The Chicago Blackhawks have fired coach Trent Yawney.
Chicago general manager Dale Tallon has announced that Blackhawks legend Denis Savard will replace Yawney behind the bench as the head coach - not the interim head coach.
A new assistant coach will be hired by the weekend.
Sources say the firing of Yawney was attributable to his cautious, defence-first approach and that Hawks' management is looking for a more aggressive, offensive mindset in terms of how the team plays.
"The bottom line is wins and losses and we needed to win more," said Blackhawks General Manager Dale Tallon. ?We've had some injuries, but in spite of that we're a better team than our record shows. We've won three of our last 15 games and we decided to go in a different direction. We want to play a more up-tempo style game."
The Blackhawks have a 7-12-2 record this season and sit fourth in the Central Division.
Injuries have played a part in the poor start, but there is some good news for Savard. It's expected that scoring wingers Martin Havlat and Rene Bourque could be back in the Hawks' lineup by next week.
"We're not happy over the last few years as far as our win-loss record is concerned," Savard said in a statement before coaching practice. "The players have to share that responsibility. But we're looking to move forward and go in a new direction.
"I've always wanted to be a head coach. The circumstances are not the greatest because when you take over for somebody mid-season it means things did not go as well as we all expected. I'm looking forward to working with Mark Hardy and upper management as we move forward in this new direction."
Yawney was in his second season as Blackhawks head coach and compiled a 33-55-15 overall record. He's the third coach to be fired this season, following Philadelphia's Ken Hitchcock and Columbus' Gerard Gallant (who was subsequently replaced by Hitchcock).
Savard had been an assistant with the Blackhawks since retiring from the NHL following the 1996-1997 season.
Savard, 44, played a 17-year NHL veteran with Chicago, Montreal and Tampa Bay, scoring 473 goals and 865 assists for 1,338 points in 1,196 games, adding 175 points in 169 career playoff games. As a Blackhawk, Savard recorded 1,096 points in 881 games and added 145 points in 131 playoff games.
Savard is one of only five players in Blackhawk history to have his number retired. Savard's No. 18 was raised to the United Center rafters in a special pre-game ceremony on March 19, 1998. He was elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2000.
Chicago general manager Dale Tallon has announced that Blackhawks legend Denis Savard will replace Yawney behind the bench as the head coach - not the interim head coach.
A new assistant coach will be hired by the weekend.
Sources say the firing of Yawney was attributable to his cautious, defence-first approach and that Hawks' management is looking for a more aggressive, offensive mindset in terms of how the team plays.
"The bottom line is wins and losses and we needed to win more," said Blackhawks General Manager Dale Tallon. ?We've had some injuries, but in spite of that we're a better team than our record shows. We've won three of our last 15 games and we decided to go in a different direction. We want to play a more up-tempo style game."
The Blackhawks have a 7-12-2 record this season and sit fourth in the Central Division.
Injuries have played a part in the poor start, but there is some good news for Savard. It's expected that scoring wingers Martin Havlat and Rene Bourque could be back in the Hawks' lineup by next week.
"We're not happy over the last few years as far as our win-loss record is concerned," Savard said in a statement before coaching practice. "The players have to share that responsibility. But we're looking to move forward and go in a new direction.
"I've always wanted to be a head coach. The circumstances are not the greatest because when you take over for somebody mid-season it means things did not go as well as we all expected. I'm looking forward to working with Mark Hardy and upper management as we move forward in this new direction."
Yawney was in his second season as Blackhawks head coach and compiled a 33-55-15 overall record. He's the third coach to be fired this season, following Philadelphia's Ken Hitchcock and Columbus' Gerard Gallant (who was subsequently replaced by Hitchcock).
Savard had been an assistant with the Blackhawks since retiring from the NHL following the 1996-1997 season.
Savard, 44, played a 17-year NHL veteran with Chicago, Montreal and Tampa Bay, scoring 473 goals and 865 assists for 1,338 points in 1,196 games, adding 175 points in 169 career playoff games. As a Blackhawk, Savard recorded 1,096 points in 881 games and added 145 points in 131 playoff games.
Savard is one of only five players in Blackhawk history to have his number retired. Savard's No. 18 was raised to the United Center rafters in a special pre-game ceremony on March 19, 1998. He was elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2000.
