It’s quite possible that former Chicago Blackhawks Head Coach Joel Quenneville could be back in the NHL this season, given that he was officially reinstated by the league on July 1. “Coach Q.” is the second winningest coach in NHL history, behind only the legendary Scotty Bowman.
Quenneville infamously feuded with Scotty’s kid, who was his General Manager in Chicago, Stan Bowman during their dynasty days of the 2010s. Despite the rather strained relationship between the two, Quenneville and Bowman led the Blackhawks to an end of the franchise’s nearly half-century Stanley Cup drought in 2010.
They added two more cups in 2013 and 2015, but there will always be a darker tone and an overall stain on that era of winning, due to the sexual assault investigation into former Hawks Video Coach Brad Aldrich. The scandal forced Quenneville to resign from his most recent coaching job, with the Florida Panthers, in October of 2021. Bowman, as well as former Hawks SVP Al MacIsaac, were also reinstated into the league this past July.
So now that Quenneville is back available to coach, where could he go?
Well, there have been several reports, in multiple outlets, linking him to several teams.
However, a recent and extremely credible report in RG is linking him to the Detroit Red Wings and New York Rangers. Both clubs, like the Blackhawks, are original six franchises with situations that are somewhat complicated.
Also, the idea of the greatest coach in Blackhawks history leading the Red Wings, traditionally the club’s most hated rival, is a bit humorous. It pretty much is the old Jerry Seinfield “sports is rooting for clothes” routine.
Quenneville had also been previously linked with the Montreal Canadiens, which would have been a perfect fit, given his French background, and his strong links to then Habs GM and EVP Marc Bergevin.
But perhaps the Wings, or the Rangers, depending on which job opens up first, will ultimately prove to be the better destination for him, so stay tuned. As for the Blackhawks, well, they’re still in last place as their rebuild continues to progress at a snail’s pace. They have not been the same since Quenneville left.
Paul M. Banks is the Founding Editor of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He currently contributes to USA Today’s NFL Wires Network, the Internet Baseball Writers Association of America and RG. His past bylines include the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune. His work has been featured in numerous outlets, including the Wall Street Journal, Forbes, the Washington Post and ESPN. You can follow him on Linked In and Twitter.