The Chicago Blackhawks put Anders Sorensen in a tough position in December. He was asked to leave his job as the head coach of the Rockford IceHogs to take over an 8-16-2 Blackhawks team that had issues with veterans and young players jelling in Year 2 of the rebuild with 2023 first-round pick Connor Bedard.
Sorensen went 17-30-2 with Chicago to end the season. The Blackhawks ended the disappointing campaign on a high note, winning four of their final six games, including their last two games.
With the Blackhawks striking out on early coaching hires, it appeared like Sorensen had a legit chance to become the permanent head coach. However, general manager Kyle Davidson named former Detroit Red Wings head coach Jeff Blashill as Richardson’s replacement.
Anders Sorensen wanted the job
Per Scott Powers of The Athletic, Sorensen admitted he was initially “disappointed” with the news but was excited that Chicago was going with Blashill if he didn’t get the job.
“It was honest and direct, and that’s all you can ask for,” Sörensen said of Davidson’s conversations during the hiring cycle. “Obviously, they made their decision there. For me, you obviously go in hoping for something. … But once Kyle told me that Jeff was the guy, obviously some disappointment first, but then, obviously, excitement when I heard who it was.
“What he stands for is something I really believe in. It made the decision a lot easier.
Sorensen believes in the Chicago Blackhawks’ youth
Sorensen chose to stay on as an assistant coach under Blashill’s staff. He likes the way Blashill is setting up the staff to be collaborative and give every coach a “voice.” Sorenson said he wanted to stay with Chicago because he believes that the youth can develop into a contender.
“I had a really strong belief in this group of players that we had, that we acquired, obviously, a lot through the draft,” Sörensen said. “These young players, I’ve seen them throughout the year in Rockford and Chicago, I really believed in this group of players. This made my decision to stay on board obviously a lot easier as well. I want to help see this through.”
Sorenson pointed to Chicago’s improvement towards the end of the season. He thinks it shows the promise of what the team can become.
Now it’s up to Blashill to help the Blackhawks take the next leap.
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