Jeff Blashill will return as head coach of the Detroit Red Wings.

General manager Ken Holland made the announcement Tuesday that his team was retaining the services of the 44-year-old Detroit native.

Holland characterized it as a "disappointing season," but he liked his team's level of effort.

"I thought the team played hard until the finish," Holland said at an end-of-season availability. "I'm hoping that two, three, four young players in our system make the team [next year]." 

The team finished the season with 73 points with 30 victories, 24 points adrift of the final wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference. It was the Red Wings' lowest point total in a full season since 1990 and marked the first time they missed the postseason in two straight years since 1982 and 1983.

After over a decade in the collegiate and USHL coaching ranks, Blashill joined the Red Wings in 2011 as an assistant under Mike Babcock.

Following the 2011-12 season, Blashill was promoted to head coach of the Red Wings’ American Hockey League affiliate Grand Rapids Griffins where he won the Calder Cup in his first season in charge in 2013.

Upon Babcock leaving the team for the Toronto Maple Leafs in the summer of 2015, Blashill was promoted to Red Wings head coach. While his team made the playoffs in his first season, the team struggled mightily in Year 2 and missed the playoffs. The Red Wings received the ninth overall pick in the 2017 NHL Entry Draft (choosing centre Michael Rasmussen), marking the first time the Red Wings selected in the draft’s first 10 picks since taking Martin Lapointe in 1991.

The Red Wings are set for a lottery pick again in this summer’s upcoming draft.

Holland was signed to a two-year extension last week.

Blashill is set to coach the American entry at next month's world championship in Denmark