It’s Official. Ex-WMU Coach Blashill New Red Wings Boss

It's been quite a road up the ladder for former WMU Broncos hockey coach Jeff Blashill. A successful junior coach, then waking the WMU hockey program to the NCAA tournament, a year as an assistant to Mike Babcock in Detroit, and finally, a three year stint in Grand Rapids that included a Calder Cup championship. All that has been in preparation for the ultimate; Blashill today was named coach of the Red Wings.

The promotion wasn't really a surprise. Consensus was that it was Blashill's job to lose. He's been in the Red Wing organization for four years, and the team wouldn't allow other teams to talk to him about openings last year.

With most of the young Red Wing roster already familiar with him, many having played for him in Grand Rapids, the move seems logical and inevitable.

Reports on the internet this morning have hockey Hall of Famer Chris Chelios joining Blashill as an assistant coach.

Red Wings Traning camp starts in early September in Traverse City.