Jeff Blashill will not return as coach of the Detroit Red Wings next season, the team announced Saturday.
The Red Wings failed to make the Stanley Cup Playoffs in six of the 48-year-old’s seven seasons with them. He was the second longest-tenured coach in the NHL behind Jon Cooper of the Tampa Bay Lightning (10 seasons).
Blashill was 204-261-72, ranking sixth in Red Wings history in wins and fifth in games coached (537). He was named coach June 9, 2015, replacing Mike Babcock, who left for the same position with the Toronto Maple Leafs on May 20, 2015. In his first season, Detroit qualified for the playoffs and lost to Tampa Bay in five games in the Eastern Conference First Round. The Red Wings have not qualified or finished higher than fifth in their division since then.
They were 32-40-10 this season and finished sixth in the Atlantic Division, 26 points out of a playoff spot.
Detroit ranked 25th in the NHL in goals per game (2.77), 31st in goals-against per game (3.78), 26th on the power play (16.3 percent) and last on the penalty kill (73.8 percent).
“The arc of the organization is headed in the right direction, there’s no doubt about that,” Blashill said after a season-ending 5-3 win against the New Jersey Devils on Friday. “I think there’s positives to be looked at from the year. I think there were times this year where our team showed really, really great and extraordinary-type sacrifice. There were times this year, when we played our best hockey, that we were as good as anybody and we beat a number of good teams.
“We stayed in the playoff race longer than we have in the last couple of years.”
Assistant coach Doug Houda and goaltending coach Jeff Salajko also will not return next season.
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