Quenneville resigns as Panthers head coach in wake of Blackhawks scandal

Joel Quenneville has resigned as head coach of the Florida Panthers, the team announced Thursday.

The news comes after Quenneville met with NHL commissioner Gary Bettman earlier Thursday to discuss his involvement in the Chicago Blackhawks‘ mishandling of an alleged sexual assault in 2010, when Quenneville was Chicago’s head coach.

Andrew Brunette will serve as Florida’s interim head coach, reports TSN’s Pierre LeBrun.

The 63-year-old Quenneville released the following statement:

Statement from Joel Quenneville: pic.twitter.com/4FB4CZ2gyw

— Chris Johnston (@reporterchris) October 29, 2021

“I want to express my sorrow for the pain this young man, Kyle Beach, has suffered,” Quenneville said. “My former team, the Blackhawks, failed Kyle, and I own my share of that.

“I want to reflect on how all of this happened and take the time to educate myself on ensuring hockey spaces are safe for everyone.”

Bettman also released a statement, saying Quenneville will face no further discipline. He added that if Quenneville ever wishes to re-enter the NHL, he’d first need to have a meeting with the commissioner.

Statement from NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman on the resignation of Joel Quenneville. pic.twitter.com/1KjdI2SKOL

— NHL Public Relations (@PR_NHL) October 29, 2021

“The National Hockey League agrees with the decision tonight by Joel Quenneville to resign his duties as head coach of the Florida Panthers,” Bettman said. “In his former role as Chicago Blackhawks head coach, Mr. Quenneville was among several former members of the club’s senior leadership group who mishandled the 2010 sexual assault claim by former player Kyle Beach against the club’s then-video coach, Brad Aldrich.”

He continued: “I admire Kyle Beach for his courage in coming forward, am appalled that he was so poorly supported upon making his initial claim and in the 11 years since, and am sorry for all he has endured.”

An independent investigation found that Quenneville was involved in a May 2010 meeting in which multiple team executives were informed that Aldrich acted in a sexually inappropriate way toward a player, later revealed to be Beach.

However, per the investigation, the franchise didn’t act on that information until reporting it to human resources three weeks later, days after the team won the Stanley Cup.

Quenneville has said on multiple occasions that he was unaware of the allegations until he learned of them through the media.

Quenneville coached the Blackhawks beginning in 2008 until he was fired during the 2018-19 season. He was behind the bench during the club’s three Stanley Cup victories.

The Panthers hired Quenneville in 2019. He was in the midst of his third season with Florida.

Brind’Amour, Evason, Quenneville up for Jack Adams Award

The Carolina Hurricanes‘ Rod Brind’Amour, Minnesota Wild‘s Dean Evason, and Florida Panthers‘ Joel Quenneville are the three finalists for the Jack Adams Award, given annually to the NHL’s coach of the year.

Brind’Amour has guided the Hurricanes to three straight postseason berths since becoming the team’s head coach, including a Central Division title this past campaign. Carolina went 36-12-8, finishing just two points off a share of the league lead. This is the first time Brind’Amour’s been a Jack Adams finalist.

Evason led the Wild to a surprisingly stellar regular season, going 35-16-5 – good enough for third in the West Division. Minnesota finished just seven points back of the Colorado Avalanche and Vegas Golden Knights. This was Evason’s first full campaign behind an NHL bench after taking over as interim coach midway through the 2019-20 season.

Few people gave the Panthers much of a chance to make any noise this year, but Quenneville guided the team to its best season in franchise history in terms of points percentage (.705). The Cats finished just one point back of the Canes for first in the Central. Quenneville is seeking his second career Jack Adams Award after winning in 1999-00 with the St. Louis Blues.

Reeling Panthers looking for answers: ‘It’s not fun right now’

The Florida Panthers‘ playoff hopes took a serious hit over the weekend with back-to-back home losses.

“Everyone is frustrated,” forward Brett Connolly said, according to The Athletic’s George Richards. “It’s not fun right now. But we have to keep pushing and try and find a way to win a game, especially at home. We can’t keep losing all these home games. It seems like every game we keep getting pushed lower and lower into the ground.”

The Panthers lost 3-2 to the Chicago Blackhawks in a shootout Saturday and were shut out by the Calgary Flames on Sunday in a 3-0 defeat. They haven’t won a game at the BB&T Center since a Jan. 16 victory over the Los Angeles Kings.

After an exciting offseason, what was supposed to be a special year in Florida is becoming another forgettable campaign. The club brought in Joel Quenneville as head coach, inked two-time Vezina Trophy winner Sergei Bobrovsky to a long-term contract, and made a series of other deals to bolster its lineup.

The Panthers occupied a playoff spot entering the All-Star break, but they’ve recorded just one win in their last six outings and sit five points out of a postseason berth entering Monday’s action.

“We’re not playing anywhere near a playoff team right now,” Connolly said. “The way we’re playing, we wouldn’t do anything. We need to get that good feeling back.”

