Joel Quenneville
Joel Norman Quenneville (born September 15, 1958) is the head coach of the Florida Panthers. He holds dual citizenship in both Canada and the United States. He has been head coach of the St. Louis Blues, Colorado Avalanche, and Chicago Blackhawks, winning the Stanley Cup three times while coaching the Blackhawks (2010, 2013, 2015). On January 15, 2016, he became the second-winningest coach in NHL history when he eclipsed Al Arbour with his 783rd win, leaving him behind Scotty Bowman for most wins all-time (1248). At the time of this writing (April 13, 2021), he has 951 career coaching victories. He is known by fans and players by his nicknames, “Coach Q” or simply “Q.”
Playing Career
Joel Quenneville was drafted 21st overall on June 15, 1978, at the NHL Amateur Draft in Montreal by the Toronto Maple Leafs. This was the last time the draft was called “Amateur” the following year, in 1979, it was renamed the NHL Entry Draft.
From 1975-78 he played for the Windsor Spitfires of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL). He played 16 games in 1978-79 for the New Brunswick Hawks of the American Hockey League (AHL) before cracking the Leaf’s line-up that same season. As a player, Quenneville played 12 seasons in the NHL for five different teams, the Toronto Maple Leafs, Colorado Rockies, New Jersey Devils, Hartford Whalers, and the Washington Capitals.
Coaching Career
Quenneville won his first Stanley Cup as an assistant coach with the Colorado Avalanche in 1996. The following year, he would become the head coach of the St. Louis Blues, replacing fired head coach Mike Keenan midway through the season. While in St. Louis, he led the team to seven consecutive playoff appearances. However, in his eighth season (2003-04), the team struggled and was in danger of missing the playoffs for the first time in 25 years, and consequently, he was fired 61 games into that season.
Quenneville’s next coaching gig was back in Colorado with the Avalanche, this time as the head coach. He coached the Avs for three seasons, losing in the Conference Semifinals to Anaheim Ducks in 2006, missing the playoffs in 2007, and losing again in the Conference Semifinals to the Detroit Red Wings in 2008. While in Colorado, Quenneville achieved several milestones, the 750th career game on March 25, 2007, 400th win on October 26, 2007. On May 9, 2008, the Colorado Avalanche made it known that Joel Quenneville would be leaving the organization.
On October 16, 2008, Quenneville was promoted to head coach of the Chicago Blackhawks, replacing Denis Savard after first serving as a pro scout. Quenneville’s tenure in Chicago was highly successful. In his twelve years coaching the Blackhawks, he recorded several achievements. On December 1, 2009, he reached 500 wins as a coach in a protracted 11 round shoot-out against the Columbus Blue Jackets. On December 18, 2011, he reached 600 career coaching wins in a 4-2 decision against the Calgary Flames. On March 19, 2014, he the third coach in NHL history to register 700 career wins. On January 14, 2016, he surpassed Al Arbour to become the second-winningest coach in NHL history behind Scotty Bowman (1248). On April 3, 2016, he notched his 800th win in a 6-4 triumph over the Boston Bruins, becoming the second head coach behind Scotty Bowman to win 800 contests in the NHL. Along the way, he managed to win three Stanley Cup championships, defeating the Philadelphia Flyers 4-2 in 2010, defeating the Boston Bruins 4-2 in 2013, and prevailing 4-2 against the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2015.
On February 21, 2017, in a 5-3 win against the Minnesota Wild, Quenneville became the second coach in Blackhawks history to win 400 games. On February 21, 2018, Quenneville coached his 1600th game, a 3-2 win over the Ottawa Senators, making him the third coach to coach 1600 games. On March 10, 2018, he passed Al Arbour for second-most coached regular-season games with 1608. On November 6, 2018, the Blackhawks fired Joel Quenneville after what they felt was a poor start to the season, 6-6-3. He left the Blackhawks with a sparkling 452-249-96 regular-season record and a 76-53 post-season record.
