Report: Samuelsson leading candidate for Blackhawks assistant coach

The Chicago Blackhawks may have found their man.

Ulf Samuelsson is the leading candidate to join Joel Quenneville's coaching staff, according to Chris Kuc of the Chicago Tribune.

The Blackhawks fired former assistant coach Mike Kitchen following the team's first-round sweep to the Nashville Predators. Kitchen had been a longtime member of Quenneville's staff, coming to Chicago in 2010. The two also coached together for six seasons with the St. Louis Blues.

Related - Report: Quenneville upset by Kitchen's firing

Samuelsson, 53, is a familiar name to Quenneville. The two were former teammates with the Hartford Whalers for five seasons up until 1990.

Currently head coach of the Charlotte Checkers, the AHL affiliate of the Carolina Hurricanes, Samuelsson previously spent three seasons as assistant coach with the New York Rangers and five seasons as associate coach of the Arizona Coyotes.