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Montreal Canadiens

Montreal Canadiens Lose Assistant Coach To Chicago Blackhawks

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Montreal Canadiens

League sources have confirmed to Montreal Hockey Now that Montreal Canadiens assistant coach Luke Richardson is set to become the new head coach of the Chicago Blackhawks.

Richardson, who was confirmed to have been in the second round of interviews for the position with Chicago, was able to secure the role of head coach in the Windy City. Richardson has been around the NHL for a while now, spending nine seasons as an NHL assistant coach with the Canadiens, Ottawa Senators and New York Islanders. He was also a head coach in the American Hockey League for Binghamton Senators for four years.

The Blackhawks fired head coach Jeremy Colliton back on November 6 and replaced him with interim head coach Derek King. The Blackhawks then proceeded with an in-depth search for their next, full-time head coach and Richardson’s name was high on their shortlist. With the Blackhawks seemingly set for a long rebuild, Richardson will be able to help the Blackhawks youngsters transition into the NHL.


A Lasting Impression On the Montreal Canadiens

During his time in Montreal, Richardson has been primarily responsible for the defensive units for the Canadiens. During last year’s 2021 NHL Playoffs, he was even tasked with temporary head coach duties during the Western Conference Finals, due to then-head coach Dominique Ducharme testing positive for Covid-19.

He worked especially close with Alexander Romanov over the last two seasons and has been a big help in getting the youngster to evolve as a player. Romanov has credited much of his progress to Richardson, who took a lot of time throughout the season to talk and work with Romanov to improve his game.

“He’s an awesome guy,” said Romanov during his season exit interview. “He’s a professional, and I love working with him, on or off the ice. He’s always had time for me.”

Luke Richardson is a player’s coach, which is becoming a popular prerequisite for NHL coaches as the league continues to get younger by the year. With almost 15 years of experience behind the bench in the pros, Richardson’s departure is a substantial loss to the Montreal Canadiens. That being said, he is more than deserving of the opportunity to show what he can do as an NHL head coach.