Chicago Blackhawks Fire Luke Richardson

Luke Richardson is let go after just two seasons with the team

The Blackhawks have fired Head Coach Luke Richardson, per reports.

Richardson was hired back on June 27, 2022. He came from the Montreal Canadians coaching staff after the Hawks fired Jeremy Colliton during the 2021-22 campaign.

The Hawks bench boss posted a 57-118-15 record in his tenure with the organization. After finishing last season second-to-last in points across the entire league, Chicago currently sits dead last with 18 points through 26 games.

BREAKING: #Blackhawks have fired head coach Luke Richardson and have named Rockford IceHogs coach Anders Sorensen as the interim.

Chicago assistant GM of player development Mark Eaton will take over as the interim in Rockford.

— Charlie Roumeliotis (@CRoumeliotis) December 5, 2024

Interim Hire Different Than Last Go Around

Current Blackhawks Assistant Derek King was the Interim selection after the firing of Colliton a few years ago, but he won’t take that role for the second time.

Rockford IceHogs Head Coach Anders Sorensen has been promoted as the franchise’s Interim Head Coach. This isn’t Sorensen’s first rodeo serving in the interim role, as he held the position with Rockford in the 2021-22 season when King was promoted to help the big club.

What This Means For The Hawks Moving Forward

Some believed that the team would move on from Richardson at the end of the season, so this is speeding up the process of finding the next man in charge. For the time being, the assistants on the current staff will need to step up and help Sorensen get adjusted to the NHL quickly.

With Sorensen coming from the AHL, it could be a viable option for the young stars in Rockford to get their shots at the NHL level sooner rather than later. Frank Nazar, Kevin Korchinski, and second overall pick, Artyom Levshunov are chomping at the bit to play at the United Center. The firing of Richardson might very well give them that chance.