With 16 games remaining, Quenneville is doing his best to instill confidence in his group.

“We’re going to take (Monday) off, recap the tough moment you’re in now, and come in with an appetite to be positive and be part of the solution,” Quenneville said.

“I still think there is enough time for us to remedy this. We have to put ourselves in position to win one game, get the momentum from that and go from there.”

The Panthers haven’t made the playoffs since 2016 and have only two postseason appearances over the last 18 years.

Quenneville expecting ‘fun night’ in return to Chicago

It’s been quite a few years since Joel Quenneville found himself behind the visitors’ bench at the United Center.

The Florida Panthers head coach is looking forward to Tuesday’s matchup in Chicago, his first game there since serving as Blackhawks bench boss from 2008 until his dismissal in November 2018.

“I think it’s going to be a fun night. The memories are so great – the moments, the people, the staff, the organization,” Quenneville told NBC Sports Chicago.

He added, “You couldn’t ask for a better 10 years of our life, or our coaching experience, or our families, or the opportunity to work with some of the best players to ever play the game.”

Quenneville is the only coach in franchise history to capture multiple Stanley Cups, having won in 2010, 2013, and 2015. His 452 regular-season wins with the Blackhawks rank second in club history.

“Chicago’s a special place to play and we had one of those memorable runs,” said Quenneville, who previously served as head coach of the St. Louis Blues and Colorado Avalanche. “It was a privilege to be there. The franchise was the team of the decade and was very deserving.”

When asked what he remembers most from his time with Chicago, Quenneville said it was the journey to each championship.

“Obviously the championships were significant achievements, and when you look back how each one was accomplished and how hard they were,” the 61-year-old said. “All the things – the ups and downs of winning each one were the things that stand out the most.”

In his first year with Florida, Quenneville has led the Panthers to a 27-16-5 record. The team occupies third place in the Atlantic Division entering Tuesday’s action.

Panthers to bench Bobrovsky amid early-season struggles

The Florida Panthers‘ new $70-million netminder will be riding the bench Saturday when the club takes on the Nashville Predators, as head coach Joel Quenneville is opting to start recently recalled goalie Chris Driedger over the struggling Sergei Bobrovsky.

“We expected to give (Driedger) a game on a merit-based basis by how he played in camp, how he played down there last year and this year,” Quenneville told The Athletic’s George Richards.

“We will see how he handles what is a great opportunity for him. Bob will certainly get back in there soon. This is not a scheduled start, but that is where it’s at.”

Bobrovsky signed a seven-year contract with the Panthers this past summer that made him the league’s second-highest-paid goalie at $10 million per season.

The two-time Vezina Trophy winner was expected to help push a talented Florida roster to the next level. But through 21 appearances this season, Bobrovsky owns the NHL’s second-worst save percentage at .884.

The 31-year-old Russian seemed to draw Quenneville’s ire while allowing four goals on 20 shots versus the Washington Capitals on Wednesday in his most recent start.

“That was a well-played game from our point of view, and we just need some saves to win the game in a game like tonight,” the coach said.

Driedger, 25, was the Ottawa Senators’ third-round pick in 2012. He’s spent the opening portion of the 2019-20 season with the Springfield Thunderbirds, Florida’s AHL affiliate, posting a 6-8 record and a .938 save percentage in 14 contests.

Panthers’ Quenneville: Returning to Chicago will be ‘a special moment’

Aside from a tailgating appearance at a Chicago Bears game that went viral, Joel Quenneville kept a low profile between the time he was fired by the Chicago Blackhawkslast November and hired by the Florida Panthers in April.

However, he recently opened up about his decade-long run in the Windy City and admitted that when the NHL schedule was released Tuesday, his return to the United Center on Jan. 21 was “definitely on the radar screen.”

“You’ll be into the season now, and you’re just worried about Florida,” he told The Athletic’s Mark Lazerus. “You’re consumed with hockey and your team and that’s your focus. But the memories of 10 tremendous years, that’s going to be a special moment. You reflect back and think of everything that we were able to do, and the people you were with, and the fans and the city – you could keep going on and on.”

Quenneville led the Blackhawks to the playoffs in each of his first nine seasons in Chicago, winning Stanley Cups in 2010, 2013, and 2015.

He was relieved of his duties after a 6-6-3 start to the 2018-19 season. Despite the abrupt end to what had been a successful tenure, he felt no ill will toward management for their decision.

“The other times it was bitter,” Quenneville said, referring to his previous stops with the St. Louis Blues and Colorado Avalanche. “This one I can say it wasn’t bitter. And I’m sure it had everything to do with the memories and the relationships. … I can honestly say we moved on, and that’s part of the business.”

He added: “Our time there was too special, the memories were too great. And that’s how we’ll leave it.”

Quenneville admitted that missing the playoffs in 2017-18 may have led to a shorter leash last season. However, he wouldn’t concede that the controversial moves made during the 2017 offseason contributed to the team’s struggles.

