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

[HanSolo]

That’s not really what happened with Babcock, though. The truth is that Q, should he coach again, is highly unlikely to be in a similar situation again for various reasons, chiefly that should something happen it should be dealt with swiftly from much higher levels.

No one rational actually expects this to happen. If we're in a situation where a sexual criminal is present in the ranks of our organization, we have bigger problems than whether our coach would learn from the Chicago scandal and act promptly or not.

The point is the messaging that comes with hiring Quenneville is that we're putting a man in charge of a team who, at his core, believes that winning and covering up a potential scandal that might detract from wins is more important than diligently protecting players under his ward. Even if he learned his lesson that's an ugly cloud hanging over this team's identity and value systems.

Making that call over vocal opposition from the fans is, like I said above, just a continuation of the same mentality that facilitated the scandal in the first place.

 

[Mr Rogers]

I don’t think this is accurate?

O’Reilly’s first season was 09-10, when Joe Sacco was the coach.

I was thinking that too. Q left the Avs in 07-08 I think

 

[gilfaizon]

Samuel's could have been suspicious of Murray but had no reason to do anything. I have a few chronic alcoholics in my family and one of the trademarks is their face being red. Murray's face was visibly red in same way as one of my uncles in many past draft days and interviews over the years. It got more noticeable in his last few years as GM.

A red face can relate to blood pressure/heart issues as well. This is nonsense.

 

[HanSolo]

Samuel's could have been suspicious of Murray but had no reason to do anything. I have a few chronic alcoholics in my family and one of the trademarks is their face being red. Murray's face was visibly red in same way as one of my uncles in many past draft days and interviews over the years. It got more noticeable in his last few years as GM.

I accidentally (physically) bumped into him at a Ducks game while he was still GM. He looked visibly annoyed at me but more memorable than that, his face for real looked like a tomato. I saw him again at the last NHL draft as there was a procession of coaches and front office staff walking outside the Sphere to their team busses. For whatever it's worth, he didn't look red to me.

 

[Smirnov2Chistov]

It’s funny to me that when we first heard about this potential hiring of Q, I was one of the ones here who was surprised by it but willing to keep an open mind initially. I wanted to give the team and even Quennville a chance prior to jumping to conclusions.

However, as I’ve chewed on it the last 2 days from a morality and hockey perspective I’m now in the emphatic “hell no under any circumstance” to this idea. I cannot imagine why we would want to do this when there are so many alternatives who are respectable candidates.

Will I stop watching the team if this happens, absolutely not, but I’ll be beyond irritated at the Samueli’s for a long time.

In fact, I’m getting pissed off that this is even being considered now. This is in a gray area that I have no interest in my favorite team going down

I'm sure it will blow over if this team becomes successful. I mean, the guy has out of the league for how long?

Heatley killed a guy and was back in the league, while Bertuzzi nearly killed a guy on the ice years before.

 

[Smirnov2Chistov]

Short version: I think McIlvane is the de facto coach-in-waiting.

I don't think this holds much merit when McIlvane isn't a successful coach in the minors anyway.

He's supposed to get a chance with the big boys without merit?

 

[The Mighty Duck Man]

No one rational actually expects this to happen. If we're in a situation where a sexual criminal is present in the ranks of our organization, we have bigger problems than whether our coach would learn from the Chicago scandal and act promptly or not.

The point is the messaging that comes with hiring Quenneville is that we're putting a man in charge of a team who, at his core, believes that winning and covering up a potential scandal that might detract from wins is more important than diligently protecting players under his ward. Even if he learned his lesson that's an ugly cloud hanging over this team's identity and value systems.

Making that call over vocal opposition from the fans is, like I said above, just a continuation of the same mentality that facilitated the scandal in the first place.

I’m mostly just saying that in relation to Babcock. Babs was never banned from the NHL, or even unofficially black listed I don’t think, but he got a ton of bad press for being a manipulative asshole and as a head coach was always immediately going to be put in a situation where he could show whether or not he had truly changed(and would continually be in one). And he wasn’t really fired over fan sentiment, it was because not only did he immediately prove he hadn’t really changed but he also allegedly did something that crossed a different and IMO much worse line. Quenneville just isn’t really comparable from that perspective.

