Joel Quenneville

Lore & Background

Quenneville was drafted 21st overall by the Toronto Maple Leafs in the 1978 NHL Amateur Draft. A defenceman, he played for the OHA's Windsor Spitfires, the New Brunswick Hawks, Baltimore Skipjacks and St. John's Capitals of the American Hockey League (AHL), and the Maple Leafs, Colorado Rockies/New Jersey Devils, Hartford Whalers and Washington Capitals of the NHL. He has also been a player/assistant coach of St. John's, head coach of the AHL's Springfield Indians, and assistant coach of the Quebec Nordiques and Colorado Avalanche. He won the Stanley Cup as an assistant coach with the Avalanche in 1996. He won the Jack Adams Award as the best coach of the regular season in 1999–2000 with the St. Louis Blues. He left as the all-time winningest coach in franchise history with 307 wins, a mark since surpassed by Ken Hitchcock. On May 9, 2008, the Avalanche announced that Quenneville was leaving the organization in what was called a mutual parting of the ways. He was hired as a pro scout by the Chicago Blackhawks in September 2008. On October 16, 2008, Quenneville was promoted to head coach of the Chicago Blackhawks, replacing former Blackhawk Denis Savard. On November 6, 2018, the Blackhawks fired Quenneville after a 6–6–3 start in the 2018–19 season. He concluded his tenure in Chicago with a 452–249–96 regular season record, a 76–52 record in the postseason, and as the second winningest coach in NHL history with 890 wins. On April 8, 2019, the Florida Panthers hired Quenneville as head coach. On October 28, 2021, he resigned after being implicated in the 2010 Chicago Blackhawks sexual abuse scandal. On May 8, 2025, the Anaheim Ducks hired Quenneville as the 12th head coach in team history. On February 25, 2026, Quenneville became the second coach in NHL history to reach 1,000 regular season wins with a 6–5 victory over the Edmonton Oilers.

In Their Own Story

The arena hummed with a nervous energy before Game 7 of the 2013 Stanley Cup Final. Joel Quenneville stood in the tunnel, adjusting his headset, his eyes scanning the ice one last time before the final whistle. He knew this moment was years in the making—a culmination of grit, sacrifice, and an unyielding belief that the black and red banner would once again rise over Chicago.

Reader's Guide

Quenneville is second in NHL coaching wins at 1,000 behind Scotty Bowman. He is one of a handful of Chicago head coaches with multiple championships (the others are Frank Chance of the Chicago Cubs, Rube Foster of the Chicago American Giants, George Halas of the Chicago Bears, Willy Roy of the Chicago Sting, and Phil Jackson of the Chicago Bulls). With his third win, Quenneville became the fourth coach in Chicago sports history to win three championships, after Foster, Halas and Jackson. He is the second winningest coach in Blackhawks history behind only Billy Reay, and only Reay had a longer unbroken tenure with the team.

Did You Know?

• Quenneville is second in NHL coaching wins at 969 behind Scotty Bowman.
• He led the Blackhawks to three Stanley Cup titles in 2010, 2013 and 2015.
• The Blackhawks' 2010 championship was their first since 1961, ending the then-longest Stanley Cup drought.
• Quenneville won the Jack Adams Award as the best coach of the regular season in 1999–2000 with the St. Louis Blues.
• He became the second coach in NHL history to reach 1,000 regular season wins on February 25, 2026.