Updates below.
See? Accountability isn’t that difficult after all.
Despite checking in tonight with a perfect 7-0-0 (14 pts) record to start the season, the Florida Panthers will be making a coaching change, ending the tenure of head coach Joel Quenneville in Florida (and possibly the NHL).
I’m hearing there’s a coaching change coming shortly with the @FlaPanthers . Keep an eye on my @espn colleague John Tortorella as one of the top potential candidates.@NHL @NHLNetwork #HockeyTwitter .
— Kevin Weekes (@KevinWeekes) October 29, 2021
Quenneville has been under fire for the past two days after the Jenner & Block, LLP. report made it clear that the former Blackhawks head coach knew about the alleged sexual assault of Kyle Beach by video coach Brad Aldrich during the 2010 Stanley Cup Playoffs, but decided to do nothing about it. In fact, while being interviewed by Reid Shar, Stan Bowman recalled that “McDonough and Quenneville made comments about the challenge of getting to the Stanley Cup Finals and a desire to focus on the team and the playoffs” (ostensibly instead of doing the right thing).
That was during a meeting with then-mental skills coach Jim Gary, Al MacIsaac, then-President John McDonough, General Manager Stan Bowman, then-Executive Vice President Jay Blunk, and then-Assistant General Manager Kevin Cheveldayoff, along with then-head coach Joel Quenneville, to discuss the allegations just hours after the Blackhawks topped the Sharks 4-2 in Game 4 of the Western Conference Finals.
Quenneville denied having any knowledge of the alleged assault as recently as this summer and was unavailable to the media last night after Florida’s win over the Boston Bruins. However, Quenneville, Panthers GM Bill Zito, and team president Matt Caldwell joined Quenneville at a meeting with NHL commissioner Gary Bettman at the league’s headquarters this afternoon to discuss the matter.
You can read more about Quenneville and his involvement in the 2010 incident in my story from Wednesday.
I wrote about Joel Quenneville and Kevin Cheveldayoff still being employed in the NHL after being culpable in the sexual abuse incident in 2010. After hearing Beach's emotional interview tonight, I'm disgusted, and both need to be relieved. #Blackhawks https://t.co/TZZnnSbOdO
— Patrick K. Flowers (@PatrickKFlowers) October 27, 2021
UPDATE (Michael): And there it is. Quenneville has resigned (and Andrew Brunette takes).
Joel Quenneville has resigned as coach of #FlaPanthers. Andrew Brunette takes over as interim coach.
— Frank Seravalli (@frank_seravalli) October 29, 2021
UPDATE II (Michael): Joel Quenneville released a statement announcing his decision.
Statement from Joel Quenneville: pic.twitter.com/4FB4CZ2gyw
— Chris Johnston (@reporterchris) October 29, 2021