 

[FiveTacos]

I agree with you, but I think most of those guys who fit that description might not want to be a bridge coach.

If you pick an older guy, with promises of an after-retirement front office/advisor gig, it's pretty appealing.

Younger guy, probably not.

It’s funny to me that when we first heard about this potential hiring of Q, I was one of the ones here who was surprised by it but willing to keep an open mind initially. I wanted to give the team and even Quennville a chance prior to jumping to conclusions.

However, as I’ve chewed on it the last 2 days from a morality and hockey perspective I’m now in the emphatic “hell no under any circumstance” to this idea. I cannot imagine why we would want to do this when there are so many alternatives who are respectable candidates.

I was stunned by Edmonton hiring Bowman last year. The fact that he just last month showed that he's not changed, infuriates me. And I don't even root for them. I would not be able to stomach something similar on my own team.

 

[ohcomeonref]

Used AI to get a list of quotes from former players

### Player Quotes on Playing for Quenneville

- **Patrick Kane (Chicago Blackhawks)**:
- On Quenneville’s presence: “He’s got that aura about him, right? One of the best coaches ever. It’s kind of fun to see him back there, even though he’s on the other side now.” (Source: The Athletic, reflecting on facing Quenneville as an opponent after leaving Chicago).
- On development: “He gave me a lot of freedom to play my game, but also taught me how to play the right way defensively. That balance helped me become the player I am.” (Source: Chicago Tribune, 2018, discussing Quenneville’s influence on his Hart Trophy-winning career).

- **Jonathan Toews (Chicago Blackhawks)**:
- On leadership: “Q’s got a way of getting everyone on the same page. He’s intense, but he knows when to lighten the mood. That’s why we won those Cups—he made us believe in the system.” (Source: NHL.com, 2015, post-Stanley Cup win, highlighting Quenneville’s ability to unite the team).
- On intensity: “You don’t want to be on the wrong side of that glare. But when he’s in your corner, you feel like you can do anything.” (Source: ESPN, 2013, describing Quenneville’s commanding demeanor).

- **Duncan Keith (Chicago Blackhawks)**:
- On structure: “Q’s practices were short but intense. He didn’t waste time, and you knew exactly what he wanted defensively. It made us a tough team to play against.” (Source: Sportsnet, 2016, reflecting on Quenneville’s defensive systems that led to three Cups).
- On respect: “He’s a guy you just respect right away. You see his track record, and you know he’s been there. That’s what made us follow him.” (Source: Chicago Sun-Times, 2018, discussing Quenneville’s reputation).

- **Aleksander Barkov (Florida Panthers)**:
- On growth: “Coach Q pushed me to be a leader. He trusted me in big moments, and that gave me confidence to take my game to another level.” (Source: Miami Herald, 2021, on Quenneville’s impact during the Panthers’ 2020–21 playoff run).
- On communication: “He’s tough, but he talks to you like a person. He’d pull you aside and explain what he needed, and you wanted to deliver for him.” (Source: The Athletic, 2020, discussing Quenneville’s one-on-one approach).

- **Chris Pronger (St. Louis Blues)**:
- On intensity: “Q was a no-nonsense guy. He’d rip into you if you weren’t ready, but it was because he wanted to win so bad. You couldn’t help but respect that fire.” (Source: St. Louis Post-Dispatch, 2010, reflecting on playing under Quenneville in the late 1990s).
- On preparation: “His practices were like games—fast, physical, detailed. You were ready for anything come playoff time.” (Source: NHL Network, 2015, discussing Quenneville’s Blues tenure).

- **Noel Acciari (Florida Panthers)**:
- On opportunity: “Coach Q put me in a spot to succeed. Playing with Trocheck and Huberdeau, I got two hat tricks in a row. He saw something in me and gave me that chance.” (Source: Sun Sentinel, 2019, on Quenneville’s line decisions that led to Acciari’s breakout games).
- On atmosphere: “He made it intense but kept it loose when it needed to be. You could feel his experience, and it pushed us to play harder.” (Source: Florida Hockey Now, 2020, describing Quenneville’s balance in the locker room).

