Editor's Note: This story last updated Dec. 6, 2024.
The Chicago Blackhawks had lost four straight games by the time management chose to end Luke Richardson’s tenure as the team’s coach. Under his two-plus seasons behind the bench, the Blackhawks won just 57 of 190 games, and this year, it was just eight out of 26.
So, with Richardson now off the Next NHL Head Coach Fired board, OntarioBets.com has updated it and included a new member to the hot seat club.
A reminder, these odds are for infotainment purposes only. You will not find them at any authorized sports betting operator in the province, such as Pinnacle Ontario Sportsbook or Fitzdares.
Team | Coach | Odds | Percent Chance |
Pittsburgh Penguins | Mike Sullivan | 22.2% | +350 |
Detroit Red Wings | Derek Lalonde | 18.2% | +450 |
New York Rangers | Peter Laviolette | 18.2% | +450 |
Montreal Canadiens | Martin St. Louis | 16.7% | +500 |
Nashville Predators | Andrew Brunette | 9.1% | +1000 |
Philadelphia Flyers | John Tortorella | 8.3% | +1100 |
Other |
| 7.4% | +1250 |
Replacing Richardson on our board is New York Rangers coach Peter Laviolette, a name that might have been shocking before the season. The Rangers, one of four teams that BetMGM Ontario Sportsbook listed at +1100 on NHL’s opening night to win the Stanley Cup, started strong at 8-2-1 through Nov. 3. Since then, though, the wheels have come off as the Blueshirts have lost eight of their past 13 games.
Laviolette’s team is in the last Wild Card spot, but it’s a crowded field in the back half of the Eastern Conference standings. The eight teams behind the Rangers are all within four points of New York.
One of those teams is Mike Sullivan’s Pittsburgh Penguins. Sullivan has been at the top of our board for so long that it feels like he’s grown roots up there. However, Pittsburgh has put together a nice run of late. A four-game winning streak comes as Sullivan has told the media that the team has taken a simpler approach, hoping to reduce the number of odd-man rushes they allow.
Oddsmakers haven’t downgraded the Rangers too much. At 888 Sport Ontario Sportsbook, New York’s odds are +1600. For comparison, the same book offers similar odds for the league’s top two teams in the standings. The Minnesota Wild’s odds are available at +1800, and the Winnipeg Jets are priced at +1500.
Was it just the losses that led Chicago to fire Richardson this week? Perhaps not, based on general manager Kyle Davidson’s statement announcing the move.
“As we have begun to take steps forward in our rebuilding process, we felt that the results did not match our expectations for a higher level of execution this season and ultimately came to the decision that a change was necessary,” he said.
It’s likely not a coincidence that the move came not only after a loss but also the day after the teams for the upcoming 4 Nations Face-Off were announced. One name not listed on the Canadian team was Connor Bedard, the top pick in the 2023 NHL Draft. Bedard was named last season’s Calder Trophy recipient as the top rookie, and he’s the expected cornerstone of the Blackhawks’ resurgence.
This season, though, Bedard has just five goals and 19 assists, a far cry from what many expected. Before the season, Ontario sports betting operator BetMGM listed him 15th on the Rocket Richard Trophy Futures, giving him odds of +6000 to score the most goals this season. His odds are now +20000.
Bedard’s shooting percentage has also dropped from 10.7% last season, when he scored 61 points (22G, 39A) in 68 games, to just 7.4% this season. So, when Davidson was talking about execution, maybe he was talking about Bedard’s progress?
Bedard is far from the only slumping player on the Blackhawks, who brought in some veterans to help Bedard’s development. Teuvo Teravainen, a free agent pickup from Carolina, has just six goals and 12 points; last season he had 25 goals and 28 assists with the Hurricanes. Taylor Hall, a former Hart Trophy winner, has just five goals and five assists in 25 games, even after a hat trick on Nov. 27 against Dallas.
Taking over in Chicago will be Anders Sorensen, who coached the Blackhawks’ AHL team in Rockford, Illinois. He’s the interim coach for now, but if he can jumpstart Bedard and the team, at least offensively if not in the standings, then he might be in position to get the job on a permanent basis.
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Steve is an accomplished, award-winning reporter with more than 20 years of experience covering gaming, sports, politics and business. He has written for the Associated Press, Reuters, The Louisville Courier Journal, The Center Square and numerous other publications. Based in Louisville, Ky., Steve has covered the expansion of sports betting in the U.S. and other gaming matters. He shares his expertise on OntarioBets, among other sites.
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