Joel Quenneville is expected to be hired as the new head coach of the Anaheim Ducks, according to reports Thursday. An announcement is anticipated Thursday morning. Quenneville returns to the NHL after resigning from the Florida Panthers in 2021 following revelations about the handling of sexual abuse allegations within the Chicago Blackhawks organization in 2010.
Quenneville was Chicago’s head coach in 2010 when allegations that player Kyle Beach was sexually assaulted by an assistant coach were reported. A subsequent investigation detailed how the team organization failed to address the allegations appropriately. Along with Quenneville, former Blackhawks general manager Stan Bowman and executive Al MacIsaac also resigned from their positions in 2021.
Following their departures, the league determined that Quenneville, Bowman, and MacIsaac required league permission to return to an NHL position. That permission was granted in July of 2024.
The league issued a statement in July 2024 acknowledging their inadequate response in 2010 and noting the individuals had used time away from the game for activities demonstrating remorse and greater awareness of leadership responsibilities for NHL personnel.
Stan Bowman was subsequently hired as the general manager of the Edmonton Oilers shortly after his reinstatement in July 2024, becoming the first of the group to return to the league.
Sources indicate the Ducks conducted an extensive background check specifically related to the Kyle Beach case and the work Quenneville has done since that time. The team is expected to address these findings later Thursday when the hire is officially announced.
Quenneville replaces Greg Cronin behind the Ducks bench. The team finished sixth in the Pacific Division this past season and missed the playoffs for the seventh-straight season.
With 969 victories, Joel Quenneville is the second-winningest coach in NHL history, trailing only Scotty Bowman's 1,244 wins. He won three Stanley Cups as head coach of the Chicago Blackhawks in 2010, 2013, and 2015. He also won the Jack Adams Trophy in 2000 as head coach of the St. Louis Blues.
His career coaching record includes 969 wins, 572 losses, 150 overtime losses, and 77 ties, split between the Blues, Colorado Avalanche, Blackhawks, and Panthers.