- **Brent Sopel (Chicago Blackhawks)**:
- On coaching ability: “Q was a hell of a coach. His systems, his line changes—he knew how to win. That’s why we got that Cup in 2010.” (Source: TSN, 2021, acknowledging Quenneville’s skill despite the Beach scandal).

- **Ryan O’Reilly (St. Louis Blues)**:
- On early career: “Q was my first NHL coach. He was tough on me as a rookie, but it taught me what it takes to be a pro. I owe a lot of my work ethic to him.” (Source: Denver Post, 2019, reflecting on Quenneville’s time with the Colorado Avalanche).

- **Aaron Ekblad (Florida Panthers)**:
- Ekblad specifically described Quenneville’s tenure as “fun,” saying, “It’s been fun with Q. He’s got that presence, but he keeps things light in the room. It’s a good vibe, and we’re playing some of our best hockey.” (Source: Sun Sentinel, April 15, 2019, shortly after Quenneville was hired by the Panthers).

### Additional Context from Players
- **Locker Room Dynamics**: Players across teams noted Quenneville’s ability to balance intensity with levity. In Florida, players like Barkov and Ekblad appreciated his lighter touch compared to Chicago, where Kane and Toews described a more demanding environment suited to a Cup-contending roster.

Yeah but did you consider the people in this thread that think Quenneville doesn't have much upside anymore? You can think the dude is slimy or shouldn't be anywhere near the game, minimizing him as a coach is a joke though.

 

[NWWisconsinDuck]

I think this seems more likely than not to happen at this point, honestly. After seeing how Friedman talked about it as well.

I’ll continue to root like hell for the team but I really would like to hear details about what he’s done to better himself in the meantime.

 

[JAHV]

I don't think this holds much merit when McIlvane isn't a successful coach in the minors anyway.

He's supposed to get a chance with the big boys without merit?

As I laid out, perhaps not clearly enough, my thought is that Verbeek brought him over as an AHL coach with a timeline in mind and maybe some implicit or explicit promises. Verbeek hired an older head coach (Cronin) for the NHL and made it clear to McIlvane that if he met certain goals (that might or might not be based on W-L record for San Diego), he would have the next opportunity at the NHL job.

I doubt that the timeline was two years. I also doubt that McIlvane has met any goals yet. But if this scenario is more or less how it went down, I could see a bridge coach like Q being an option that would both help the Ducks improve and allow McIlvane to continue on his timeline in the AHL without jeopardizing his opportunity to make the leap to the NHL in several years.

It was clear when McIlvane was introduced that Verbeek loved him as a coach. I think Verbeek still wants to see McIlvane earn it through merit, but also wants to keep the window open for him. Note that I have no evidence for any of this other than the circumstantial stuff I've put together. So if you think it's all just hot air, fair enough.

 

[HanSolo]

I’m mostly just saying that in relation to Babcock. Babs was never banned from the NHL, or even unofficially black listed I don’t think, but he got a ton of bad press for being a manipulative asshole and as a head coach was always immediately going to be put in a situation where he could show whether or not he had truly changed(and would continually be in one). And he wasn’t really fired over fan sentiment, it was because not only did he immediately prove he hadn’t really changed but he also allegedly did something that crossed a different and IMO much worse line. Quenneville just isn’t really comparable from that perspective.

Maybe I'm still not understanding what you're trying to say but while what Babcock was making his players do was certainly crossing a line that should not be crossed I don't know what universe asking players to show private pictures on their phones is worse than Quenneville being made aware that a member of his staff was acting sexually inappropriately with black aces, E.g. Young men barely out of their teen years and then recommending that they not investigate too intensely because doing so might distract the team and affect their performance in a cup final when the team's failures to take diligent action led to a Blackhawks employee being victimized, and after Aldridge got a cup ring, his name engraved on the cup, and a day with the cup, the team asked him to quietly resign and move on instead of investigating the full scope of what he did and turning him over to the police. Because the police were never involved, his background check had no red flags and he was able to get a job with a high school where he was arrested for molesting a minor. I really fail to see in what universe Babcock's admittedly shitty conduct is even arguably worse than that.

 

[HanSolo]

I'm sure it will blow over if this team becomes successful. I mean, the guy has out of the league for how long?

Heatley killed a guy and was back in the league, while Bertuzzi nearly killed a guy on the ice years before.

