Blashill to be introduced as Red Wings coach today

The Detroit Red Wings have called a news conference at 11 a.m. Tuesday, and they are expected to announce Jeff Blashill as the new coach.

Shoot. There is a greater chance of a meteor striking Joe Louis Arena than anyone other than Blashill becoming the next Wings coach, replacing Mike Babcock.

So in the spirit of seeing an octopus fly across the ice at Joe Louis Arena — no, let's go with two of them, symbolizing the games (in limbs) you need to win to hoist to the Stanley Cup — here are 16 reasons why Blashill is the perfect hire.

Detroit —Close your eyes and it sounds like nothing has changed. Same cadence, same buzzwords, similar plan. Open your eyes and you see another vivid sign of the Red Wings' delicate makeover.
It's not exactly rebuilding, more like refurbishing a weathered, historic building. New Wings coach Jeff Blashill is 41, the same age Mike Babcock was when he took over 10 years ago. And when Blashill speaks, you'd swear you're hearing a more-chipper version of Babcock.
The Wings are retrenching, a necessary task that comes with necessary risk. Just as the trenches are being dug along Woodward for their new arena, the Wings are constructing something new in the mold of something old. This was going to happen anyway, whether Babcock departed for Toronto or not, but the process was accelerated.
Blashill has the credentials to be a terrific coach, smart and personable, and was the obvious choice. He's also a good choice, although it's always a gamble with a first-time NHL head coach.

Detroit — Chris Chelios still trains like he's planning a comeback, five years after he retired from the NHL at the ripe old age of 48, and 18 months after he was inducted in the Hockey Hall of Fame.
But the former Red Wings defenseman, who was out on his bike for a workout Tuesday afternoon following Jeff Blashill's introductory press conference at Joe Louis Arena, also spent the last few years training for a different sort of return to the league.
And if he gets his wish, he'll be joining Blashill behind the Red Wings' bench in the fall as an assistant coach.
Neither Chelios nor Blashill were ready to talk about specifics Tuesday, but general manager Ken Holland confirmed there is mutual interest. And after spending the last few years working with Blashill in a part-time coaching capacity in Grand Rapids, it appears Chelios is ready for something more.

LooseGoose wrote:

Detroit — Chris Chelios still trains like he's planning a comeback, five years after he retired from the NHL at the ripe old age of 48, and 18 months after he was inducted in the Hockey Hall of Fame.
But the former Red Wings defenseman, who was out on his bike for a workout Tuesday afternoon following Jeff Blashill's introductory press conference at Joe Louis Arena, also spent the last few years training for a different sort of return to the league.
And if he gets his wish, he'll be joining Blashill behind the Red Wings' bench in the fall as an assistant coach.
Neither Chelios nor Blashill were ready to talk about specifics Tuesday, but general manager Ken Holland confirmed there is mutual interest. And after spending the last few years working with Blashill in a part-time coaching capacity in Grand Rapids, it appears Chelios is ready for something more.

Niyo: Chelios ready to serve as Wings assistant