Head Coach Luke Richardson Calls out Korchinski

In the Chicago Blackhawks' regular lineup, Kevin Korchinski has found his place, but as a rookie, he is prone to errors.

Coach Luke Richardson's job is to correct rookie errors and guide them through tried-and-true practices to a successful NHL career.


Korchinski was criticized by his head coach for not following through on the ice in this instance.

Richardson on benching Korchinski in the 2nd: "A couple [bad] decisions and it's a tight game, so I wanted him to watch for a little bit. Kevin [Dean] talks to him and we show him things. He had a bit of a pinch that was ill-advised or whatever you want to call it, and a little— Ben Pope (@BenPopeCST) February 17, 2024

Korchinski was sat for the second period to gain a better understanding of where he made his mistakes and how to correct them.

This young prospect is a promising one, and massive draft capital was invested in him in 2022. Richardson is different from many coaches who pull rookies the whole game.

Fortunately, the rookie defenseman got a chance to learn and hopefully be better the next time he plays.

In 49 games, Korchinski has scored 3 goals and 7 assists for 10 points.

If Korchinski continues to develop his two-way skills, he could develop into a top-pairing defenseman, which the team desperately needs.