Panthers move fast, hire Quenneville as coach
Tallon wasn't there for those Chicago titles; he was fired less than a year after delivering Quenneville. Now, as the Panthers' president and general manager, he gets a chance to work with Quenneville again.
"Fate is a wonderful thing in my life," Tallon said. "It's like a blessing for me. This is a blessing. There are a lot of coaching jobs available. We wanted to get it done because he's a popular guy and a lot of teams out there would love to have him as their coach."cheap nike nfl jerseys wholesale
Quenneville's hiring was announced less than 36 hours after the Panthers' season ended. Players were gathered Monday for exit interviews, an annual end-of-season rite. This time, they stuck around to meet the new boss, too.
"I believe this team is close to winning," Quenneville said. "I was fortunate, [the] luckiest guy in the world when I walked into the Chicago situation there -- a team ready, sitting on go to win. I feel the same here now."
It's a bold move for the Panthers, who paid big to get Quenneville -- he was owed $6 million for the 2019-20 season by the Blackhawks and it's believed this deal keeps him in that salary range. It also represents a serious shift in the organization's thinking, considering five of the past six coaches hired by Florida were first-time head coaches.
Not Quenneville. His 890 wins are second only to Scotty Bowman in NHL history. He's one of 11 coaches with three Stanley Cups.cheap nfl jerseys china nike
Florida desperately wants to see him win a fourth.
"His record is impeccable," Tallon said. "I think this is going to be a complete shot in the arm for the whole organization, on and off the ice. This is big time. This is a major step forward for our franchise."
Quenneville replaces Bob Boughner, who was fired Sunday after two seasons. Tallon wasn't looking to fire Boughner and made clear that he still holds him in high regard.
