It’s been less than two months into the NHL regular season and head coaches have been dropping like flies. Today, it’s Joel Quenneville of the Chicago Blackhawks.
Joel Quenneville’s name has been synonymous with the Chicago Blackhawks for the last 10 years. It has often been said that he held the safest job in the NHL with his massive salary and undisputable reputation. Today, the organization has announced that they are relieving him of his coaching duties.
Quenneville is considered one of the greatest coaches of all time and his resume backs it up. He led the Hawks to three Stanley Cups in six years, creating the first dynasty of the salary cap era. Quenneville is the second-winningest coach of all time, with 890 wins.
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He has coached in the NHL for 21 years, splitting his time with the St. Louis Blues (eight years), the Colorado Avalanche (three years), and then the Chicago Blackhawks. This man has been the heartbeat of the team for the last decade and his impact on the franchise and the city will be remembered.
As for the team going forward, the Blackhawks have promoted Jeremy Colliton to the head coach position. Previously, he was with their AHL affiliate, the Rockford Ice Hogs and he coached them to the playoffs. At 33 years old, he is the youngest NHL coach in the league, seven years younger than John Hynes (New Jersey Devils) who was the previous youngest coach.
Often times, as a coach stays with a team for a long time, their authority and words lose their power. The players start to get fed up at hearing the same things from the same person, and the leadership gets lost in the room. The same thing happened three years ago when the Detroit Red Wings fired their long-time head coach, Mike Babcock. Babcock is considered to be on the of the most successful coaches in the NHL and yet he still got the boot.
The firing of Quenneville is meant to change the scenery for the players, as they try to revive the team to bounce back from their 6-6-3 start. The players need to see a new face behind the bench and the transition from a 60-year old NHL and coaching veteran to a 33-year old fresh-faced guy could be the spark the Blackhawks need to get back on track. Two NHL coaches fired in three days. Who’s next?