Controversial coach remains ineligible despite NHL interest

Joel Quenneville will remain ineligible from coaching in the NHL, despite multiple clubs looking into the veteran signal-caller, shares David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period. Quenneville stepped down from the Florida Panthers on October 28, 2021, amid the Blackhawks sexual assault scandal.  The news ended Quenneville’s 27-year career in the league – a tour that took him through long stretches with the St. Louis Blues, Colorado Avalanche and Chicago Blackhawks. He won three Stanley Cups along the way, leading a prolific Chicago core that featured Patrick Kane, Jonathan Toews, Duncan Keith and Corey Crawford.

A long list of teams are currently in the process of reconsidering their coaching staff, with five teams currently without a bench leader for next season. That includes the New Jersey Devils, whose coaching vacancy represents one of the highest ceilings in the league per Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman. The long list of mingling teams also means a long list of strong candidates – with former Toronto Maple Leafs coach Sheldon Keefe becoming the most recent coach to hit free agency. He’s now competing with a wide array of talents, from the development focus of coaches like Jay Woodcroft and Dave Hakstol to postseason and even Stanley Cup precedent through Gerard Gallant, Todd McLellan and Craig Berube.

Teams will try to find an edge any way they can, especially when hiring for a role as pivotal as head coach. Because of that, this isn’t the first time that we’ve seen teams check the pulse of Quenneville’s eligibility. He’ll remain away from the league but still well-represented in the record books, boasting the second-most wins and fifth-most games coached of any coach in NHL history.