Following the loss in the Stanley Cup finals there was significant interest in Sutter as a head coach for the Los Angeles Kings. In June 1992 Mike Keenan stepped down as head coach and signed a new contract to remain the general manager of the Blackhawks, Keenan then allowed Sutter to negotiate with the Kings. The Blackhawks' owner Bill Wirtz and senior vice president Bob Pulford intervened preventing the Kings from continuing to negotiate with Sutter and followed through on an earlier promise to hire Sutter as the Blackhawks head coach. Shorty afterwards Sutter signed a three year contract to become the Blackhawks head coach. Only a few months later in November Mike Keenan left the Blackhawks organization, claiming later that he quit and was not fired.