as we’ve seen several times this season already, there’s at least the potential of their return before Wednesday’s game if their test results come back negative. It is unclear at this point when that will be known. For now, Kane, Toews, Borgstrom, Stillman and Khaira are unavailable to head coach Jeremy Colliton as they prepare for the Toronto Maple Leafs tomorrow night.

Jones, Kalynuk Back Skating As They Recover From Injury

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Those absences–along with Evgeni Malkin and Bryan Rust, who are also dealing with injury–certainly haven’t slowed down the Penguins. Their early-season success shouldn’t really be much of a surprise, as Mike Sullivan has routinely found a way to win even with his best players on the sideline. Luckily, the Penguins are also in the midst of an eight-game homestand, and won’t have to hit the road until November 9 against the Chicago Blackhawks.

  • Caleb Jones and Wyatt Kalynuk, both currently on injured reserve, were on the ice before the Chicago Blackhawks started practice today, according to Tracey Myers of NHL.com. The young defensemen would certainly be a welcome sight for the Blackhawks, who have allowed 27 goals through six games and incredibly not held a lead for a single second this season. Neither player is expected to return in the coming days, with Jones not even eligible for activation until he’s missed ten games given his LTIR designation. Still, it’s good to see both on the road to recovery after unfortunate preseason injuries.

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