AP

Detroit Red Wings fire coach Jeff Blashill after 7 seasons

Apr 29, 2022, 11:39 PM | Updated: Apr 30, 2022, 11:40 am

Detroit Red Wings head coach Jeff Blashill, center, looks over the ice during the first period of a...

Detroit Red Wings head coach Jeff Blashill, center, looks over the ice during the first period of an NHL hockey game against the New Jersey Devils in Newark, N.J., Friday, April 29, 2022. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

(AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

DETROIT (AP) — The Detroit Red Wings fired Jeff Blashill on Saturday, moving on from the coach tabbed to guide the storied NHL franchise through a long rebuilding process.

General manager Steve Yzerman said the team was not renewing the contracts of Blashill, assistant Doug Houda and goaltending coach Jeff Salajko.

Blashill spent the past seven seasons behind the bench for the Red Wings, who have missed the playoffs the past six seasons while transitioning into a youth movement. They last qualified for the postseason in 2015-16 when they lost in the first round.

The previous regime led by Stanley Cup-winning GM Ken Holland hired Blashill as Mike Babcock’s replacement, a natural selection given his reputation of developing young talent. Blashill has been with the organization for 11 years, including one season as an assistant on Babcock’s staff and three as coach of the American Hockey League’s Grand Rapids Griffins.

The Red Wings went 204-261-72 with Blashill at the helm. That .447 points percentage is second-worst in the league since then, not counting the expansion Seattle Kraken that debuted this season.

Detroit improved drastically in 2021-22 behind rookies Moritz Seider and Lucas Raymond, finishing 12th in the 16-team Eastern Conference. The Red Wings could now be ready to take the next step back toward playoff contention with a new coach in charge.

___

More AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/NHL and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

Copyright © The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

AP

Associated Press

Ex-Packer Guion gets 1 year for domestic violence assault

GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) — Former Green Bay Packers defensive tackle Letroy Guion was sentenced to one year in jail after pleading no contest in a domestic violence assault at his home last fall. Brown County Circuit Court Judge Thomas Walsh also ordered Guion on Tuesday to serve three years’ probation and complete a domestic […]

1 year ago

Joe Jarzynka...

Associated Press

Durant eager for Suns debut vs. Hornets after knee injury

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Kevin Durant has been through quite a bit during his 15-year NBA career — but joining a new team midway through the season is a new one for the 13-time All-Star. The 34-year-old Durant doesn’t seem all that worried. Durant makes his highly anticipated Phoenix Suns debut on Wednesday night against […]

1 year ago

FILE - Miami Dolphins head coach Brian Flores stands on the sideline during the second half of an N...

Associated Press

Judge: NFL coach can press discrimination claims in court

NEW YORK (AP) — NFL Coach Brian Flores can pursue some of his discrimination claims against the league and its teams in court rather than through arbitration, a judge ruled Wednesday. The written decision by Judge Valerie Caproni in Manhattan was issued months after lawyers for the league tried to get the lawsuit moved to […]

1 year ago

Chicago Blackhawks goaltender Alex Stalock cools off in the first period during an NHL hockey game ...

Associated Press

Kane trade reinforces hard reality of Blackhawks rebuild

CHICAGO (AP) — After days of speculation, the harsh reality of the Chicago Blackhawks’ situation was reinforced by one move in a flurry of transactions ahead of the NHL trade deadline. Showtime is over, at least in Chicago, and a seemingly bright future is, well, way off in the distance. The reverberations of Chicago’s decision […]

1 year ago

FILE -  Yves Jean-Bart, president of the Haitian Football Federation, wearing a protective face mas...

Associated Press

Disgraced ex-Haitian soccer president announces he’s back

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AP) — Haiti’s former soccer federation president whose lifetime ban from sport over sexual abuse allegations was overturned last month announced Wednesday that he is reclaiming his position. Yves Jean-Bart’s defiant announcement could lead to a standoff with FIFA, which already has appointed an emergency management committee to lead the Haitian Football Association […]

1 year ago

FILE - Green Bay Packers' Aaron Rodgers walks off the field after an NFL football game against the ...

Associated Press

Rodgers says decision on future will come ‘soon enough’

GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) — Aaron Rodgers says he will make a decision on his future “soon enough” as the four-time MVP quarterback ponders whether to play next season and if his future remains with the Green Bay Packers. Rodgers, 39, discussed his future while speaking on an episode of the “Aubrey Marcus Podcast” that […]

1 year ago

Detroit Red Wings fire coach Jeff Blashill after 7 seasons