People largely forgot about the Heatley thing but you're kidding yourself if you think Bertuzzi wasn't reviled for the rest of his career.

 

[ohcomeonref]

No one rational actually expects this to happen. If we're in a situation where a sexual criminal is present in the ranks of our organization, we have bigger problems than whether our coach would learn from the Chicago scandal and act promptly or not.

The point is the messaging that comes with hiring Quenneville is that we're putting a man in charge of a team who, at his core, believes that winning and covering up a potential scandal that might detract from wins is more important than diligently protecting players under his ward. Even if he learned his lesson that's an ugly cloud hanging over this team's identity and value systems.

Making that call over vocal opposition from the fans is, like I said above, just a continuation of the same mentality that facilitated the scandal in the first place.

I know we're not supposed to discuss this but this point is continuously made in here. There's no evidence he covered anything up that I can see, from what I can tell the President of Hockey Ops said he'd "handle it" and everyone assumed he would.

 

[HanSolo]

I know we're not supposed to discuss this but this point is continuously made in here. There's no evidence he covered anything up that I can see, from what I can tell the President of Hockey Ops said he's "handle it" and everyone assumed he would.

He still recommended by implication against taking action until the finals were over. That's in the report and it's not libel. Whether he's justified in trusting that hockey ops was on top of it, the team ultimately covered it up before, during, and after the Finals and there were serious consequences that resulted. He contributed to the cover up instead of insisting that the team take diligent and immediate action by recommending against it. I mean there's a reason why he was banned from the league for four years.

And considering how many players who gave information to the party who did the investigation reported that they'd heard rumors that Beach gave Aldridge oral sex, I really f***ing doubt that Quenneville hadn't heard about it as he claimed. He probably lied to the investigators cover his ass. And if he'd heard that he should have insisted on taking more diligent action but instead he didn't want to rock the boat.

If this was Torts, I'm sure he not only would have removed Aldridge from the team with immediate effect and insisted on an investigation, he probably would have beat the shit out of Aldridge too. Obviously pure speculation there, but Quenneville was more concerned with winning than taking action to protect kids in his care. It's in the report.

 

[GunnarStahl]

I accidentally (physically) bumped into him at a Ducks game while he was still GM. He looked visibly annoyed at me but more memorable than that, his face for real looked like a tomato. I saw him again at the last NHL draft as there was a procession of coaches and front office staff walking outside the Sphere to their team busses. For whatever it's worth, he didn't look red to me.

I don't mean to steal your thunder BUT, he peed in the urinal next to me at the rookie face off in Phoenix in 2021. I recall his face looking a bit red.

Also worth noting that facial tissue can go red in the cold aka ice rinks.

 

[The Mighty Duck Man]

Maybe I'm still not understanding what you're trying to say but while what Babcock was making his players do was certainly crossing a line that should not be crossed I don't know what universe asking players to show private pictures on their phones is worse than Quenneville being made aware that a member of his staff was acting sexually inappropriately with black aces, E.g. Young men barely out of their teen years and then recommending that they not investigate too intensely because doing so might distract the team and affect their performance in a cup final when the team's failures to take diligent action led to a Blackhawks employee being victimized, and after Aldridge got a cup ring, his name engraved on the cup, and a day with the cup, the team asked him to quietly resign and move on instead of investigating the full scope of what he did and turning him over to the police. Because the police were never involved, his background check had no red flags and he was able to get a job with a high school where he was arrested for molesting a minor. I really fail to see in what universe Babcock's admittedly shitty conduct is even arguably worse than that.

Worse than what Babcock had been previously accused of. Like I said, he not only proved that he hadn’t changed but now there was a new thing entirely that was worse than the things he previously got flack for. For this I’m purely talking about the perspective of a potential Q hiring mirroring the Babcock-CBJ saga, which I think is extremely unlikely for the reasons I explained.

 

[FiveTacos]

I’ll continue to root like hell for the team but I really would like to hear details about what he’s done to better himself in the meantime.

Oil fans comforted themselves after the Bowman hiring with all the glowing talk about the work he put in.

Now we know it was all just for show.

I have no reason to believe Q would be any different. He wouldn't do jack squat if he'd still been coaching.

