IceHogs Head Coach Derek King Named Interim Head Coach of Blackhawks

The Chicago Blackhawks have relieved Jeremy Colliton, Tomas Mitell and Sheldon Brookbank of their coaching duties and have named Derek King Interim Head Coach, effective immediately. Anders Sorensen will serve as Interim Head Coach of the Rockford IceHogs beginning tonight.

Marc Crawford, Jimmy Waite, Matt Meacham and Dylan Crawford will remain on the Blackhawks coaching staff in their current positions. Additionally, Chris Kunitz will remain in his role as Player Development Advisor with the Blackhawks.

Information on Media Availability for Sunday will be announced later this afternoon. There will be no media availability until Sunday morning.

King, 54, has been the head coach of Rockford since being hired on April 25, 2019. He previously served as interim head coach from Nov. 6, 2018 through the conclusion of the 2018-19 season. Prior to taking over behind the bench, King worked as an assistant coach on the IceHogs’ staff from 2016-18, originally being named to the position on July 7, 2016.

King joined the IceHogs after stints as an assistant and associate coach with the Toronto Marlies of the AHL from 2009-15. With the Marlies, he helped the team capture one Western Conference Championship (2012) and three North Division Championships (2012-14).

The Hamilton, Ontario, native played 14 seasons in the National Hockey League, beginning with the New York Islanders during the 1986-87 campaign. He was originally selected in the first round (13^th overall) of the 1985 NHL Draft by the Islanders. King also played for the Hartford Whalers, Toronto Maple Leafs and St. Louis Blues during his NHL career. He recorded 612 points (261G, 351A) in 830 career regular-season games. King added four goals and 17 helpers in 47 career Stanley Cup Playoff games.

Sorensen was in his third season as assistant coach of Rockford. He previously served as a development coach for the Blackhawks and IceHogs from 2014-18. Sorensen was promoted to assistant coach on Jan. 4, 2019.

Prior to working with the Blackhawks, the Södertälje, Sweden, native spent the 2014-15 season as head coach of the Chicago Mission U16 club and the 2010-11 season as head coach of the Chicago Mission U18 team.

Sorensen was also previously an assistant coach with the Swedish Hockey League's Södertälje from 2011-13, before serving as interim head coach in October 2013.