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The Chicago Blackhawks fired Luke Richardson after a brutal start to the 2024-25 NHL season. Chicago wanted to shake things up as their team took a step back. The organization decided to turn to Rockford IceHogs head coach Anders Sorensen on an interim basis. On Monday, he picked up a huge win over the New York Rangers.
Arvid Soderblom made 29 saves on the night at Madison Square Garden. A second-period goal from Taylor Hall helped seal a huge 2-1 win for the Blackhawks over the Rangers. Chicago has moved to 9-17-2 on the season, while the Rangers fall to 14-12-1. This is also New York's eighth loss in their last 10 contests.
This win is also significant for Sorensen. The interim Blackhawks coach is the first Swedish head coach in NHL history. As it follows, his win over the Blueshirts at Madison Square Garden makes him the first Swedish coach to win an NHL game from behind the bench, as noted by Blackhawks reporter Charlie Roumeliotis.
Blackhawks hope Anders Sorensen can spark the roster
The Blackhawks added Tyler Bertuzzi and Teuvo Teravainen in NHL Free Agency. They certainly weren't the only veteran options Chicago added on the open market. But the idea was to make the team more competitive. With star prospect Connor Bedard established in the NHL, the team felt the desire to make more progress.
However, it has not happened to this point. The Blackhawks have largely been uncompetitive in a lot of their games. And some of the team's most important players have struggled. Even Bedard has not played to his previously established standard in the early going.
Chicago hopes the team can show some fight with a new voice in the locker room. Sorensen knows he is being tasked with the job of keeping this team above water. He said recently that he feels ready for the task, but understands it won't be all that easy.
“I’ve been a big believer in where my two feet are is where I’m going to work and try to get better and we’ll see what happens,” the Blackhawks coach said, via The Chicago Tribune. “You want to strive to improve and get up to higher levels. It’s surreal right now, trying to digest. … I feel ready, but there’s always a part I’m sure I’ll have to learn on the fly here.”
Anders Sorensen has the first win out of the way after beating the Rangers. Now, he has to focus on building on this and picking up more victories down the line. Chicago takes the ice again on Thursday night when they continue a three-game road trip against the New York Islanders.
