Ducks Officially Announce Joel Quenneville as HC

According to multiple reports, the Ducks did extensive research into Quenneville’s role in the abuse scandal and the steps he has taken since to learn from his mistakes. The Ducks even spoke with Kyle Beach, the former Blackhawks player at the center of the abuse.

“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,” the Ducks said in their release. “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. 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."

Quenneville first became an NHL head coach during the 1996-97 season with the St. Louis Blues and has coached 1,768 games over his career. With four different teams, Quenneville has a 969-572-77-150 record with three Stanley Cup championships, all with the Blackhawks.

“Today is a great day for the Anaheim Ducks,” Ducks general manager Pat Verbeek said. “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.”

The Ducks have their sights set on becoming a regular playoff team in the very near future, and a successful coach like Quenneville was high on their list.