Chicago Blackhawks Appoint Kyle Davidson As General Manager

CHICAGO — More than four months after Stan Bowman resigned as general manager of the Chicago Blackhawks as part of an organizational overhaul connected to the cover-up of sexual assault allegations by a former player, the franchise has appointed a new leader that officials said will help take the team into the next generation.

Kyle Davidson had the interim general manager removed from his name on Tuesday and has been named to the permanent role, the team announced. Davidson had been serving as the interim after Bowman stepped down in late October following the release of a 107-page report detailing how the Hawks mishandled reports of sexual assault against a former team video coach.

Davidson, 33, was one of three finalists who were in the running for the general manager position. Davidson began his career with the Blackhawks as a hockey operations Intern in the summer of 2010 and quickly moved up the ranks within the organization, the team said in a news release.

Team officials had given Davidson full authority to act as general manager even with the interim tag affixed to his name. He was selected as the franchise's 10th general manager after beating out Tampa Bay Lightning director of operations Mathieu Darche and Cubs assistant general manager Jeff Greenberg for the position.

Davidson's rise through the organization included being promoted to a full-time position as a hockey analytics/video Analyst in 2011. In the summer of 2011, he was named hockey administration coordinator and was elevated to Hockey Operations Manager in 2015 following the Blackhawks run to their sixth Stanley Cup in franchise history.

In 2017, he was named senior manager of hockey operations before becoming assistant to the General Manager in 2018. Prior to this season, Davidson was named Assistant General Manager of Hockey Administration.

“Today is another step not just for me, but for my Blackhawks teammates within the organization and Blackhawks fans across the world,” Davidson said in a news release.

“I’m committed to building a winning team on and off the ice the right way—improving our internal framework and processes and working closely with a strong team of people to make decisions. I share the vision of the leadership team to create a positive culture throughout the organization and the game of hockey and promise to uphold our values in everything we do.”

The Blackhawks, who have struggled since winning their most recent Stanley Cup in 2015, have committed themselves to creating a better culture since the 107-page Jenner and Block report was released last fall detailing the team’s handling of allegations against former video coach Brad Aldrich.

The fallout from the controversy cost Bowman his job and led former Hawks coach Joel Quenneville to step down from his post as coach of the Florida Panthers. The team also dismissed other front office employees who were part of the organization when the allegations against Aldrich first surfaced in 2010.

Shortly after being named interim general manager, Davidson fired coach Jeremy Colliton in early November following a disastrous 1-9-2 start to the year and then named Davidson to the interim general manager role after Bowman resigned in October.

“The thorough process we undertook affirmed much of what we believed we had in Kyle and he stepped up to lead and make tough decisions during his time in the interim role.” Blackhawks CEO Danny Wirtz said in a statement. “He without a doubt met every qualification we were looking for, is passionate about the game and represents the high character across everything we do.

Davidson will now be tasked with figuring out how to make the Hawks competitive again and will decide who the team’s next permanent head coach will be. The Hawks, who have been coached by Derek King since Colliton was fired, are 19-27-8 and in seventh place in the Western Conference’s Central Division.

The Hawks’ 46 points this season is among the Western Conference’s worst as the Hawks only sit ahead of the expansion Seattle Kraken and Arizona Coyotes.

“Kyle is one of the final pieces of this new executive team that will lead the Chicago Blackhawks into the next generation,” Hawks Chairman Rocky Wirtz said in a statement Tuesday. “We are committed to winning and winning the right way. Kyle’s fresh lens, integrity, commitment, and knowledge of the game are all characteristics I believe make him the right person to structure the team on the ice. I appreciate the work that (CEO) Danny (Wirtz), (President of Business Operations) Jaime Faulkner and the Advisory Committee did to lead this process and Kyle has my full support in his role as general manager.”