There’s no clear timeline for when the Chicago Blackhawks will permanently replace vacant positions in their front office and coaching staff.
“(The Blackhawks) need a general manager, they need a head coach, and what we don’t really have right now, Ron, is a clear timeline of when that’s going to be,” said Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman during the 32 Thoughts segment on Hockey Night in Canada.
“I think we kind of have to wait and see what the Blackhawks decide to do, how they decide to figure it out, because I don’t get the sense they feel a real need or pressure to do this quick.”
On Saturday, the Blackhawks fired head coach Jeremy Colliton with the team currently 31st in the NHL. Colliton, 37, went 87-92-26 coaching in part of four seasons with Chicago. He was dismissed exactly three years since being hired. The Blackhawks also fired assistant coaches Tomas Mitell and Sheldon Brookbank.
Assistants Marc Crawford, Jimmy Waite, Matt Meacham and Dylan Crawford retained their coaching positions, as did Chris Kunitz, a player development advisor.
Prior to the coaching change, on Oct. 26, the Blackhawks’ long-time general manager and president of hockey operations Stan Bowman “stepped aside” after a bombshell investigation revealed his involvement in the mishandling of sexual abuse allegations made in 2010 by Kyle Beach, a Chicago prospect at the time, against then-video coach Brad Aldrich.
Bowman, 48, had been part of the Blackhawks organization since 2001, officially becoming general manager in 2009.
Former assistant general manager Kyle Davidson has since taken over as interim GM.
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