Chicago Blackhawks drop interim tag for GM Kyle Davidson

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The more Chicago Blackhawks CEO Danny Wirtz examined the possibilities for the team's opening at general manager, the more he felt he had what he needed in his own organization — even with the club's recent struggles.

The Blackhawks hired Kyle Davidson on Tuesday, dropping his interim tag instead of going outside the floundering franchise for new leadership.

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"I think if you know Kyle ... you'll realize that he's his own person," Wirtz said. "He has his own philosophies. ... (It) is quite an advantage, to be both a fresh thinker and a open-minded thinker, but also understand our starting point very expertly. So you kind of get the best of both worlds in that sense."

The GM job is another step in a rapid rise for the 33-year-old Davidson, who joined the Blackhawks as a hockey operations intern in 2010. The Sudbury, Ontario, native has held several different titles with the organization over the years, including work as a video analyst, hockey operations manager and assistant GM. He oversaw the team’s salary-cap management before he was elevated to the interim GM job.

But the franchise has made just one postseason appearance in the last five years. After beginning this season with playoff aspirations, it is seventh in the Central Division with a 19-27-8 record.

The Chicago Blackhawks management team, from left, Chairman Rocky Wirtz, CEO Danny Wirtz, general manager Kyle Davidson, and president of business operations Jamie Faulkner stand for a photo after naming Davidson as the team's new general manager during an NHL hockey news conference Tuesday, March 1, 2022, in Chicago. Davidson becomes