Introduction to Michael Peca’s New Role
Michael Peca’s move from Rangers to Blackhawks assistant coach reminds him of something: his trade from the Sabres to Islanders in 2001. At the time, the Islanders hadn’t made the playoffs in seven consecutive seasons. They snapped that drought in 2001-02 — the same year Peca earned his second Selke Trophy — and made it each of his three seasons there, albeit without any series wins.
Peca’s Vision for the Blackhawks
“I like when a coaching staff has the opportunity to make something special,” Peca said Tuesday. “There’s something more satisfying when you get to be part of something from somewhat the ground up. There’s a lot of pieces in place in the [Hawks’] organization now. It’s not necessarily on the ground level; it has started its ascent. But to be a part of that process and get to have a lot of influence was a very exciting opportunity for me.”
Coaching Responsibilities
Peca will oversee the Hawks’ forward corps under new coach Jeff Blashill. Former interim coach Anders Sorensen, former Penguins assistant Mike Vellucci and longstanding goalie coach Jimmy Waite will round out the staff. Peca hopes to impart the habits that made his career successful — he hit the 40-point threshold seven times while playing excellent defense — on the Hawks’ up-and-coming generation.
The Importance of Details
“People ask me what a team’s identity should be, and my answer is always the details have to be ironclad first,” he said. “If you don’t get above in the offensive zone, if you’re not back-checking properly, if you’re not skating hard off the ice when you change, [it won’t work]. There’s all these little details in the game — finishing every check, stick details when you’re forechecking — that need to be [done] all the time, by every player, in every situation. Once you’re able to do that, you’re able to start to create an identity. And when you create an identity, the systems you put in place get executed at a much higher rate.”
Peca’s Approach to Defense
Peca learned during his two years with the Rangers — working closely with former No. 1 pick Alexis Lafreniere — how “a lot of younger players in the game today view the word ‘defense’ a little differently” than he does. They consider it the portion of the game in which the opponent has the puck. He considers it the science of getting the puck back as quickly (and responsibly) as possible.
Coaching Philosophy
Peca doesn’t intend to change or stifle Connor Bedard, Frank Nazar and cohorts. Rather, he intends to help them learn how to expand their skills — and make their strongest skills most effective. “You don’t want to take the way they see the game offensively away from them,” he said. “It’s not like, if it’s a pie chart, you’ve got to cut offense from 80% to 40% because we’ve got to add more defense in there. It’s all part of the same game. It’s just [about] how you read and react to situations without the puck differently than you have before. In turn, that will allow your team to get pucks back, put you in a better position to transition back to offense and, in the end, create more scoring chances.”
New Coach for Rockford IceHogs
Introduction
The Rockford IceHogs hired Jared Nightingale as their new coach this week. He replaces Mark Eaton, who is moving back to his previous front-office job overseeing Hawks prospect development. Eaton went 22-23-6 as interim coach.
Nightingale’s Background
Nightingale was an IceHogs assistant under Sorensen from 2021 to 2024 before spending last season as head coach of the ECHL’s South Carolina Stingrays, where he went 52-15-5. “A natural leader, Jared’s confidence and direction behind the bench has produced a coaching style that is perfectly suited to help develop and advance our young prospects in Rockford,” general manager Kyle Davidson said in a statement. “His familiarity with the organization and our players is an incomparable asset, and we’re excited to see Jared succeed in this role moving forward.”
Conclusion
Michael Peca is set to bring his expertise and experience to the Blackhawks as an assistant coach, focusing on teaching young forwards the "little details" that can make a big difference in the game. With his coaching philosophy and approach to defense, he aims to help the team create an identity and execute systems at a higher rate. The addition of Jared Nightingale as the new coach of the Rockford IceHogs also brings new leadership and a fresh perspective to the organization.
FAQs
Q: What is Michael Peca’s role with the Blackhawks?
A: Michael Peca is an assistant coach with the Blackhawks, overseeing the forward corps.
Q: What is Peca’s coaching philosophy?
A: Peca focuses on teaching the "little details" that can make a big difference in the game, such as getting above in the offensive zone, back-checking properly, and skating hard off the ice when changing.
Q: Who is the new coach of the Rockford IceHogs?
A: Jared Nightingale is the new coach of the Rockford IceHogs, replacing Mark Eaton.
Q: What is Nightingale’s background?
A: Nightingale was an IceHogs assistant under Sorensen from 2021 to 2024 and spent last season as head coach of the ECHL’s South Carolina Stingrays.