On April 8, 2019, he was hired as head coach of the Florida Panthers. In his first season with the Panthers, he coached the team to a winning record of 35-26-8 and a playoff position during the Covid-19 shortened season. The Panthers lost in four games to the New York Islanders in the qualifying round.
This season (2020-21), the Panthers are third in the Central Division 26-12-4 and only two points out of first place, behind Stanley Cup champions Tampa Bay Lightning and Carolina Hurricanes, who are tied.
Career statistics
Playing statistics
| Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | League | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM |
| 1975–76 | Windsor Spitfires | OMJHL | 66 | 15 | 33 | 48 | 61 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1976–77 | Windsor Spitfires | OMJHL | 65 | 19 | 59 | 78 | 169 | 9 | 6 | 5 | 11 | 112 |
| 1977–78 | Windsor Spitfires | OMJHL | 66 | 27 | 76 | 103 | 114 | 6 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 17 |
| 1978–79 | New Brunswick Hawks | AHL | 16 | 1 | 10 | 11 | 10 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1978–79 | Toronto Maple Leafs | NHL | 61 | 2 | 9 | 11 | 60 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 4 |
| 1979–80 | Toronto Maple Leafs | NHL | 32 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 24 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1979–80 | Colorado Rockies | NHL | 35 | 5 | 7 | 12 | 26 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1980–81 | Colorado Rockies | NHL | 71 | 10 | 24 | 34 | 86 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1981–82 | Colorado Rockies | NHL | 64 | 5 | 10 | 15 | 55 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1982–83 | New Jersey Devils | NHL | 74 | 5 | 12 | 17 | 46 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1983–84 | Hartford Whalers | NHL | 80 | 5 | 8 | 13 | 95 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1984–85 | Hartford Whalers | NHL | 79 | 6 | 16 | 22 | 96 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1985–86 | Hartford Whalers | NHL | 71 | 5 | 20 | 25 | 83 | 10 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 12 |
| 1986–87 | Hartford Whalers | NHL | 37 | 3 | 7 | 10 | 24 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1987–88 | Hartford Whalers | NHL | 77 | 1 | 8 | 9 | 44 | 6 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| 1988–89 | Hartford Whalers | NHL | 69 | 4 | 7 | 11 | 32 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 4 |
| 1989–90 | Hartford Whalers | NHL | 44 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 34 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1990–91 | Baltimore Skipjacks | AHL | 59 | 6 | 13 | 19 | 58 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 6 |
| 1990–91 | Washington Capitals | NHL | 9 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1991–92 | St. John’s Maple Leafs | AHL | 73 | 7 | 23 | 30 | 58 | 16 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 10 |
| NHL totals | 803 | 54 | 136 | 190 | 705 | 32 | 0 | 8 | 8 | 22 | ||
| AHL totals | 148 | 14 | 46 | 60 | 126 | 22 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 16 |
Coaching record
Quenneville with the Stanley Cup in 2015.
