Ducks Coaching Search Update: Woodcroft, Carle, Quenneville, Sullivan

Jay Woodcroft, who is the former head coach of the Edmonton Oilers, coached 133 games behind the bench. He had an impressive 79-41-13 record before he was relieved of his duties and replaced by Kris Knoblauch. He served as an assistant coach for Team Canada at the World Championship last season and is looking to get another opportunity.

David Carle, who is 35 years old, has been the head coach of the University of Denver in the NCAA since the 2018-19 season. He has also served as the head coach of Team USA at the U20 World Junior Championship for the past two seasons. He is a young coach, but his resume speaks for itself, and it’s no surprise that teams are interested in bringing him in.

Mike Sullivan, who was recently fired by the Pittsburgh Penguins after almost a decade as their head coach, has been heavily connected to the New York Rangers since being let go. As a head coach, he has a 479-311-127 record and has won two Stanley Cups. Bringing him into the Ducks’ organization could help guide them back into contention sooner rather than later.

Joel Quenneville, who is 66 years old, has faced controversy for his involvement with the Chicago Blackhawks in the early 2010s and was only recently granted permission to seek employment in the NHL again. His involvement in their coaching search has received backlash from fans, but his success previously could entice the Ducks to look past the fans and bring him in.

Who Is the Most Likely Hire?

There is no clear indicator of who the “frontrunner” for the job is, but it would be safe to assume Woodcroft and Quenneville are the most likely candidates. Carle has stated previously that he would need the perfect situation and a great offer to be pulled away from the NCAA, while Sullivan is expected to sign with a team fairly quickly, which could eliminate the Ducks from having a chance to bring him in.

Lebrun indicates other names out there have a chance at becoming the Ducks’ next head coach, but with these names being revealed, I would assume one of them will end up getting the position. The Ducks will have to weigh the positives and negatives of hiring Quenneville if they decide to go in that direction, considering they could lose season ticket sales from fans who don’t approve of hiring him.

Woodcroft’s record indicates he could be a huge help to the Ducks as they look to try and get back into contention, and if the Ducks choose to move away from Quenneville because of the fans’ outrage online, he is the most likely hire.

It seems like they’re going to take their time going through the process of choosing their next bench boss, so it will still be a while before anything becomes official.

As the 2024-25 postseason moves along, be sure to continue following The Hockey Writers as your source for news from around the NHL and the hockey world.