Breaking: Red Wings Part Ways with Jeff Blashill

Photo by Dave Reginek/NHLI via Getty Images

On Saturday afternoon, the Detroit Red Wings announced that the team would not be renewing the contracts of head coach Jeff Blashill, assistant coach Doug Houda, and goaltending coach Jeff Salajko.

Jeff Blashill had been the second longest-tenured head coach in the NHL, only behind his friend and head coach of the Tampa Bay Lightning. Blashill had been with the Red Wings organization dating back to July 2011, when he was brought on as an assistant coach to Mike Babcock’s staff. He would then transition down to the AHL the next season, becoming the head coach of the Grand Rapids Griffins, where he would find success as the team would win the Calder Cup in his first season.

Blashill took over as the team was in flux, as the likes of Pavel Datsyuk and Henrik Zetterberg were coming to the end of their careers, and the team didn’t have the young talent to replace their contributions, leading to a lengthy rebuild. When Steve Yzerman took over in 2019 as the General Manager, he allowed Blashill to help develop the next crop of Red Wings and prove whether he was the right coach for the team when they would be contending for a playoff position. Blashill even received a contract extension last season, as the team seemed to be taking steps forward in the defensive side of the game. It seems Blashill may have sealed his fate when the Red Wings took a turn for the worst after the All-Star break, with multiple embarrassing losses, including a 9-2 and 11-2 loss to the Arizona Coyotes and Pittsburgh Penguins, respectively. Blashill finishes with a record of 204-261-72 as head coach.

Doug Houda had been with the organization since the 2015-16 season as an assistant coach after spending ten seasons behind the Boston Bruins bench. Jeff Salajko had been with the Red Wings as the goaltending coach since the 2016-17 season. This decision only leaves assistant coach Alex Tanguay under contract behind the Red Wings bench.

This will mark the first time Yzerman will have the chance to hire “his guy” as the General Manager, and it should be interesting to see whether he chooses a more experienced head coach or someone who has never run an NHL bench.

The return of the Lyon King The Production Line Podcast

In this episode, we break down the Red Wings' first six games of the season, going 3-3. We discuss the impressive start from Alex Lyon, Marco Kasper's recall, the team's problems generating offense, and more!
  1. The return of the Lyon King
  2. The 23-Man Roster Set and Kasper Sent Down
  3. Preseason Storylines and Red Wings' Roster Predictions
  4. Red Wings' Training Camp Opens
  5. The Three RFAs

Discover more from Inside The Rink

Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.

One thought on “Breaking: Red Wings Part Ways with Jeff Blashill”

  1. Absolutely the right choice. It should have happened 2-3 years ago, but now is for sure the right time to change things up. Thanks for picking up this breaking news Garth!!!

Leave a Reply

Stanley Cup Playoffs Gameday Thoughts: Winnipeg Jets vs St. Louis Blues Game Three

St. Louis and Winnipeg are gearing up for the first clash at Enterprise Center. Inside The Rink’s own Conrad Jack gears you up for game three with his gameday thoughts. St. Louis Will Be Ready to Play at Home This one almost didn’t need to be said, but it is without question that the St. Louis Blues […]

Read More

IIHF U18: USA Rallies in the Third to Defeat Czechia 4–2

Team USA stormed back in the third period to earn a thrilling 4–2 victory over Czechia at the 2025 IIHF U18 Men’s World Championship, erasing a late deficit with three unanswered goals. The win showcased the Americans’ grit, depth, and late-game execution in a high-stakes Men’s Worlds matchup. Goals from Blake Fiddler, Will Horcoff, and […]

Read More
Chris Drury, General Manager of the New York Rangers

Opinion: Why Did The Rangers Decide to Extend Chris Drury?

There were many things wrong with the New York Rangers this season. For starters, they failed to make the Stanley Cup playoffs this season after winning the Presidents’ Trophy as the NHL’s best team last season. The Blueshirts finished fifth in the Metropolitan Division, 11th in the Eastern Conference, and 22nd in the league with […]

Read More