ESPN’s Greg Wyshynski praised Blashill, who had been with the organization for 11 seasons in total, having previously served as head coach of the AHL Grand Rapids Griffins, but Wyshynski also noted Blashill’s poor coaching record (204-261-72) with a team “dedicated to rebuilding through the draft under GM Steve Yzerman.”
“There were signs of progress for the Red Wings, despite their record this season,” Wyshnynski wrote on espn.com “Defenseman Moritz Seider and forward Lucas Raymond are both expected to challenge for the Calder Trophy for rookie of the year. Defenseman Simon Edvinsson, a highly touted prospect drafted sixth overall in 2021, signed with the team last week.”
Former Red Wings forward and four-time Stanley Cup champion Darren McCarty said Blashill should get “his credit for the positives he’s put into the Winged Wheel culture.”
Steven Ellis of The Hockey News said “Blashill wasn’t getting it done anymore with a young core and the team needed a fresh voice.”
Popular Red Wings YouTube commentator Tony Dombrowksi wished Blashill well in his future endeavors, but wasn’t surprised Yzerman made a swift decision on Saturday. Assistant coaches Doug Houda and goaltending coach Jeff Salajko also didn’t have their contracts renewed by Yzerman.
“There was no way Jeff Blashill was going to come back after the end of this season,” Dombrowski said in a video on his Twitter feed. “I needed to see it to believe it and Steve is going to get his own guy in here.”
Ryan Hana, host of the Winged Wheel podcast, said it’s going to be fun to speculate about the next coach of the Red Wings.
“The likes of Larionov, Gronborg, Fedorov, etc. will be popular but the real ‘list’ is much, much longer,” Hana tweeted.
“I definitely been guilty of being too hard on Jeff Blashill throughout his tenure. Still, I think Yzerman’s decision is the right one for the team.”
“Whether or not he had a fair shot with a good roster, seven years is a long time. The team needed a new voice.”
More: Who could replace Blashill as Red Wings head coach? Here are 10 possibilities
Finally, here’s Blashill’s final interview on Friday night with Trevor Thompson of Bally Sports Detroit after the victory against the Devils.