On Dec. 5, the Chicago Blackhawks made a pivotal decision for the organization’s future when they fired head coach Luke Richardson after only scoring 18 points in the first 26 games of the regular season. (He finished with a 57-118-5 record with the Blackhawks.)
General manager Kyle Davidson chose to promote Anders Sorensen from head coach of the Rockford IceHogs to the interim coaching job for the Blackhawks. Sorensen compiled a 117-89-7 record during his four seasons with the IceHogs.
With Rockford suddenly needing a head coach to help develop young talent for the organization, Davidson moved Mark Eaton from his position as the Blackhawks’ assistant manager of player development to the interim head coach of the IceHogs.
The former NHL player had no previous coaching experience before taking over for Rockford, another odd leadership decision in a year full of questionable leadership choices.
Kyle Davidson trusted in Mark Eaton
Per Scott Powers of The Athletic, Davidson gave Eaton the job because he trusted Eaton would ensure IceHogs players were developed properly.
“To have someone that was so intimately involved and intimately understanding of the day-to-day in Rockford, that was something that was important to make sure there was some continuity for those players, because we did feel like they were on such a good track,” Davidson said.
“Mark being a highly capable person and really smart, and he didn’t have any coaching experience going into that spot, but I had no doubt that he would be able to handle it and be able to make that transition seamless and continue the positive strides that our players have made there this year.”
The transition wasn’t without turbulence. The IceHogs dropped their first two games under Eaton. But they have a 19-18-1 overall record under his leadership this season and are in the hunt for the postseason.
Chicago Blackhawks: Eaton is learning on the fly
Eaton says he’s had to rely on his assistant coaches to help him navigate his new role as a head coach.
“Part of me feels bad, like they’ve had to teach me some things because in development you’re dealing more with the individuals and the kind of the habits within their game and what they need to do individually to be successful,” Eaton said. “Whereas coaching, it’s a lot about the team and systems, the different scenarios within a game that I hadn’t thought about since my playing days.
“And even in my playing days, I knew what my job was as a defenseman, but I didn’t know what F1 on the forecheck or trackers needed to do or what other positions’ responsibilities were. So that’s kind of what I’ve been learning on the fly.”
Eaton entered the NHL undrafted and became the only player to come from Delaware. He played with the Philadelphia Flyers, Nashville Predators, Pittsburgh Penguins, and New York Islanders.
While winning a good goal for the IceHogs, how they can develop into Blackhawks playmakers is a more important goal. By promoting Eaton as head coach, Davidson committed to improving the Blackhawks roster in future seasons.
The IceHogs next play Manitoba Moose on Friday. They have 10 games left in the regular season and are in fifth place in the Central Division with a 27-27-6 overall record.
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