Chicago Blackhawks
Uptick in Activity: Four NHL Hires on a Monday Morning
The Chicago Blackhawks have hired former Team USA star, Kendall Coyne Schofield, as a player development coach.
My morning routine begins with a coffee, followed by a Twitter scroll to get a sense of anything that is happening – hockey or otherwise. Unless you are talking about Covid-19 or something to do with the Presidency, the last few weeks have been relatively quiet within the North American hockey world. Perhaps that is why I keenly noted the uptick in hiring activity this morning. More specifically, four significant NHL hires were made by three different organizations.
Related: Blackhawks Hire First Female Development Coach in Kendall Coyne Schofield
Here is a quick recap:
1) – Chicago Blackhawks
The Chicago Blackhawks announced the hiring of former NHL player Eric Condra and long time US Womens National Team member Kendall Coyne Schofield as player development coaches. Specifically, Coyne-Schofield was hired as the teams Player Development Coach & Youth Hockey Growth Specialist. Awesome stuff.
2) Florida Panthers
Then it was announced that the Florida Panthers had hired former NHL player Shane Churla as its newest Director of Amateur Scouting. Churla has been on the amateur NHL scouting circuit since 2005, but most recently was with the Montreal Canadiens as Chief of Amateur Scouting.
3) Winnipeg Jets
The last transaction of the morning was the announcement that Dave Lowry had been hired as an assistant coach with the Winnipeg Jets. This will be Lowry’s stop as an NHL assistant coach. He previously spent time in the same role with the Calgary Flames (2009-2012) and LA Kings (2017-2019). Proximity may have helped in this case as Lowry spent last season two hours east of Winnipeg, as Head Coach of the Brandon Wheat Kings. Then again, it might also help that Lowry’s son Adam has been a member of the Jets since 2011.
Implications?
Without question, these are some great NHL hires but the timing and volume are noteworthy. My initial reaction to this increase in hiring activity is that they could have larger implications. Given the recent salary dispute between players and owners, could this hiring activity signal that a deal is close or already been reached behind closed doors? Can we wishfully apply the old adage ‘where there is smoke there is fire’?
Maybe it is just wishful thinking, but here is to hoping that my intuition is right, and we all get some definitive details on a 2020-21 NHL season sooner rather than later!
NEXT: Blackhawks Hire First Female Development Coach in Coyne Schofield
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