Rocky Wirtz: Blackhawks GM Stan Bowman, coach Jeremy Colliton will ‘absolutely’ return

Rocky Wirtz doesn’t plan to make changes to the Blackhawks’ front office next season.

The Blackhawks chairman told Scott Powers of The Athletic “there’s not going to be any changes in the front office” and he “absolutely” sees team president and CEO John McDonough, senior vice president/general manager Stan Bowman and head coach Jeremy Colliton resuming their roles next season with Chicago. Wirtz did not comment on assistant coaches Sheldon Brookbank, Tomas Mitell and Marc Crawford.

Bowman and Colliton are both under contract through the 2020-21 season, but there were rumors this past summer the former signed an extension. Colliton has guided the Blackhawks to a 62-58-17 record in nearly two full seasons at helm after he was promoted from the AHL when Joel Quenneville was fired Nov. 6, 2018.

2018-19 season: 30-28-9 (67 games)

2019-20 season: 32-30-8 (70 games)

The Blackhawks won three Stanley Cup championships from 2010 to 2015, but haven’t won a playoff series since their last title and haven’t won a playoff game since 2016.

When the NHL put a pause on its season March 12 due to the COVID-19 global pandemic, the Blackhawks had 12 games remaining and trailed the Predators and Canucks by six points for the second wild card in the Western Conference. If the NHL resumes play this season and does not add any teams to its playoff format, Chicago would miss the playoffs for a third straight season. The last time the Blackhawks went three consecutive seasons or more without making a playoff appearance was five straight from 2002 to 2008.