Jeff Blashill did everything he could think of to help the Detroit Red Wings get over the hump but when all was said and done, GM Steve Yzerman decided it was time to go in a different direction.
Following the conclusion of the 2021-22 season, the Red Wings announced that they would not be bringing Blashill back for the 2022-23 campaign.
“This wasn’t a complete sh*t show,” Yzerman said at the time.
“Ultimately to make that decision, I felt our team fundamentally, that we kind of… I don’t even know if plateaued is the right word. But we had gotten to a point where fundamentally, with and without the puck, we had regressed,” Yzerman added.
“We’re at a point now where I felt like I’ve got to see if bringing in a new coach and coaching staff can make a difference to get us back and get us going in the right direction,” Yzerman said.
Former Detroit Red Wings coach Jeff Blashill lands new gig
Well, it did not take long for Jeff Blashill to find a new gig in the NHL as he has been hired by the Tampa Bay Lightning to be an assistant coach.
We have hired Jeff Blashill as assistant coach.
Glad to have you in Tampa, Coach!https://t.co/vgPFocOxBw
— Tampa Bay Lightning (@TBLightning) July 12, 2022
From Tampa Bay Lightning:
The Tampa Bay Lightning have hired Jeff Blashill as assistant coach, vice president and general manager Julien BriseBois announced today. On Jon Cooper’s staff, Blashill joins assistant coaches Jeff Halpern and Rob Zettler along with goaltender coach Frantz Jean and video coaches Nigel Kirwan and Brian Garlock.
Most recently, Blashill, 48, served as the head coach of the Detroit Red Wings for seven seasons from 2015-16 to 2021-22, where he compiled an overall record of 204-261-72 in 537 regular season games along with one postseason stint in his first season in 2016, falling in an Eastern Conference Quarterfinal to the Lightning in five games.
So, basically, Steve Yzerman traded Jeff Blashill to the Lightning for Derek Lalonde!
