Seidel: Blashill a mix of fresh, familiar for Red Wings

Two small children ran through Joe Louis Arena on Tuesday afternoon, wearing Detroit Red Wings jerseys with "Blashill" on the back. They ventured down a corridor, turned the corner and they were gone, circling the arena, exploring and having a blast.

Their father, Jeff Blashill, was just introduced as the new coach of the Wings. And inside Joe Louis Arena, everything felt fresh and exciting. The Wings have a new, young coach, just 41 years old — the second-youngest in the NHL — and he will take over a team that is undergoing a youth movement.

"I realize this is one of the most coveted jobs in the National Hockey League," Blashill said at his introductory news conference. "And I certainly feel fortunate to be sitting here today."

Whoa! Wait a second.

Everything about this hire seems new and fresh until, well, he starts to speak, because Blashill sounds almost exactly like Mike Babcock, the coach he is replacing. Blashill and Babcock speak in the same tone, the same inflection and use some of the same phrases. And that's only the start of it. They share many of the same coaching philosophies, systems and beliefs. If you close your eyes, they sound one and the same.

Blashill 'can't wait' to get started with Red Wings

And that is what makes this coaching hire so interesting.

Blashill will bring a fresh outlook to this team — a new eye and a youthful energy and exuberance, just like his kids running around the Joe, finding an old arena so fascinating — but he also brings continuity and familiarity because he coached so many of these players on the Grand Rapids Griffins for the last three seasons.

Basically, the Wings are getting Mike Babcock, version 2.0.

It might be a more user friendly version — Blashill is known for his ability to communicate and motivate his players, while Babcock had a harder edge — but don't make a mistake and assume that Blashill is softer.

"He's not soft," Wings general manager Ken Holland said, confidently.

A Pure Michigan coach

So who is Jeff Blashill?

He is like one of those Pure Michigan ads come to life. If anything, Tim Allen should be narrating his life story. Blashill is the son of a Detroit cop and grew up an avid Wings fan. He was born in Detroit, raised in Sault Ste. Marie and played college hockey at Ferris State. And then, he married his college sweetheart. Can't get much more Pure Michigan than that.

Blashill is Pure Michigan, but...

In his opening statement, Blashill seemed to thank every person he has ever met in hockey. He came across as genuine, loyal and appreciative.

Blashill thanked Paul Skjodt, who gave him his first head coaching job, hiring him to take over the Indiana Ice — a team that Blashill led the USHL championship.

He thanked Western Michigan athletic director Kathy Beauregard, who gave Blashill his first collegiate head coaching job. Beauregard gave Blashill a five-year contract extension after he led the Broncos to the NCAA tournament in his first season; and then she let him leave to coach in the NHL.

He thanked Babcock, his friend and mentor, for giving him his break in the NHL as an assistant coach.

He thanked the Wings scouts for giving him so much talent in Grand Rapids, where he has coached for the last three seasons, winning a Calder Cup.

And he thanked Wings owner Mike Ilitch and the Wings management, and that was just his opening soliloquy. This guy can talk. He is known for his ability to communicate. That and one other thing.

"He seems to win wherever he goes," Holland said.

Ultimately, that's all that matters.

Sharp: Promoting Blashill a huge gamble for Red Wings

The Wings have advanced to the playoffs for 24 straight years. But in recent years, those playoff runs have been far too short and disappointing.

Holland said this hire was a gut feeling. He didn't even interview anybody else. He told Ilitch that either Babcock or Blashill would coach this team next year. When Babcock left, it was Blashill's job, even if the announcement was delayed while Blashill coached the Griffins in the playoffs.

For the most part, this hire has been met with universal approval, especially from fans, coaches who have worked with Blashill and former players.

"It's how he gets the most out of his hockey team," Wings executive Kris Draper said.

The only knock on Blashill is that he doesn't have head coaching experience in the NHL.

But he has something else. He will bring a fresh eye to this roster. He will have a voice in how the Wings approach free agency and in the players that make this team. Blashill has already shared some of his insights with Holland, and some of them are already different from Babcock.

The youth is the future of this franchise, and Blashill might know it better than anybody in this organization. And he has a wonderful knack for preparing young players.

Everything felt right

After the news conference, Blashill's father, Jim, was in the back of the room. He was a street cop in Detroit during the riots. And here he was, at Joe Louis Arena, talking to Ted Lindsay, the former Red Wings great. And as Jim Blashill walked away, he had a look of awe. "Ted Lindsay!" he said, under his breath.

Blashill's mother, Rosemary, sat with her grandchildren, beaming with pride.

"This is really cool," 7-year-old Josie Blashill said. "Now, he's the coach of the Red Wings! The head coach!"

Indeed.

And everything about this felt right.

"Now the work starts," the new head coach of the Red Wings said. "I'm excited about that challenge."

The voice might sound familiar, but it's also different.

And, maybe, that's just what the Wings need.

Contact Jeff Seidel: jseidel@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @seideljeff.