from Craig Custance of The Athletic,

He pulls on gray slacks, pulls over a navy USA Hockey shirt. Grabs a pair of boat shoes and puts them on without socks. Even this early, the stylish Blashill is polished.

At 44 years old, he’s still one of the youngest coaches in the NHL. But his fast track to the coaching heights has been derailed a bit, more by timing than anything. He got the job in Detroit as the coach of the Red Wings during a time in which the franchise was downshifting from contender to rebuilder.

“He’s a really good hockey mind,” Los Angeles Kings defenseman Alec Martinez says. Martinez has known Blashill since he was 16. Blashill recruited him to play at Miami. Blashill went to Martinez’s Stanley Cup parties when the Rochester Hills, Michigan, native was winning championships with the Kings, always careful not to touch the silver trophy. Blashill is one of the main reasons a veteran like Martinez is even playing in this tournament, typically a duty for the youngest American NHL players.

“He had one of the most rapid ascensions to the coaching ranks I’ve ever seen,” Martinez says. “There’s a reason for it. He’s won everywhere he goes.”

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