Detroit Red Wings part ways with head coach Jeff Blashill

The Detroit Red Wings are moving on from head coach Jeff Blashill after seven years at the helm of his hometown team.

Red Wings general manager Steve Yzerman announced on Saturday, one day after the Winged Wheel wrapped up their regular season, that the team would not be renewing Blashill’s contract for an eighth season. Blashill was the NHL’s second longest-tenured coach behind Tampa Bay’s Jon Cooper.

Detroit also parted ways with assistant coach Doug Houda and goaltending coach Jeff Salajko after a sixth place finish in the Atlantic Division.

Blashill, 48, posted a 204-261-72 record over 537 games with the Wings. Hired to replace Mike Babcock, who left for the Toronto Maple Leafs, Blashill helped keep the franchise’s record playoff streak alive at 25 years in his first season in 2015-16. He then tried to bridge the gap until the next one could begin – but wasn’t able to make it happen.

Yzerman took over for Ken Holland in April 2019 and kept Blashill on staff for three more seasons.

The last coach to remain at least seven years with the same team with a points percentage of .447 or worse was Hockey Hall of Fame player Frank Boucher with the New York Rangers from 1939-1954.

Blashill is scheduled to join Team USA as an assistant coach at the IIHF World Championship in Finland in May, where he’ll work under former Rangers coach David Quinn.