Joel Quenneville has landed his next NHL coaching gig
Photo credit: NHL.com
Joel Quenneville was named the new head coach of the Anaheim Ducks on Thursday.
The 66-year-old takes over for Greg Cronin, who was dismissed on April 19 following two seasons with the team.
Joel Quenneville will coach the Anaheim Ducks.
According to NHL.com, Quenneville stepped down as head coach of the Panthers on October 29, 2021, after being implicated in an independent investigation involving the Blackhawks, which examined former player Kyle Beach's allegations of sexual assault by then-video coach Brad Aldrich in 2010.
NEWS: We're proud to announce Joel Quenneville as our new head coach!
He becomes the 12th head coach in franchise history.
He becomes the 12th head coach in franchise history.
Quenneville, with a coaching record of 969-572-150 and 77 ties, ranks second all-time in NHL wins behind Scotty Bowman (1,244).
His coaching career has included stints with the St. Louis Blues, Colorado Avalanche, Chicago Blackhawks, and Florida Panthers, and he won three Stanley Cups with Chicago in 2010, 2013, and 2015.
This is the first time he will be behind an NHL bench since Oct. 27, 2021.
"I'm excited to join the Anaheim Ducks. This is the organization I wanted to restart my career with and am truly grateful for this opportunity. The Ducks have incredible ownership, management and passionate fans. In nearly four years away from the game, I have learned from my prior mistakes and realized it will be actions over words that demonstrate my commitment to being a better leader." -Quenneville
Ducks general manager Pat Verbeek, who played alongside Quenneville on the Hartford Whalers during the 1989-90 season, said the team thoroughly vetted the decision before finalizing the hire.
"Over the last two weeks, we conducted interviews with many outstanding coaching candidates, while simultaneously conducting a comprehensive review of what took place while Joel was head coach of the Blackhawks in 2010. We spoke with dozens of individuals, including advocates for positive change in hockey and leadership of the NHL, which last July officially cleared Joel to seek employment in the League." -Verbeek
Verbeek also went on to add...
"Our findings are consistent with Joel's account that he was not fully aware of the severity of what transpired in 2010. It is clear that Joel deeply regrets not following up with more questions at the time, has demonstrated meaningful personal growth and accountability, and has earned the opportunity to return to coaching." -Verbeek
The Ducks (35-37-10) missed the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the seventh straight year, finishing sixth in the Pacific Division and ending the season 16 points back of the Blues for the Western Conference's final wild-card spot.
"Today is a great day for the Anaheim Ducks. Joel is a proven winner and one of the top coaches in NHL history. We believe this is a major step forward in our process of being a perennial playoff contender." -Verbeek
| POLL | ||
MAI 8 | 687 ANSWERS Joel Quenneville has landed his next NHL coaching gig Do you think Joel Quenneville is a good fit to coach the Anaheim Ducks? | ||
| yes | 464 | 67.5 % |
| no | 223 | 32.5 % |
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