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Coach Quenneville nominated for Coach of the Year
Coach Quenneville raising the Stanley Cup in 2010 after defeating the Philadelphia Flyers in six games (Courtesy: nhl.com)

Coach Quenneville nominated for Coach of the Year

SUNRISE, Fla. (BVM) – Joel Quenneville, also known as “Coach Q”, is the second winningest coach in NHL history with 962 regular season victories. Prior to a coaching career, Coach Q played 14 seasons in the NHL. He played for the Toronto Maple Leafs, Colorado Rockies, Hartford Whalers, and the Washington Capitals. Five years after his professional playing career was over, Quenneville was announced as the head coach of the St. Louis Blues in 1996. He would lead the Blues to seven consecutive playoff appearances. However, he was fired in his eighth season due to the team underperforming to the franchise’s standards. Coach Q compiled 307 wins, 191 losses and 77 ties over his eight-year stint with the Blues. 

In 2004-2005 the NHL did not have a season due to a lockout and Quenneville was named the next head coach of the Colorado Avalanche for the upcoming 2005-2006 season. In his first season with the Avalanche, Coach Q led the team to a record of 43 wins, 30 losses and nine overtime losses, finishing second in the Northwest division and clinching a playoff spot. The Avalanche would lose in the Conference Semifinals to the Anaheim Ducks, who would eventually go on to win the Stanley Cup. In his second season as head coach of the Avalanche they would miss the playoffs, however, they would make the playoffs in his third season as head coach with a record of 44 wins, 31 losses and seven overtime losses, placing second in the Northwest division. Once again, the Avalanche would lose in the Conference Semifinals, this time to the Detroit Red Wings, who would go on to win the 2008 Stanley Cup. 

Beginning of a Dynasty

In 2008, Coach Q was hired by the Chicago Blackhawks, an original six hockey team and a struggling franchise. The Blackhawks had not won a Stanley Cup since the 1960-1961 season, and Coach Q was hired to turn that around. In his first season as head coach, he led the Blackhawks to a playoff berth with a record of 45 wins, 22 losses and 11 overtime losses, placing second in the Central Division. The Blackhawks would be eliminated by the Detroit Red Wings in the Conference Semifinals. The following season was one that would change the career of Coach Q and would change the franchise of the Chicago Blackhawks. The Blackhawks had a record of 52 wins, 22 losses and eight overtime losses, placing them first in the Central Division. The Blackhawks would go on to win the Stanley Cup against the Philadelphia Flyers in dramatic fashion with an overtime game winner to win the Stanley Cup. This was the first time the Blackhawks had won the Stanley Cup in 47 years, and this was just the beginning. 

In 2012-2013, the NHL had a delayed start to the season due to a lockout, but it would eventually be played out with a reduced schedule of 48 games, rather than the typical 82 game regular season schedule. The Blackhawks would set an NHL record of recording at least one point in 24 straight games. In the NHL, if the game goes to overtime both teams earn one-point and winning teams earn two points toward the standings. This means the Blackhawks had won or gone to overtime 24 straight games. The Blackhawks finished first in the Central Division and would look to make a playoff run once again. The Blackhawks rolled through the playoffs and would face the Boston Bruins in the Stanley Cup Final, the first original six matchup in the Stanley Cup Finals since 1979. The Blackhawks would defeat the Bruins in six games to win their second Stanley Cup Championship in just four seasons. 

In 2013-2014, the Blackhawks had another successful regular season, however, they were eliminated in the Conference Final by the Los Angeles Kings, who would then go on to win the Stanley Cup. The following season, the Blackhawks were back on top. Qunneville led his team through the playoffs and made another Stanley Cup Final appearance, this time facing the Tampa Bay Lightning. The Blackhawks would defeat the Tampa Bay Lightning and win their third Stanley Cup Championship in just six seasons. Quenneville would coach the Blackhawks for three more seasons before being fired midway through the 2018-2019 season after a poor start through 15 games. Quenneville had gained a reputation as one of the best coaches in the sport of hockey after he turned around the Chicago Blackhawks franchise.

Turning Around another Franchise

Almost immediately after being fired by the Blackhawks, Quenneville would be hired by the Florida Panthers. The Florida Panthers were a struggling NHL franchise as they have never won a Stanley Cup and they have not won a playoff series since 1996. After what Quenneville had done in Chicago with the Blackhawks, it was an easy choice for the Florida Panthers to hire Coach Q. In his first season as head coach, Coach Q led the Panthers to the playoffs, however, they were eliminated in the first round by the New York Islanders.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the NHL would have a reduced schedule for the 2020-2021 season. The Panthers had made some serious player acquisitions through trades and free agency that gave them a good chance at making the playoffs, and they did exactly that. In his second season as head coach, Coach Q led the Panthers to 37 wins, 14 losses and five overtime losses. The Panthers would finish second in the Central Division. The Panthers would face the defending Stanley Cup Champions, the Tampa Bay Lightning, in the first round of the playoffs where they were unfortunately unsuccessful. 

Coach Q was recently nominated for the Coach of the Year award, voted on between players and coaches of the NHL and the NHLPA (National Hockey League Players Association). Coach Q had two successful seasons to start his stint with the Florida Panthers. When the season ended, both Coach Q and the players agreed that this was just the beginning and they could have done better than they did. Coach Q instills a winning attitude within his players in order to be successful. As the second winningest coach of all-time in the sport of hockey, it will be interesting to see if he can turn around the Florida Panthers just like he did with the Chicago Blackhawks.