Jeff Greenberg, who has spearheaded the Blackhawks’ analytics development growth over the past year, did too well for the Hawks to keep him.

Greenberg was named the Detroit Tigers’ general manager Thursday — minutes into the first session of Hawks training camp — after just 16 months as the Hawks’ associate GM.

The move represents a return to baseball for the 37-year-old executive, who spent 11 years with the Cubs — working underneath Scott Harris, formerly the Cubs’ assistant GM who has since become the Tigers’ director of baseball operations — before joining the Hawks in April 2022.

Greenberg lost out on the Hawks’ GM role to Kyle Davidson that spring but then accepted Davidson’s offer to come aboard beneath him and build out a Cubs-like comprehensive analytics database for the Hawks.

“We will miss Jeff’s expertise and appreciate the contributions he made to the Blackhawks,” Davidson said in a statement Thursday. “We all wish him and his family the best in this incredible opportunity with the Detroit Tigers. Our Hockey Operations department is full of talented leaders and I have full confidence in that team to continue working towards our goals of sustained success. Off the ice, the processes and systems are in place to develop our team on the ice. I look forward to continuing that journey with our group.”

Added Greenberg in a statement: “We will forever be thankful for the opportunity I was provided with the organization. I know the club is on the right path to success with the leadership they have in place and the vision they are building for the future. I look forward to this new challenge and the Blackhawks will always have a special place in my heart.”

The Hawks have expanded the analytics department significantly with a number of new hires over the past year. They currently list eight employees in the department, led by director of hockey systems and technology Ryan Kruse, who — like many in the department — came from the Cubs.

This story will be updated.