Blackhawks Hire Suhonen As Coach

NHL teams

"We want to play hockey as naturally as possible," Suhonen said. "I'm a believer in flow, in a creative, fast-paced game."

The Blackhawks have missed the playoffs the last three years. Chicago finished last season with a 33-39-10 record and 78 points, 11th out of 13 teams in the Western Conference.

Suhonen has been an assistant coach with Toronto and Winnipeg. He was the head coach of the IHL's Chicago Wolves in 1997 and is credit for turning the team around.

"It's an acknowledgment to all hockey in Europe," Suhonen said. "I think this would not be possible if we did not have good people working in hockey."

The last European-born head coach in the NHL was Johnny Gottselig, who was born in Russia but raised in the United States and coached the Blackhawks from 1944 to 1948.