Report: Quenneville to leave the Panthers and become the Seattle Krakens new head coach

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T. Tadi
May 23, 2021 (8:47)

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The Seattle Kraken have yet to play a single game in the National Hockey League, but they are already making waves in the league, waves that could have an effect on the Stanley Cup Playoffs currently underway.

Insider Larry Brooks of the New York Rangers dropped a bombshell of a rumour on Saturday, revealing that he has started to hear rumours linking veteran NHL head coach Joel Quenneville to the Seattle Kraken position. The rumour is significant not only because Quenneville is a well-known name in the coaching community, but also because he is currently coaching the Florida Panthers, who are competing in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Quenneville, who is actually 62 years old, is perhaps the most decorated coach in the National Hockey League's active roster. When you combine his regular season and playoff statistics, he has coached almost 2,000 games in the NHL, and few coaches can boast the amount of success he has had in the playoffs. Quenneville coached the Chicago Blackhawks to three Stanley Cup championships during his tenure with the team, and he also won a Stanley Cup as an assistant coach with the Colorado Avalanche in 1996.

Prior to taking over the bench, Quenneville had a long career as a player in the NHL, having appeared in over 800 regular season games and an additional 32 playoff games. This gives him a unique opportunity to connect with players on a peer-to-peer basis, as well as the recognition that comes with being one of the league's most active coaches in recent memory.

Brooks speculates that the reason Seattle Kraken general manager Ron Francis has been so patient with his coaching selection is that he has his eyes set squarely on Quenneville, which makes sense given how close the Kraken are to joining the league, with their expansion draught set to take place just two months from now on July 21st.

We won't be able to confirm this rumour until the Panthers have been killed officially, so stay tuned for more details.

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