BREAKING: Detroit Red Wings make official decision on HC Jeff Blashill

Blashill, 45, is currently in his fourth season as head coach of the Red Wings and his seventh season overall with the organization, originally joining Detroit as an assistant coach for the 2011-12 campaign before serving as head coach of the American Hockey League’s Grand Rapids Griffins from 2012-15. With Blashill at the helm, the Red Wings have seen career years for the likes of Dylan Larkin, Andreas Athanasiou, and Tyler Bertuzzi, who have all set career highs in goals and points for Detroit in 2018-19 among a lineup that has featured nine rookies throughout the season. His NHL head coaching record stands at 135-143-47, and he ranks sixth in franchise history with 325 games coached. Blashill was named the 27th head coach in franchise history on June 9, 2015, and is currently the seventh-longest tenured head coach in the NHL.

“Jeff has done a tremendous job developing our young talent as we continue to rebuild our organization,” said Red Wings executive vice president and general manager Ken Holland. “Our young players have made significant strides during his time as head coach and are playing important minutes in key situations. As we continue to build towards the future, we have the utmost confidence that Jeff is the coach best suited to help our prospects become impactful NHL players. He has gained valuable experience as an NHL coach in each of his four years in Detroit and has instilled a work ethic in our current team that makes us hard to play against every night and competitive in every game, which is the identity we want our team to have as we move forward.”