Sunday NHL Rumor Roundup – April 27, 2025
Could Joel Quenneville become the next coach of the Ducks? What’s the latest on Canucks defenseman Quinn Hughes? Find out in the Sunday NHL Rumor Roundup.
QUENNEVILLE THE NEXT DUCKS COACH?
RG.ORG: James Murphy cited a well-connected NHL source claiming the Anaheim Ducks have offered their open head-coaching job to Joel Quenneville.
“The job is his if he wants it, and I’ll be stunned if he doesn’t take it,” said Murphy’s source, who believes it is all but certain Quenneville will become the next coach of the Ducks.
Former NHL head coach Joel Quenneville (NHL.com).
Quenneville hasn’t coached since Oct. 2021 when he abruptly stepped down as the bench boss of the Florida Panthers. The move came two days following an independent investigation into the Chicago Blackhawks’ handling of sexual assault allegations against their former video coach by prospect Kyle Beach in 2010.
Quenneville was the head coach of the Blackhawks at the time. The investigation’s report indicated he and others who knew what happened were instructed by then-Blackhawks CEO John McDonough to keep silent and focus on the club’s Stanley Cup run.
The source added that Quenneville is an old friend of Ducks general manager Pat Verbeek, going back to their days as teammates with the New Jersey Devils in 1982-83. He won three Stanley Cups with Chicago (2010, 2013, 2015) and sits second among NHL coaches with 969 regular-season wins.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Quenneville had a well-deserved reputation as one of the league’s best coaches before the Blackhawks scandal broke in 2021. Soon after he resigned from the Panthers, he was banned by league commissioner Gary Bettman. However, he was cleared to return to the NHL coaching ranks last July.
Former Blackhawks general manager Stan Bowman was among those involved in that scandal. He received clearance from the league to return to management and was hired as GM of the Edmonton Oilers last summer.
WHAT CAN THE CANUCKS DO TO ENSURE QUINN HUGHES’ LONG-TERM FUTURE?
THE PROVINCE: Ben Kuzma recently looked at what it would take for the Vancouver Canucks to ensure Quinn Hughes’ long-term future. He believes they’re facing a pivotal offseason, suggesting next season could determine the 25-year-old defenseman’s career direction.
Getting Rick Tocchet signed to a contract extension is one way. The rumor mill has linked the Canucks head coach to the Philadelphia Flyers and New York Rangers. The 2024 Jack Adams Award winner earned $2.75 million this season and is in line for a hefty raise.
Kuzma noted that Hughes has close friendships with Brady Tkachuk of the Ottawa Senators, Josh Norris of the Buffalo Sabres, and Dylan Larkin of the Detroit Red Wings. Bringing one of them to Vancouver could make him happy, but that’s unlikely to happen. Tkachuk and Larkin are captains of their respective teams and are under lucrative long-term contracts. Norris was recently acquired by the Sabres.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Re-signing Tocchet should be the easy part but that depends on whether he wants to return to the Canucks and if they’re willing to offer up a significant pay hike for his services.
Tkachuk, Norris and Larkin aren’t going anywhere. Meanwhile, the Canucks need to find a reliable second-line center and a first-line right wing if Brock Boeser departs via free agency on July 1.
Does it make sense for Coach Q. And Anaheim? Young team still building to revive a coach who hasn t been relevant for almost 5 years? It s a young man s game!
He coached Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews from a young age
Yeh Mike and he was much younger when he coached those kids!
There is a Norris + for Petey with salary retained trade speculation out there……….maybe for Quinn’s sake that may happen!
I said this a long time ago…the Canucks are going nowhere i they build around Hughes and Pettersson and I am sticking with it
VAN has 1 first line forward now with Boeser and Miller gone. no depth. Chytil is one hit away from retiring. Their goalie is a question mark now with his health.
the have one all world player and an enigmatic center.
Quinn cannot be feeling great about next season
I said this a long time ago…the Canucks are going nowhere i they build around Hughes and Pettersson and I am sticking with it.
Re: “Could Joel Quenneville become the next coach of the Ducks?”
Sully to coach Ducks
Quenneville to coach Pens
I like those headlines
or
Sully behind the bench for Bruins
Quenneville to lead Pens back into the playoffs
or
Sully booking a place behind the bench at MSG
Quenneville excited to re-invigorate the Pens
And the Pens excited to rehabilitate Quenneville? There is still the lingering “blind-eye” slime-ball factor that was sufficient to earn him a significant penalty. A lot of baggage for any team to have to drag around from arena to arena and even perhaps giving the opposition just a bit more reason to want to make things as uncomfortable for him as possible.
Here’s a classic example of “be careful what you wish for.”
I wouldn’t bother .. the best predictor of future behavior is past behavior.. dudes a scum bag for putting a game ahead of SA
George, the whole Beach fiasco was just that. And there is no equivocating about Quenneville needing to pay a big price even if he was ordered to keep his mouth shut.
But when he resigned his coaching job he had more than 15 million in term left on this contract. That’s a pretty steep penalty in anyone’s books. He’s paid his debt to society IMO, and while there will surely be blowback from both the sincere and the sanctimonious, the fan base will get over it.
And they should. Quenneville expressed remorse. People deserve a second chance.
I am in no way condoning, accepting (or anything like that) the past behaviour
But Bowman has been back all year!
These headlines also music to Pens (and Pens fans’ ears):
Gallant to coach Pens
or
Sully behind the bench for Bruins
Gallant to lead Pens back into the playoffs
or
Sully booking a place behind the bench at MSG
Gallant excited to re-invigorate the Pens
We will never agree on that one, LJ.
Quinville is essentially the joepa of hockey. Pittsburgh wants no part.