The first real rumors for the Chicago Blackhawks this offseason are already swirling, and they have absolutely nothing to do with the players on the ice.
With the Montreal Canadiens already having hired a member of the Blackhawks’ front office to be their new general manager, in Marc Bergevin, there are whispers that at least one another member of these Hawks could end up joining him.
Hockey Night In Canada put the word out that Bergevin could look to bring head coach Joel Quenneville from the Hawks to man the bench for the Habs. It’s nothing more than a rumor at this point, but is intriguing.
Quenneville and Bergevin go way back and Bergevin was one of the reasons’ Quenneville ended up in Chicago. Add that on top of the fact that Q is competent in the French language, though not fluent, and you can see why the rumors would be out there.
But whether or not Quenneville remains in Chicago, rather than bolting to Montreal, is not the bigger story here. It’s the fact that there is a discourse in the front office in Chicago. There has been for a while, and now everyone in the hockey world knows about it.
Among the things to keep in mind include the fact that Quenneville is not Stan Bowman‘s guy. Q was in place before Bowman assumed the job. Bowman brought in a heap of veterans this past summer, many of which Quenneville misused, including Steve Montador. Then there’s the end of year press conferences, which appeared to open up another debate.
The second line center debate for the Blackhawks is a big one outside, and apparently inside, of the organization. Most feel the Hawks need a second line center from the outside of the organization, but Quenneville was quick to praise the work Marcus Kruger did on that unit this year, while Bowman stated his plans to use Patrick Kane in the middle of that line next season. That tells you all you need to know right there.
At this point, there’s not much of a reason to believe these rumors. One could see the connection and the fact that it’s a possibility, but we have yet to hear much about any real coaching changes to be made, though you can expect Quenneville to, at the very least, evaluate who’s standing next to him behind that bench.
I’d expect the Blackhawks to address the coaching situation, to a degree, but we certainly haven’t heard the last of these rumors so stay tuned.
Buy Chicago Blackhawks Tickets | Buy Chicago Blackhawks Apparel[...] Aside from the rift in the Chicago Blackhawks‘ front office, Patrick Kane‘s life away from the ice might just be the worst kept secret in all of sports, mostly courtesy of Deadspin. [...]
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