Florida Panthers hire former Blackhawks head coach Joel Quenneville

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Joel Quenneville will be back behind an NHL bench for the 2019-20 season.

The Florida Panthers announced that they have hired Quenneville as their next head coach. A press conference is scheduled for 11 a.m. CT on Monday.

"Joel is a three-time Stanley Cup champion head coach who will be a transformative leader for the Florida Panthers franchise," former Blackhawks and current Panthers general manager Dale Tallon said in a press release. "We've seized the opportunity to add one of the most successful head coaches in hockey history and we're thrilled that Joel has agreed to take on the challenge of leading our promising young team.

"I've worked with Joel previously and have seen firsthand how his passion for the game, head coaching experience and leadership can impact an organization. Joel will accelerate our growth into a club that qualifies for the playoffs consistently and competes every year toward our goal of winning the Stanley Cup."

Quenneville was the Blackhawks head coach from 2008-18, leading the team to three Stanley Cup championships and nine-straight trips to the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Following back-to-back first round exits in 2016 and 2017, the Blackhawks missed the playoffs in 2018. However, the team was without goaltender Corey Crawford for much of the 2017-18 season after he sufferred a concussion on Dec. 23.

According to The Athletic's Pierre LeBrun, Quenneville's deal is for five years and worth north of $30 million, depending on bonuses. Because he was under contract through 2019-20 with the Blackhawks before getting fired,  the Panthers not only have to pay Queneville under his new contract, but also the $6 million he was owed by the Blackhawks for 2019-20. 

The Panthers fired head coach Bob Boughner on Sunday after two seasons with the team. Florida has missed the playoffs three seasons in a row, though they came just a point short in 2017-18 under Boughner.

Following Boughner's dismissal, the Panthers said in a press release on Sunday that they were seeking an "experienced head coach with Stanley Cup pedigree." Quenneville, who is second on the NHL's all-time wins list with 890 victories, certainly matches that description.

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