The Chicago Blackhawks’ start to the 2026-27 season has been an absolute disaster. They have only four wins in their first 16 games, and none have been convincing. Bowen Byram, the offseason’s biggest acquisition, has been sidelined for three weeks with a mysterious upper-body injury. Some young players have looked like they regressed instead of taking steps forward, while some veterans have looked like passengers on most nights.
To make matters worse, the national TNT crew ripped the team to shreds during the first intermission of their latest loss to the Florida Panthers on Wednesday. All of this has the fan base wanting change, with many calling for head coach Jeff Blashill to be fired.
While fans want a new head coach, Blashill hasn’t lost the locker room. Captain Connor Bedard praised him when asked after the Panthers game.
“Blash is great,” Bedard said. “We love Blash, we love how he approaches us, how he coaches our team. I know on a personal note how much better of a hockey player he’s made me. … He’s given us the right message, the right formula, and we’ve got to go execute better for 60 minutes.”
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