Joel Quenneville ready to return to the bench, just has one hurdle left to clear

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Matt Garland
December 17, 2022 (7:51)

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Joel Quenneville is ready to return behind an NHL bench, before doing so, he will need to overcome a few obstacles. The 64 year old, will need to get commissioner Gary Bettman's blessing. Any potential interested team will also need to get permission from the Florida Panthers.

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The former Florida Panthers head coach resigned from the team last season after an independent investigation revealed that the Chicago Blackhawks mishandled sexual assault allegations involving a video coach during their 2010 Stanley Cup run. Quenneville was head coach of the Blackhawks from 2008-19.

Bettman spoke to reporters in May and revealed Quenneville hadn't reached out to him about returning to the NHL. He did add if and when that time comes, a much larger conversation will unfold regarding the three-time Stanley Cup winner's coaching future.

«There's nothing currently happening with Joel [Quenneville],» Bettman said at the time. «And if and when there's a real conversation to be had, then I'll focus on it at the time."

«I assume it'd be initiated by Joel, if and when he thinks it's the appropriate time and he feels that he's ready to come back and there's an opportunity. But again, I'll have to make an evaluation at that time.»

Quenneville will need to to show Bettman that he's changed and would never let what happened in Chicago take place in the league again.

He is the second-winningest coach in NHL history, his 969 victories trailing only the 1,244 amassed by Scotty Bowman.