The Chicago Blackhawks had a surprisingly fast start to their season after a tough go around a year ago, but that fast start has quickly slowed down as of late. That slow down has led to the firing of head coach Joel Quenneville, which was announced by the team on Tuesday morning. Quenneville was with the team since 2008, winning three Stanley Cup Titles with them, as he currently stands as the second-winningest coach in NHL history with 890 victories from his time with the Blackhawks, St. Louis Blues, and Colorado Avalanche. Only Scotty Bowman has more career wins as a coach at 1,244.
Despite all of those accolades, the winning has not happened as of late this season, as his now former team has dropped six straight games. They are 6-6-3 this season, which is good for just sixth place in the Central Division, two points behind the Avalanche. This start is just one season after finishing in last place in the division at 33-39-10. The team announced that AHL head coach, Jerry Colliton, will take over as the interim coach for the remainder of the season. The 33-year-old is now the youngest head coach in the league.
The front office released a statement thanking Quenneville for his time and accomplishments with the team, while the players released a shocked reaction to the news. Forward Patrick Kane went as far as to blame the players for Qunneville's firing, saying "I wish I wasn't sick that game in Vancouver." He also added that he wish he could've played better on that road trip, while also calling out some other teammates for in-game mistakes.
Since their aforementioned quick start, the Blackhawks have recorded just one of the possible 10 points, as they also fired assistant Kevin Dineen. The team then announced 66-year-old Barry Smith will join Colliton's coaching staff. Colliton was in his second season with the Blackhawks' AHL team, the Rockford Ice Hogs, as he led them to their first AHL Western Conference Finals last season. There is still plenty of time to help the Blackhawks turn their season back around and compete for a Western Conference playoff spot.
Despite all of those accolades, the winning has not happened as of late this season, as his now former team has dropped six straight games. They are 6-6-3 this season, which is good for just sixth place in the Central Division, two points behind the Avalanche. This start is just one season after finishing in last place in the division at 33-39-10. The team announced that AHL head coach, Jerry Colliton, will take over as the interim coach for the remainder of the season. The 33-year-old is now the youngest head coach in the league.
The front office released a statement thanking Quenneville for his time and accomplishments with the team, while the players released a shocked reaction to the news. Forward Patrick Kane went as far as to blame the players for Qunneville's firing, saying "I wish I wasn't sick that game in Vancouver." He also added that he wish he could've played better on that road trip, while also calling out some other teammates for in-game mistakes.
Since their aforementioned quick start, the Blackhawks have recorded just one of the possible 10 points, as they also fired assistant Kevin Dineen. The team then announced 66-year-old Barry Smith will join Colliton's coaching staff. Colliton was in his second season with the Blackhawks' AHL team, the Rockford Ice Hogs, as he led them to their first AHL Western Conference Finals last season. There is still plenty of time to help the Blackhawks turn their season back around and compete for a Western Conference playoff spot.
