Chicago Blackhawks chairman Danny Wirtz announced a contract extension for GM Kyle Davidson.
Right before the Blackhawks took the ice for their final game of the season, Chicago Blackhawks Chairman and CEO Danny Wirtz announced that General Manager Kyle Davidson has received a contract extension.
Wirtz made this announcement on a segment in which he appeared on CHSN's pregame show.
This is a chance for Davidson to have some security ahead of the most important summer of this current Blackhawks rebuild. So far, the very top of the Blackhawks organization is confident in the work that Davidson has already done and his plan for the future.
"Kyle's done everything we've expected of him," Danny Wirtz said of Kyle Davidson. "When he got the job, his first task was to rebuild our prospect pool. If you remember, our cupboard was pretty bare. We didn't have a lot coming in. He very systematically, very confidently built that to where I believe right now we have the best prospect pool in the NHL. Many of those prospects are now actually NHL players, contributing and highly impactful on our team."
It hasn't translated to winning on the ice at the NHL level yet, but the comments about the prospect farm are correct. The Blackhawks have a top-three system in the NHL, and many media organizations rank them number one.
Davidson was extended for executing the first part of the rebuild, which was replenishing the franchise with young players to build around. Now, the aforementioned security will allow him to take the next step with the foundation that he's built.
“I am extremely grateful for the support that Danny Wirtz has shown me these last four years," Davidson said of the extension. "His commitment to our shared vision for the future of the Blackhawks has been vital to the success we’ve seen as we’ve worked to build our roster into a team that can compete for years to come. We still have lots of work to do as we strive to bring the Stanley Cup back to Chicago, and I’m excited to continue building a team that our fans can be proud of.”
Danny Wirtz made it very clear that he expects the team to take the next step towards being a contender. He did say that "he wasn't hired to be the prospect GM". Now that he has filled the cupboard, it's time to win.
"We believe he has the right insight, the right team around him, and the belief he can continue to build a championship team," Wirtz said.
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