With numerous head coaching vacancies around the NHL, Joel Quenneville's name has started to circulate as a potential candidate. Before Quenneville can return to an NHL bench, he will have to meet with NHL commissioner Gary Bettman, per Darren Dreger of TSN.
Most recently, Quenneville resigned from his post as the coach of the Florida Panthers just seven games into the 2021-22 season following the investigation into the sexual assault of former Chicago Blackhawks player Kyle Beach by former video coach Brad Aldrich.
Beach accused Quenneville, the head coach of the Blackhawks at the time, of knowing about the assault. Since Quenneville stepped down, he has not gotten back into coaching, but that could change soon.
According to Dreger's report, Bettman will meet with Quenneville at the conclusion of the playoffs to "review his status" with the league. If Quenneville is hired, he will face questions about the Beach assault case.
Prior to his exit from the Panthers, Quenneville had 24 seasons of NHL coaching experience under his belt. His career began with the St. Louis Blues in 1996-97, and he also spent three seasons with the Colorado Avalanche before joining the Chicago Blackhawks in 2008.
Quenneville led Chicago to three Stanley Cup championships, but the team fired him 15 games into the 2018-19 season. He was hired by the Panthers the following offseason. Quenneville owns an overall record of 969-572-77-150.
