Speculation: The search for a new Head Coach - Rumors and Speculation

[Mr Rogers]

Sullivan can’t be good news for Cronin

 

[KelVarnsen]

Give me Sullivan please. I know he probably won't come west but I would love him with the Ducks.

 

[Leonardo87]

I’m fine with Coach Q if it gets the Ducks into the playoffs, and the young players break out. He screwed up ,but some folks deserve a 2nd chance if they learned from their mistakes and show remorse.

 

[Big Fat Rebound]

The only hope left is echoing Friedman’s report that the Samuelis have seen the fans’ displeasure and will demand a pivot, because it feels like Pat is marching to get this done ASAP. Really starting to feel like he’s gonna have the job by the end of this week at latest

 

[GermanRocket7]

Buccigross seems to be implying that it’s close to a done deal. I wonder how long before it’s announced

Things are going to get weird on this board for a while

I am usually very weary regarding Buccigross, but this time it -unfortunately- seems to be a lot further along than we thought. My stance is still firmly against Quenneville, but the silver lining is that, according to what was written here yesterday, he actually did have some catching-up with experts and he did put in some work.

With that being said, he surely would have to answer lengthy questions, and honestly so, from the players prior to their first skate session on the ice. If the players think he is trustworthy enough, I might give him the benefit of the doubt.

 

[HanSolo]

I’m fine with Coach Q if it gets the Ducks into the playoffs, and the young players break out. He screwed up ,but some folks deserve a 2nd chance if they learned from their mistakes and show remorse.

I'd rather wait longer for the playoffs than have that cloud over a representative of this team and organization's values and identity. He can have his second chances elsewhere.

It's also relevant that he hasn't coached in 4 years and is already at or close to an age where no coaches have won a cup. There's truly no guarantee he will be a great coach with a second chance. People forget that he won three cups with stacked Blackhawks rosters and as time went on, the team started to struggle under his watch. He did well with the bones of the Florida core that eventually won the cup without him.

We're close enough to being a playoff team with the core we've got and are developing that as long as we're upgrading on Cronin, that goal can be met by just about anyone. Hell as awful a coach as Cronin was I think this team could've made the playoffs within the next 1-3 years depending on what Verbeek does with the roster.

 

[Big Fat Rebound]

Sullivan can’t be good news for Cronin

Greg Cronin isn’t good news for Greg Cronin

 

[Quack Shot]

Verbeek needs to be on the phone with Sullivan right now.

 

[HanSolo]

Verbeek needs to be on the phone with Sullivan right now.

Verbeek needs to be on the phone with anyone but Quenneville.

 

[quackquackquack]

Buccigross seems to think Carle is out for the Ducks. Not much substance but he feels Utah is the darkhorse if Carle leaves college.

 

[Arthuros]

Disappointing that Q is deep into the interview process...I'll give them the benefit of the doubt if they don't go through with the hire.

 

[Big Fat Rebound]

Carle is also likely heading back to DU, according to 32 Thoughts. At this point, I guess I would lean towards Woodcroft

 

[Static]

Even just from a hockey perspective, is this worth it? The guy has been out of the game for four years. Does he have anything new to offer?

 

[FiveTacos]

My stance is still firmly against Quenneville, but the silver lining is that, according to what was written here yesterday, he actually did have some catching-up with experts and he did put in some work.

Bowman also supposedly put in the work. Yet at first opportunity to do the right thing again (when he was subpoenaed) he showed he hasn't changed a lick. F that guy forever, and I hope the Oilers lose McD on his watch.

And Qs thing about how he didn't understand why he was having to wait so long to come back don't suggest to me that it's been anything but PR to him either.

 

[lwvs84]

IF Q is the coach, I hope they have a press release before the interview that lists exactly what he's done in the last several years to make amends. If he has done a lot, then maybe he does deserve a chance. That said, I'm still hoping for someone else so that we don't have to deal with it. Did other teams that hired people involved with it have to deal with media and fan backlash? Some people above Q were hired already, right?

Despite the backlash, I don't think there's enough people that will boycott the Ducks compared to how many will come watch a winning product that the team wouldn't make money.

 

[ohcomeonref]

Even just from a hockey perspective, is this worth it? The guy has been out of the game for four years. Does he have anything new to offer?

Some people are floating the idea that he would handle things while the team waits for McIlvane to season.

 

[Big Fat Rebound]

Even just from a hockey perspective, is this worth it? The guy has been out of the game for four years. Does he have anything new to offer?

