The Blackhawks made a franchise-changing decision on Nov. 6 when they parted ways with Joel Quenneville, who was at the helm for three Stanley Cup runs and five Conference Final apperances. He became the second-winningest NHL coach of all-time while in Chicago and will one day be inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame.
But he's stayed out of the spotlight since the firing, until this weekend when he returned behind the bench briefly for a Blackhawks alumni charity event at Willowbrook Ice Arena.
In an interview with WGN TV's Dan Roan, Quenneville opened up about being relieved of his duties, whether he was surprised by the move and thanked the fans for their support over the last decade.
"I think in our business there's not too many surprises anymore," he said. "I was priviledged to be in Chicago for 10 years. It's part of the business, I understand all that. I know when I exited other places, the bitterness, the animosity was at a different level. And here the memories were so special and so good, and the people here were so special to me and my family that it was tough, but they made it all like ... I never [had the opportunity to] thank the fans since I left, but I've got nothing but appreciation and admire all they've done and supported our team and our experience in Chicago."
There are many people wondering what Quenneville could be up to next. His contract with the Blackhawks doesn't expire until the end of the 2019-20 season, so he could theoretically sit out and collect his $6 million for another year before deciding.
But there's an expectation that he'll evaluate all his options this summer and get back into coaching sooner than later because coaches like Quenneville don't like sitting on the sidelines for too long.
"It's been a while now since we've been behind the bench, so I think there's an appetite as we go along here to get back into the game," Quenneville said. "I try to not watch as much Blackhawks as I used to, but I watch most of the games. It's been a great race and it's going to be fun to see how it all plays out.
NHL
"We're in no hurry right now. We'll see how things transpire in the offseason. We'll have to think about it and we'll see."
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