Blackhawks flesh out front office, name Meghan Hunter, Mark Eaton assistant general managers

The Blackhawks announced new leadership titles Wednesday, fleshing out their front office under general manager Kyle Davidson.

Meghan Hunter and Mark Eaton were named assistant general managers — of hockey operations and development, respectively — while Brian Campbell was named an adviser within hockey operations, and Karilyn Pilch was named director of player personnel.

Eaton is the only one who will remain in the same role he previously held, having been promoted from development coach to AGM in 2020 under ex-GM Stan Bowman. Davidson was one of the other two men promoted to an AGM role in 2020; the third, Ryan Stewart, parted ways with the Hawks after Davidson took over as GM in March.

Hunter has risen quickly through the ranks since joining the Hawks in 2016, most recently serving as director of hockey administration. As AGM of hockey operations, she’ll oversee budgeting, team services, contract execution, team security and player services.

Eaton, Hunter and associate general managers Norm Maciver and Jeff Greenberg will form the second tier of leadership under Davidson in the Hawks’ new front-office pyramid.

“Meghan and Mark have been important parts of our operation for a number of years, and we are lucky to have them in these important and redeveloped roles,” Davidson said in a statement. “Their leadership skills, shared vision with the rest of the leadership team and knowledge of the game give me plenty of confidence.”

Campbell’s official previous role was development coach — which he began after retiring in 2017 from his long playing career — but it had been obvious for some time that a promotion was coming. He and Davidson became close confidants and were rarely seen apart during the 2021-22 season.

Now as an adviser, Campbell is listed third in the hockey-operations category of the Hawks’ front-office directory — beneath Hunter and Scotty Bowman, the NHL’s all-time winningest coach who remains a senior adviser for the Hawks despite his son’s disgraced exit.

Pilch joined the Hawks last year as a scout after serving as general manager of the Boston Pride, a professional women’s hockey team.