In the summer of 2017, general manager Stan Bowman traded core players Artemi Panarin and Niklas Hjalmarsson in two separate deals, acquiring Brandon Saad and Connor Murphy in return. Bowman also fired Quenneville’s right-hand man, assistant coach Mike Kitchen.

“I was not happy with losing Kitch,” he admitted. “And we had a good rapport and a lot of success with Hammer. And knowing the Bread Man’s a special guy. But everybody has to make decisions nowadays, and coaches are getting fired on the staff but the head coach is still there. That’s more in play than it’s been in the past.”

The Blackhawks went 30-28-9 last year with Jeremy Colliton behind the bench, missing the playoffs for a second straight season. Quenneville said he didn’t watch a single game after he was relieved of his duties.

Panthers hire Joel Quenneville as head coach

The Florida Panthers got their man.

The club announced the hiring of three-time Stanley Cup champion Joel Quenneville as head coach Monday morning.

Quenneville’s resume is second to none among active coaches – he trails only Scotty Bowman on the NHL’s all-time wins list – and he’ll be paid accordingly. He’ll earn $5.25 million per season with bonuses that could hit $7 million over five years, a source told The Athletic’s George Richards. That would potentially make Quenneville the league’s highest-paid coach, as Toronto Maple Leafs boss Mike Babcock currently leads the way at around $6.25 million per season.

Meanwhile, Quenneville already has a working relationship with Panthers general manager Dale Tallon, who hired him to coach the Chicago Blackhawks during the 2008-09 season.

While leading the team that Tallon built, Quenneville went on an unparalleled run of success in the Windy City, making the playoffs in nine straight years and winning the Stanley Cup in 2010, 2013, and 2015.

Tallon stated less than two weeks ago that Florida would “be aggressive this summer.” Along with landing a future Hall of Fame coach, the Panthers have been linked to pending free agents Sergei Bobrovsky and Artemi Panarin. The latter played under Quenneville for two seasons in Chicago.

Each time Quenneville has been hired to coach a new team, he’s made the playoffs in his first season. The Panthers have made just two postseason appearances in the last 18 years.

In Florida, Quenneville replaces Bob Boughner, who was relieved of his duties Sunday after a two-year stint behind the bench.

Panthers granted permission to interview Quenneville

The Florida Panthers are moving quickly in their quest to replace Bob Boughner behind the bench and have reportedly received permission from the Chicago Blackhawks to speak to Joel Quenneville about the vacancy, a source told ESN’s Greg Wyshynski.

The Panthers have offered Quenneville a multi-year deal worth more than $6 million per season with bonuses, Wyshynski added. Toronto Maple Leafs head coach Mike Babcock is the league’s highest-paid coach at around $6.25 million annually.

The Panthers fired Boughner on Sunday after two seasons without making the playoffs, while Quenneville was let go in November after 11 seasons with the Blackhawks. He has one season remaining on his contract with Chicago at $6 million.

Quenneville has a long relationship with Panthers general manager Dale Tallon, winning the Stanley Cup together with the Blackhawks in 2010. Tallon joined the Panthers’ front office that same year, while Quenneville went on to win two more championships in Chicago. 

In a statement, Tallon said the Panthers want a “transformative, experienced head coach with Stanley Cup pedigree,” to right the ship in Florida. 

Quenneville is by far the most experienced coach available on the open market with 22 years behind an NHL bench. He also ranks second all-time with 890 wins.

Fletcher: ‘Everyone is a candidate’ for Flyers’ head-coaching job

Chuck Fletcher says the search for Dave Hakstol’s replacement behind the Philadelphia Flyers‘ bench is wide open.

“At this point, everyone is a candidate moving forward,” the general manager told reporters Monday. “This will be a process.”

Hakstol was fired Monday following four straight losses and a 1-4 road trip.

Fletcher said he hasn’t asked the Chicago Blackhawks for permission to interview former head coach Joel Quenneville, nor has he spoken to him, according to Sportsnet’s Chris Johnston. Quenneville was linked to the club in an earlier report that Hakstol had been fired.

Fletcher also said he expects Scott Gordon, who was named interim bench boss Monday, to remain head coach for the rest of the season.

Quenneville wants to coach again, will wait for right opportunity

It’s a matter of time before Joel Quenneville finds his way behind an NHL bench again, but he’ll do so on his own terms.

Quenneville was fired by the Chicago Blackhawks on Tuesday after 10-plus seasons with Chicago and three Stanley Cups. The 60-year-old definitely wants to coach again and will wait for the opportunity he believes is best, a source told Scott Powers of The Athletic.

There are no current openings, but several teams across the league would jump at the opportunity to add a coach of Quenneville’s caliber. The future Hall of Famer ranks second in NHL history with 890 wins and is coming off the most successful coaching tenure of the salary-cap era.

He’s free to join a new team at any point, though there’s one season left on his contract with the Blackhawks at $6 million.