| Team | Year | Regular season | Postseason | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| G | W | L | T | OTL | Pts | Finish | W | L | Win % | Result | ||
| STL | 1996–97 | 40 | 18 | 15 | 7 | — | (83) | 4th in Central | 2 | 4 | .333 | Lost in Conference Quarterfinals (DET) |
| STL | 1997–98 | 82 | 45 | 29 | 8 | — | 98 | 3rd in Central | 6 | 4 | .600 | Lost in Conference Semifinals (DET) |
| STL | 1998–99 | 82 | 37 | 32 | 13 | — | 87 | 2nd in Central | 6 | 7 | .462 | Lost in Conference Semifinals (DAL) |
| STL | 1999–2000 | 82 | 51 | 19 | 11 | 1 | 114 | 1st in Central | 3 | 4 | .429 | Lost in Conference Quarterfinals (SJS) |
| STL | 2000–01 | 82 | 43 | 22 | 12 | 5 | 103 | 2nd in Central | 9 | 6 | .600 | Lost in Conference Finals (COL) |
| STL | 2001–02 | 82 | 43 | 27 | 8 | 4 | 98 | 2nd in Central | 5 | 5 | .500 | Lost in Conference Semifinals (DET) |
| STL | 2002–03 | 82 | 41 | 24 | 11 | 6 | 99 | 2nd in Central | 3 | 4 | .429 | Lost in Conference Quarterfinals (VAN) |
| STL | 2003–04 | 61 | 29 | 23 | 7 | 2 | (91) | (fired) | — | — | — | — |
| STL total | 593 | 307 | 191 | 77 | 18 | 34 | 34 | .500 | 7 playoff appearances | |||
| COL | 2005–06 | 82 | 43 | 30 | — | 9 | 95 | 2nd in Northwest | 4 | 5 | .444 | Lost in Conference Semifinals (ANA) |
| COL | 2006–07 | 82 | 44 | 31 | — | 7 | 95 | 4th in Northwest | — | — | — | Missed playoffs |
| COL | 2007–08 | 82 | 44 | 31 | — | 7 | 95 | 2nd in Northwest | 4 | 6 | .400 | Lost in Conference Semifinals (DET) |
| COL total | 246 | 131 | 92 | — | 23 | 8 | 11 | .421 | 2 playoff appearances | |||
| CHI | 2008–09 | 78 | 45 | 22 | — | 11 | (104) | 2nd in Central | 9 | 8 | .529 | Lost in Conference Finals (DET) |
| CHI | 2009–10 | 82 | 52 | 22 | — | 8 | 112 | 1st in Central | 16 | 6 | .727 | Won Stanley Cup (PHI) |
| CHI | 2010–11 | 82 | 44 | 29 | — | 9 | 97 | 3rd in Central | 3 | 4 | .429 | Lost in Conference Quarterfinals (VAN) |
| CHI | 2011–12 | 82 | 45 | 26 | — | 11 | 101 | 4th in Central | 2 | 4 | .333 | Lost in Conference Quarterfinals (PHX) |
| CHI | 2012–13 | 48 | 36 | 7 | — | 5 | 77 | 1st in Central | 16 | 7 | .696 | Won Stanley Cup (BOS) |
| CHI | 2013–14 | 82 | 46 | 21 | — | 15 | 107 | 3rd in Central | 11 | 8 | .579 | Lost in Conference Finals (LAK) |
| CHI | 2014–15 | 82 | 48 | 28 | — | 6 | 102 | 3rd in Central | 16 | 7 | .696 | Won Stanley Cup (TBL) |
| CHI | 2015–16 | 82 | 47 | 26 | — | 9 | 103 | 3rd in Central | 3 | 4 | .429 | Lost in First Round (STL) |
| CHI | 2016–17 | 82 | 50 | 23 | — | 9 | 109 | 1st in Central | 0 | 4 | .000 | Lost in First Round (NSH) |
| CHI | 2017–18 | 82 | 33 | 39 | — | 10 | 76 | 7th in Central | — | — | — | Missed playoffs |
| CHI | 2018–19 | 15 | 6 | 6 | — | 3 | 15 | (fired) | — | — | — | — |
| CHI total | 797 | 452 | 249 | — | 96 | 76 | 52 | .594 | 9 playoff appearances 3 Stanley Cup titles | |||
| FLA | 2019–20 | 69 | 35 | 26 | — | 8 | 78 | 4th in Atlantic | 1 | 3 | .250 | Lost in Qualifying Round (NYI) |
| FLA total | 69 | 35 | 26 | — | 8 | 1 | 3 | .250 | 1 playoff appearance | |||
| Total | 1,705 | 925 | 558 | 77 | 145 | 119 | 100 | .543 | 19 playoff appearances 3 Stanley Cup titles |
Keep You’re Stick on the Ice.
