Brent Seabrook was in unfamiliar territory Tuesday morning and, as a result, was wearing a suit and tie Tuesday night.
The Blackhawks veteran defenseman and alternate captain was one of the last players to leave the ice following the team’s morning skate after coach Joel Quenneville had told him he would be a healthy scratch.
With the Blackhawks also in unfamiliar territory halfway through the season, in last place in the Central Division and tangled in a crowded playoff race, Quenneville and his coaching staff decided a shakeup was in order ahead of their 8-2 victory over the Senators on Tuesday night at the Canadian Tire Centre.
Benching Seabrook was the most surprising of a flurry of moves the team has made in recent days as it struggles to qualify for the postseason for the 10th straight year.
“Every game we measure performance and the contributions. A lot of guys, a lot of times aren’t deserving when they sit out,” Quenneville said. “We felt the other guys were deserving of playing tonight’s game. We think it’s a very limited experience for him. We expect him to get back in there.”
Seabrook has been “in there” for all but 14 regular-season games since the start of 2006-07. He’s fifth in franchise history with 964 games played, plus another 123 in the playoffs.
The 32-year-old also is in the second year of an eight-year, $55 million contract but hasn’t scored a goal since the season opener, more than three months and 40 games ago.
He began the year paired with Duncan Keith on the Hawks’ top defensive line, but has played the majority of time lately on the second pairing with Connor Murphy.
Quenneville said the decision to bench Seabrook, who was vital in helping the Hawks to three Stanley Cup championships, wasn’t easy. But Quenneville said he doesn’t expect Seabrook, who carries a $6.875 million cap hit, to sit for long.
Still, the team has made clear in the last few days that no change will be spared, evident in the playing of five guys Tuesday — Gustav Forsling, Michal Kempny, Murphy, Jordan Oesterle and Jan Rutta — whose combined cap hit is less than $300,000 more than Seabrook’s.
“We got a lot of balance back there, and a lot of guys playing well,” Quenneville said of his defense.
Two players who weren’t playing well in Quenneville’s estimation, defenseman Cody Franson and forward John Hayden, now are playing elsewhere.
Franson, a veteran, was assigned to Rockford on Tuesday after he cleared waivers. Hayden, who never had played in the minor leagues, was shipped to the IceHogs on Monday so he could get more ice time.
Defenseman Erik Gustafsson and forward Tomas Jurco were recalled to fill their spots and both were scratches Tuesday night. Gustafsson had 14 assists and zero goals in 41 games with the Blackhawks in the 2015-16 season, which he split between the Hawks and Rockford. He has three goals and 14 assists in 25 games with the IceHogs this season.
Franson, 30, signed a one-year, $1 million deal with the Hawks before this season. He has one goal and six assists in 23 games.
Quenneville said Seabrook’s approach during the morning skate, after finding out he was a scratch, “is what we hoped for.”
Seabrook is averaging 20 minutes, 8 seconds of ice time per game, his lowest number since his rookie season in 2005-06.
Veteran Patrick Sharp was a healthy scratch three times in December, moves, like the one with Seabrook, with which Quenneville wrestled.
“Guys who have the experience and have been a big part of it, that certainly (factors) in the decision,” Quenneville said.
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