Former Red Wings head coach and now Tampa Bay Lightning assistant coach Jeff Blashill spoke with the media for 12 minutes this evening, both discussing joining Jon Cooper’s staff in Tampa and reflecting upon his time in Detroit:
The Red Wings’ beat writers took note of Blashill’s remarks, starting with the Free Press’s Helene St. James…
“Over the course over seven years, I got the opportunity to coach the team I grew up cheering for,” Blashill said Tuesday. “For a young boy who was born in Detroit and grew up in Sault Ste. Marie, it was a great experience. My kids were in the Detroit area for seven straight years, which is not always the norm in coaching, and they got to grow up and really be raised here.
“We didn’t have the success we wanted on the ice, but part of that was the situation we were in and the fact that shortly into my time there, we went into a rebuild. I’m proud of the fact I think that we worked through a lot of difficult times and I think the ship is headed in the right direction.”
Blashill fills the vacancy created when Wings general manager Steve Yzerman hired former Lightning assistant Derek Lalonde July 1.
“I know that the program is headed in the right direction,” Blashill said. “They have a really good coach in Derek Lalonde, who I think will do great things.”
Yzerman called Blashill into his office at Little Caesars Arena April 30, the day after the season ended, and informed Blashill his contract would not be renewed. When he addressed the media a three days later, Yzerman noted that Blashill “ran a good program.”
And continuing with the Detroit News’s Nolan Bianchi…
“I think life’s about experiences and I think those experiences help you grow a ton if you allow them to, and so certainly I think over that time, I’ve had an opportunity to grow a ton,” Blashill said Tuesday while speaking to the media.
“I know I’m a better coach today than I was seven years ago, and I hope I’m a better coach at the end of this year than when I started. That’s what growth’s about.”
…
Blashill was complimentary of Yzerman and former Red Wings general manager Ken Holland. Blashill said both gave him “an opportunity to grow.”
“I totally enjoyed the experience working for (Yzerman), and felt that through those three years, I learned a ton from him, as I did working for Ken Holland,” Blashill said. “I’ve been real fortunate in my time to be able to work for some great, great people.”
…
“The attractive part of the job for me is knowing that the person that I’m going to work for is somebody where you have a tremendous amount of respect for,” Blashill said of Cooper. “Beyond friendship, and I think friendship is important, but way more important than that is the amount of respect that I have for Jon Cooper as a coach. I’ve had that respect for him for 20 years.”
As well as the Tampa Bay Times’ Mari Faiello…
“Coop felt that there was a potential of him potentially losing an assistant coach,” Blashill said. “…Once he found out Derek was headed for Detroit, we had, obviously, more detailed conversations and in the end, kind of came to the conclusion that this was the right move for the both of us, and I’m certainly excited about it and I believe he is as well.”
The Lightning’s assistant coaching staff now includes: Blashill, Rob Zettler, Jeff Halpern, goaltending coach Frantz Jean and video coaches Nigel Kirwan and Brian Garlock.
Before joining the Red Wings as their head coach, Blashill spent three seasons with the AHL’s Grand Rapids, winning the Calder Cup championship with the Griffins in his first year as head coach in 2012-13. In 2011-12, he served as an assistant on Detroit’s staff.
Blashill feels he can contribute to the development of Tampa Bay’s roster. Coaching responsibilities, such as if he’ll oversee the penalty kill like Lalonde did, are still to be determined.
“I have a tremendous amount of respect for Derek Lalonde and so I know that his loss will be felt and I have to make sure that I can help bring value to the organization and bring value to the team,” Blashill said.
Update: WXYZ’s Brad Galli posted a clip of Blashill’s comments, too:
