RELEASE: Blackhawks announce coaching change

Chicago Blackhawks General Manager Kyle Davidson announced today that the team has relieved Luke Richardson of his head coaching duties. Rockford IceHogs head coach Anders Sorensen has been named interim coach and will assume his duties effective immediately. Mark Eaton, the Blackhawks’ assistant general manager who oversees player development, will assume interim head coaching responsibilities in Rockford.

“Today I made the difficult decision to leave Luke as our head coach. We thank him for his efforts and contributions to the organization and our community,” Davidson said. “As we began to make progress in our rebuilding process, we felt that the results were not meeting our expectations for a higher level of performance this season and ultimately concluded that a change was necessary. We wish Luke and his family all the best for the future.”

“On behalf of the entire Blackhawks organization, I would like to thank Luke for his commitment over the past three seasons,” said Blackhawks Chairman and CEO Danny Wirtz. “I fully support Kyle’s decision to make this change as he continues to do whatever is necessary to move our team forward. I have the utmost confidence in him and the rest of our hockey operations team as they begin the search for the next head coach of the Chicago Blackhawks.”

Sorensen, 49, assumes the role of interim head coach after spending the past six seasons on the Rockford IceHogs bench. The Södertälje, Sweden native originally joined the Blackhawks organization in 2013-14 as a development coach, a role he held for five seasons until being named an assistant coach at Rockford beginning in 2018-19. Sorensen was promoted to assistant coach ahead of the 2021-22 season before taking over as interim head coach six games into the season. As interim coach, he compiled a 35-26-5 record and led the team to first place in the Calder Cup Playoffs for the first time since the 2017-18 season. He has compiled a 117-89-16-7 record in 229 AHL games in his head coaching career, all with Rockford, while the IceHogs have reached the playoffs in each of his three seasons as a reserve coach.

Prior to joining the Blackhawks organization, Sorensen served as an assistant coach for Södertälje SK of the HockeyAllsvenskan for three seasons from 2011 to 2013 before taking on the position of interim head coach in October 2013.