The ex-Florida Panthers coach is back. “This is the organization I wanted to restart my career with and am truly grateful for this opportunity,” Joel Quenneville said after signing his new leadership role with the Anaheim Ducks. Nearly four years later, the NHL has thrown the spotlight on this veteran coach in the league—best known for leading the Chicago Blackhawks to three Stanley Cup wins. Henry Samueli couldn’t wait to hire this leader to fill his coaching position. After all, it’s high time that the Ducks desperately needed to transition from their rebuild mode to a serious playoff contention, right? And who other than Quenneville seems aware of the weight of this moment?
A highly experienced leader and let’s admit the road for Quenneville hasn’t been that smooth. After resigning from the Panthers when his name surfaced in the explosive fallout of the Chicago Blackhawks’ 2010 sexual assault scandal, the veteran coach was banned from the league as part of his failure to fulfil the leadership roles! But the door did open in July 2024 when the league lifted the ban—perhaps admire his personal growth and public accountability. However, it isn’t the comeback that makes it so intriguing but how the Ducks owner stepped forward to take the responsibility and bet big on the ex-Panthers’ coach!
Well, let’s just say that the Ducks had hit the no more painful process key. Because, according to Greg Beacham on X, Henry Samueli just admitted it. “It has been a long, painful process, but we felt that we’ve reached a point where the rebuild is coming to an end, it really is, and it’s time to take the step to becoming a perennial playoff contender and eventually Stanley Cup contender,” he said when asked about choosing Quenneville as the next one to lead his team.
Translation? Enough with the baby Ducks because the big owner is dying to witness some postseason drama, and maybe a trophy or two, too! And the budget constraints? “We were willing to make that investment into the team, and we’ve told Pat, same thing when going out and looking for players, you will have the budget you need to make this a serious playoff team, and you don’t have to pinch pennies anymore,” he further revealed.
Ducks owner Henry Samueli spoke at length today, and it’s clear he’s a billionaire who is very tired of losing. He paid top dollar to get Joel Quenneville, and he is willing to pay basically anything if Pat Verbeek can land a top free agent: pic.twitter.com/4YNXAePeVk
— Greg Beacham (@gregbeacham) May 9, 2025
And for Quenneville himself, the Ducks feel like his own place to be at. “The Ducks have incredible ownership, management, and passionate fans,” he said while addressing the media. And the Ducks, knowing exactly who they want, perhaps got the most experienced and successful coaches in NHL history. With three Stanley Cup titles from his times with the Chicago Blackhawks, the Panthers’ ex-coach has been at the top of the game while bringing in the same wealth of knowledge and success to transform the Ducks from rebuild mode to playoff contention. Well, the kind of experience owner Henry Samueli had in mind. “Look, if we want to take that step, we really should bring in a coach who’s been there, done that,” Samueli told Pat Verbeek, the Ducks’ General Manager.
Despite the fallout from a scandal that had unfolded years earlier, the veteran coach remains elite as always. After the 2010 incident of mishandling a sexual assault situation, what cost him, along with two other executives, was more than anything. His prime position and reputation took a hit after getting banned from the league. But did it stop him from proving who he is as a person?
Not when the coach, in his three years of gap, indulged himself in various personal development programs to learn his mistakes and come back even stronger. “I have learned from my prior mistakes and realized it will be actions over words that demonstrate my commitment to being a better leader,” he confirmed. And Fast forward to 2024, NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman is way more proud of Quenneville’s personality development and lifted the ban that officially let the head coach find his way to the Anaheim Ducks.
But hey, let’s not forget his time with the Florida Panthers and despite him getting stepped aside, the foundation he helped lay didn’t crumble but just began to flourish.
Quenneville is the backbone of Florida Panthers’ Stanley Cup Win
Well, Quenneville’s time with the Florida Panthers had been the one marked by optimism and perhaps some high expectations. After taking over the role in 2019, the Panthers began a notable transformation under his leadership. After all, the veteran leader worked closely with General Manager Bill Zito to reshape the roster. And not only this, he even brought in the key players who now mark a key presence in the Panthers’ roster form. With the Panthers’ young core of star players like Sasha Barkov, Aaron Ekblad, and Jonathan Huberdeau, Quenneville’s leadership didn’t only set the foundation for a team but brought success too. However, the unfortunate event unfolded when, after just seven games into the 2021-22 season, he had to resign following the scandal of his previous role with the Blackhawks.
The departure indeed left a major void in the Panthers’ coaching staff; however, the team’s momentum under him had already set the stage for the next chapter. What exactly? Recall the stunning 2024 Stanley Cup win against the Edmonton Oilers, and let’s admit that it has been Quenneville’s years of experience in leading them, too, to gain this success under the present coach Paul Maurice. But then again, the current NHL playoff season for Florida narrates a different tale too. While facing new challenges, the Panthers have recently struggled and suffered losses to the Toronto Maple Leafs. Well, does that mean it’s getting difficult to maintain their elite form that has become somewhat tougher now? Not certainly, because they still have the chances.
But what’s certain is Quenneville’s return to the NHL and his appointment with the Anaheim Ducks. While this signifies not just a comeback but a chance to show how far he’s come, it’s also his impressive track record, especially his three Stanley Cup wins with the Blackhawks, that brings the kind of experience and leadership the Ducks desperately need now. And as he embarks on this new chapter, all eyes will be on whether he can once again guide a team to glory, but this time with the Anaheim Ducks.
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