 

[Static]

Everyone should probably really prepare that this is happening. I would be shocked if he isn't the guy now.

I wouldn't blame anyone in the slightest for noping out, but I have resigned myself to knowing I won't be able to. More and more we are forced to reconcile awful human beings or deeds intertwined with things we love and enjoy, and this will join the list, I guess.

 

[JAHV]

Everyone should probably really prepare that this is happening. I would be shocked if he isn't the guy now.

I wouldn't blame anyone in the slightest for noping out, but I have resigned myself to knowing I won't be able to. More and more we are forced to reconcile awful human beings or deeds intertwined with things we love and enjoy, and this will join the list, I guess.

Yeah, this is probably where I'm at as well. Ultimately, I still enjoy watching the Ducks (unlike the team across the street). I don't think that will change even if I have to grit my teeth at the guy behind the bench.

 

[70sSanO]

All of the controversy aside, this is the most press, good or bad, the Ducks have ever gotten on a potential hiring.

In the past the news went like…

“The Ducks hire Greg Cronin. And coming up, playful sea lions frolic in Dana Point harbor. Stay tuned, you don’t want to miss that.”

John

 

[Big Fat Rebound]

All of the controversy aside, this is the most press, good or bad, the Ducks have ever gotten on a potential hiring.

In the past the news went like…

“The Ducks hire Greg Cronin. And coming up, playful sea lions frolic in Dana Point harbor. Stay tuned, you don’t want to miss that.”

John

As @Static said a few pages back, I do not envy the social media team and our PR department. I hope they're ready for the storm that's going to come their way.

Also, to @FiveTacos point: if this doesn't work out? Verbeek's head on a spike being marched down Ball Road to its ultimate destination on top of Sleeping Beauty's castle a la Guy Fawkes (metaphorically, of course).

 

[Firequacker]

In light of what was posted earlier in the thread about Q putting in behind the scenes work, I think I'm at the point of "I am willing to hear him and the org out when they do this, but also can they f***ing not."

What I wonder is if, perversely, the fallout from Chicago becomes a sort of selling point. Like, if you accept "he has Beach's blessing and the NHL's reinstatement, so he should be an acceptable candidate," there's a clear contrast here:
—Cronin was implicitly fired in part for being an asshole who didn't respect the players, and couldn't adapt to the mix in the room.
—Quenneville has (reportedly) been intensively learning about respect, coaching power dynamics, and how to keep a locker room healthy and avoid toxicity.
Again if one is willing to either excuse or believe he's sufficiently atoned from what happened in Chicago, there's a weird argument that he's the guy best equipped to avoid repeating either his own mistakes (which as others have mentioned, is a vanishingly unlikely scenario) or Cronin's. I could see a world where Verbeek makes this decision with the very best of intentions rather than indifference.

Still would be a damn hard sell for me. All this learning Q has been doing had better be real impressive and every player (especially the young ones) had better be enthusiastically convinced they can trust him. And that's before even getting into the hockey issues (we're really rushing to hire a guy who's been sidelined for four years, huh? I certainly don't think he's going to have lost it all, but I wouldn't expect cutting edge coaching either.)
We could hire a guy who we presume would still be a really good coach, who brings major ethical quandaries and baggage and distraction, and hope it's all worth it because he's learned from his mistakes. Or we could simply, y'know... not do that.

 

[Unholy]

Everyone should probably really prepare that this is happening. I would be shocked if he isn't the guy now.

I wouldn't blame anyone in the slightest for noping out, but I have resigned myself to knowing I won't be able to. More and more we are forced to reconcile awful human beings or deeds intertwined with things we love and enjoy, and this will join the list, I guess.

I’m not there yet as far as being shocked if he isn’t the guy. I’m more in the believing it to be too early in the process. It’s too big a decision for PV with his job being on the line for this hire. He should be wanting to interview everyone and I would think we’d be hearing those names as well if this one got out.

I’ll have to wait and see for it to actually happen + whatever conferences, interviews after, etc for me to really have my feelings on it. Otherwise, I won’t really know unless its final and hearing what everyone has to say

 

[Mr Rogers]

What is making people think it’s a done deal or close to one? The “strong candidate” description?