Panthers hire Joel Quenneville as head coach
The Florida Panthers got their man.
The club announced the hiring of three-time Stanley Cup champion Joel Quenneville as head coach Monday morning.
Quenneville's resume is second to none among active coaches - he trails only Scotty Bowman on the NHL's all-time wins list - and he'll be paid accordingly. He'll earn $5.25 million per season with bonuses that could hit $7 million over five years, a source told The Athletic's George Richards. That would potentially make Quenneville the league's highest-paid coach, as Toronto Maple Leafs boss Mike Babcock currently leads the way at around $6.25 million per season.
Meanwhile, Quenneville already has a working relationship with Panthers general manager Dale Tallon, who hired him to coach the Chicago Blackhawks during the 2008-09 season.
While leading the team that Tallon built, Quenneville went on an unparalleled run of success in the Windy City, making the playoffs in nine straight years and winning the Stanley Cup in 2010, 2013, and 2015.
Tallon stated less than two weeks ago that Florida would "be aggressive this summer." Along with landing a future Hall of Fame coach, the Panthers have been linked to pending free agents Sergei Bobrovsky and Artemi Panarin. The latter played under Quenneville for two seasons in Chicago.
Each time Quenneville has been hired to coach a new team, he's made the playoffs in his first season. The Panthers have made just two postseason appearances in the last 18 years.
In Florida, Quenneville replaces Bob Boughner, who was relieved of his duties Sunday after a two-year stint behind the bench.