Also, I don’t have any problem with hiring an old dude (hell, my football team is coached by Pete Carroll) while waiting for the actual championship window to open, but if you were going to go this route and wait for McIlvane and you don’t care how long he’s been out of the game, why not just save yourself the trouble and the backlash and just hire Bruce, which is one of the easiest winning optics in history? Universally beloved hockey lifer who is a sympathetic figure after how it ended in Vancouver and who is still enormously popular down here

 

[AngelDuck]

Besides the obvious, my concerns with Q are that he’s Daryl Sutter with the Flames. The game has changed a tremendous amount since he won cups. It was literally a different era when he won even though it was “only” 10-15 years ago.

Can the players learn something from his experience? Probably. Can I definitively say that he’s a good coach in 2025-2026? No way in hell anyone can say that.

He’s better at coaching and has more to offer than Cronin - I can comfortably say that.

But if that’s the bar, we’re in big trouble

 

[Dostwall]

Obviously there are real concerns with Q off the ice, but does anyone have insight on the type of coach he is on the ice?

I wasn’t really following hockey as closely back when he was coaching, so I’ve got no clue how he is as a coach.

 

[FiveTacos]

Obviously there are real concerns with Q off the ice, but does anyone have insight on the type of coach he is on the ice?

Honestly, before the Hawks he was considered a playoff choker.

 

[JAHV]

Honestly, before the Hawks he was considered a playoff choker.

The Ducks would take a playoff choker at this point. At least the word "playoff" is in there.

I'm honestly not sure - I think Quenneville has a reputation as being a tough coach. Maybe not Sutter or Cronin hard-ass level, but in that same vein. (Please correct me if I'm wrong, but that's the vibe I've gotten.) The difference between Q and Cronin is that Q has the track record to back it up. He won three Cups. Cronin hadn't even sniffed the NHL. So if you're a player, that's going to mean something when he yells at you. You're going to know that guy knows what it takes to win.

On the other hand, I'm genuinely curious as to what PLAYERS think of all the scandal stuff. Does that impact how much they trust him to have their best interests in mind? My guess is that many won't care and it will just be about the hockey for them, but I honestly have no idea.

 

[Sendhelp2Anaheim]

Besides the obvious, my concerns with Q are that he’s Daryl Sutter with the Flames. The game has changed a tremendous amount since he won cups. It was literally a different era when he won even though it was “only” 10-15 years ago.

Can the players learn something from his experience? Probably. Can I definitively say that he’s a good coach in 2025-2026? No way in hell anyone can say that.

He’s better at coaching and has more to offer than Cronin - I can comfortably say that.

But if that’s the bar, we’re in big trouble

I mean he had a pretty solid record in Florida before he resigned was more like 4-5 years ago.

Ultimately we need a coach that can help get the best out of our young guys.... I think Q has done pretty well with younger players historically. Without the few year ban, fans would prob be talking about his all time win chase in the next couple seasons.

I have no doubt hes a better coach than Cronin/Eakins, as just from a hockey perspective Q is prob a top 3 coach of all time.

Still not really a fan of the move if thats the route we go tho... still think there are capable options without the backlash.

Personally, im not really going to boycott team or anything based on this move.... i just hope they find a way to make a questionable character hire a positive thing.

 

[HanSolo]

IF Q is the coach, I hope they have a press release before the interview that lists exactly what he's done in the last several years to make amends. If he has done a lot, then maybe he does deserve a chance. That said, I'm still hoping for someone else so that we don't have to deal with it. Did other teams that hired people involved with it have to deal with media and fan backlash? Some people above Q were hired already, right?

Despite the backlash, I don't think there's enough people that will boycott the Ducks compared to how many will come watch a winning product that the team wouldn't make money.

I'm glad that's the bar we use in deciding what our team's identity and value systems should represent and be represented by (I know you're not saying that's your standard).

 

[Big Fat Rebound]

IF Q is the coach, I hope they have a press release before the interview that lists exactly what he's done in the last several years to make amends. If he has done a lot, then maybe he does deserve a chance. That said, I'm still hoping for someone else so that we don't have to deal with it. Did other teams that hired people involved with it have to deal with media and fan backlash? Some people above Q were hired already, right?

Despite the backlash, I don't think there's enough people that will boycott the Ducks compared to how many will come watch a winning product that the team wouldn't make money.

This is basically what they're banking on is people like me: won't outright boycott the team and will still probably go to games, but are aware of what he's done and have to bury it deep in the recesses of my consciousness to try and simply enjoy the product*

*This could change though and although I would never root for another team, I could just end up following the league. Honestly, I'm a lot more on edge than I thought I was going to be when this idea was first pitched; it makes me mentally sick to think that after all the chirping I did about everyone involved that the public face of the whole ordeal might lead this hockey team.

 

[Unholy]