Joel Quenneville Returns to the United Center After Controversy
The Anaheim Ducks coach, Joel Quenneville, returned to the United Center on Sunday night, marking his first appearance in the stadium since he was suspended by the NHL in October 2021 due to his handling of a sexual assault allegation. Quenneville, 67, has had a promising start with the Ducks, with a record of 2-2-1, almost four years after resigning as coach of the Florida Panthers. His NHL suspension lasted almost three years.Quenneville’s return comes after a long road. He is the second-winningest coach in NHL history, with 971 career wins, surpassed only by Scotty Bowman’s 1,244. An independent investigation commissioned by the Blackhawks led to Quenneville’s resignation from the Panthers in October 2021. The investigation concluded that the team mishandled the accusations of Kyle Beach, first draft pick of 2008, against video coach Brad Aldrich during the Blackhawks’ first run for the Stanley Cup. Former Blackhawks general manager Stan Bowman and assistant GM Al MacIsaac also resigned and were suspended by the NHL. Both were reinstated by the league in July 2024. Bowman became general manager of the Edmonton Oilers three weeks later. The Ducks hired Quenneville in May to replace Greg Cronin. Quenneville has spent 25 seasons behind the benches in the NHL, including St. Louis, Colorado, Chicago, and Florida. He coached the Blackhawks for over 10 years and led them to championships in 2010, 2013, and 2015. The Blackhawks fired Quenneville in November 2018. He joined the Panthers for the 2019-20 season. Quenneville returned to the United Center for the first time with Florida in January 2020 and received a video tribute and an ovation from Blackhawks fans. He was on the Panthers’ bench at the stadium four times during the 2020-21 season, but there were no fans present. Quenneville seemed a little unsure about how he would be received by the United Center attendees this time.I am grateful to be back in the game. I am excited to be back here in Chicago.
Joel Quenneville
When asked if he expected recognition from the fans, Quenneville responded with his characteristic, “We’ll see.” The reaction was moderate and mixed. The announcer Gene Honda mentioned Quenneville in a routine introduction as the visiting team’s coach about 10 minutes before the start. A handful of fans applauded and about the same number booed, with only half of the 19,717 United Center seats occupied. The Ducks conducted background checks and spoke with Beach before hiring Quenneville, who said he has accepted responsibility for his role in not adequately addressing the allegations and has participated in educational activities to deepen his understanding of sexual assault scenarios. With Anaheim, Quenneville took over a team with the third-longest active playoff streak in the NHL. The Ducks finished sixth in the Pacific Division last season with a record of 35-37-10 after being in the bottom two for the previous four years.The memories we had here were very positive. I’m glad to be back in that building and hear the excited crowd, and the crowds seem to have been good so far this year.
Joel Quenneville
