Blackhawks sign GM Davidson to multi-year extension

The Chicago Blackhawks signed general manager Kyle Davidson to a multi-year contract extension, the team announced Wednesday.

"Kyle's exceptional body of work to date has set us down the path of bringing sustainable, championship-caliber hockey back to Chicago," Blackhawks chairman and CEO Danny Wirtz said in a statement. "In a short amount of time, he's rebuilt the team through strong drafting and player development, delivering a league-leading prospect pool and the beginnings of our future core. He, alongside head coach Jeff Blashill, has redefined our locker room's culture and mentality, and we are seeing improvements in all of the underlying areas that make winning possible.

"We believe in Kyle's vision for this team and remain fully committed to his plan to return the Blackhawks to the top of our sport."

Davidson was named interim GM in October 2021, and the interim tag was lifted in March 2022. Chicago has missed the playoffs in every year of his tenure.

The 37-year-old has compiled a compelling young core, which includes Connor Bedard, Anton Frondell, Frank Nazar, and Artyom Levshunov. The Blackhawks, who are guaranteed to finish 31st in the league, will pick in the top five of the draft for the fourth straight year.

Davidson has been with the Blackhawks for 16 seasons in various positions.