Former Ferris State University goaltender and Western Michigan University head coach Jeff Blashill made it official on Tuesday, when he became the newest head coach in the storied history of the NHL's Detroit Red Wings.
Blashill, a Sault Ste. Marie native, spent the last four seasons coaching Grand Rapids (AHL), whom he led to a Calder Cup championship in 2013. He signed a four-year contract with the Wings to succeed former mentor Mike Babcock, who moved over to the Toronto Maple Leafs last month.
Blashill played junior hockey with Des Moines (USHL) before backstopping Ferris from 1994 to 1998, winning 27 games with the Bulldogs, according to hockeydb.com. He joined the coaching ranks with his alma mater in 1999, and moved on to Miami (Ohio) in 2002. In 2009 he became head coach and general manager with Indiana (USHL), winning the Clark Cup his first year there, before finishing 19-13-0 in 2010-11 in his lone campaign at WMU. He then spent the next season as an assistant to Babcock in Detroit, before going to Grand Rapids in 2012.
Blashill went 134-71-12-11 in his tenure with the Griffins, leading them to a league title his second season before earning AHL Coach of the Year accolades in 2013-14, according to mlive.com. His 137 career regular-season wins rank second in franchise history, and he also sent 24 players on to the NHL.
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