Quenneville (r) won three Stanley Cups with the Blackhawks before being fired last yearGETTY IMAGES
The NHL Panthers hiring Joel Quenneville is the "biggest coaching hire this team has ever made" and brings the club "instant credibility both at home with fans and among other NHL teams," according to George Richards of THE ATHLETIC. Panthers Assistant GM Eric Joyce said the team had "no choice -- if they wanted to hit the heights to which they all aspire -- but to go after" Quenneville, who was fired in November after 10 years and three Stanley Cup victories with the Blackhawks. The Panthers did "not necessarily want to move on from coach Bob Boughner" after two seasons, but the team "took notice" of Quenneville's availability. Sources said that once things "got rolling with Quenneville," Panthers Owner Vinnie Viola was "not in negotiations but was kept abreast of what was going on." A source said that Viola was "not going to spend an 'insane amount of money' but that he told his guys to make sure they 'get it done.'" A source said that Quenneville will make $4.25M from the Panthers in the first year, with the Blackhawks covering another $1.75M to make up for the $6M they "would have owed him had he continued his vacation." Richards notes the Panthers "feel confident they finally found their Pat Riley, their Don Shula" (THEATHLETIC.com, 4/8). The AP's Tim Reynolds wrote hiring Quenneville is a "bold move for the Panthers." It also "represents a serious shift in the organization’s thinking," considering five of the last six coaches hired by the Panthers were "first-time head coaches" (AP, 4/8).
GOLDEN OPPORTUNITY: THE HOCKEY NEWS' Ryan Kennedy wrote Quenneville is coming into the Panthers organization as a guy who "brings instant credibility and a winning attitude that will help a franchise in need of some confidence" (THEHOCKEYNEWS.com, 4/8). In Miami, Jordan McPherson writes this is "arguably the biggest hire the Panthers could have made." It is also another "notion that shows that the Panthers plan to make waves this offseason" (MIAMI HERALD, 4/9). Also in Miami, Greg Cote writes hockey "is back in South Florida," as the Panthers are a "player in this market again." Quenneville makes the team "instantly relevant," as he is the "most accomplished man and proven winner in his profession to join a local team" since the Heat got Riley in '95. Cote: "It cannot be overstated how the Panthers have hit the lottery here" (MIAMI HERALD, 4/9). In Ft. Lauderdale, Dave Hyde writes the Panthers have "no excuses not to win now that they've got the second winningest NHL coach and a three-time Stanley Cup champion leading them." Hyde: "This is the Panthers' chance. This move. This hire" (South Florida SUN SENTINEL, 4/9).
