The last month of Luke Richardson’s tenure as head coach of the Blackhawks was an interesting one. After being on the hot seat with an improved roster this season, Richardson was put even more under the microscope after he mishandled making Hart Trophy winner Taylor Hall a healthy scratch. At that time, I rhetorically asked whether there was a chance that Richardson had lost the locker room. The Blackhawks having the worst record in the NHL and Hall admitting that he was blindsided by the news wasn’t exactly a great combination, and Hall didn’t exactly defend his coach. Then, when Richardson was fired on Thursday, that question popped up again – it was interesting that Chicago didn’t give the head coach more time to try to guide his team out of its slow start.
From everything Blackhawks players said about the situation, however, Richardson seemed to still have their full support. From an objective viewpoint, the head coach wasn’t quite equipped for the role, but all of the players’ responses Thursday emanated respect and appreciation for Richardson.
“You’re sad for the man and for the family, and you take a little bit of ownership too. When you fire a coach, it means you’re not in a position you want to be in, right? As the captain and somebody that cares a lot about that guy, it’s tough to see.”
– Nick Foligno
Many other Blackhawks echoed similar sentiments. While expressing excitement for interim head coach Anders Sorensen, Connor Bedard described Richardson’s firing as “upsetting,” telling reporters he had a great relationship with him and a lot of respect for him. Alex Vlasic admitted a “new voice” could help the Blackhawks, but added that it was a “tough situation for a great guy.”
Then, Jason Dickinson seemed to speak for the entire team on the situation.
“It’s a shitty situation for a good man. I have a lot of respect for Luke; he gave me a great opportunity here and I’m grateful for everything that he did for me. Unfortunately, we’ve got to get results and the first step in finding results is you look at the coach. And then when that doesn’t happen, then you look at the players. And then when that doesn’t happen, you’ve got to look elsewhere.”
– Jason Dickinson
It certainly sounds like Richardson commanded plenty of respect in the locker room, even at the end of his tenure. And for good reason, too – everyone had nothing but positive things to say about him, and he’s an excellent hockey mind. He didn’t have quite the right mindset for the position because he wasn’t properly developing Bedard. His defensive mindset kept games low-scoring, but almost to a fault. His team ranked second-to-last this season in goals for per game with less than 2.5. He’ll likely land on his feet wherever he goes, potentially as a defensive mastermind in the NHL, and could get another shot at a head coaching job eventually. No matter what, the fact that he still has the respect of the Blackhawks sure doesn’t hurt.
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