The Chicago Sun-Times Mark Lazerus sits down to talk with Blackhawks head coach Joel Quenneville, who has seen his team follow a roller coaster-like track this season. In what Lazerus warns as a season where the Hawks could miss the playoffs, he asks the coach if his job status is in question due to what has been a disappointing three-year stretch for Chicago. Quenneville responded with a short, yet blunt response:
“We’re in a short-term business as coaches. We’re in the winning business.”
Two first round exits (St. Louis in 2016, Nashville in 2017) and a bumpy season haven’t done much to ease an anxious fan base. It’s one that has become accustomed to winning–and winning often–after the city rediscovered hockey following a conference championship run during the 2008-09 season. From there, the results were dizzying. A Stanley Cup in 2010, another in 2013, missing another Final appearance in 2014 by a game seven overtime goal, and then another Cup in 2015. In what is a league built on discouraging dynasties, Chicago has made a strong argument for being one. It makes for a series of difficult questions: Could the window be closing and could Quenneville, a fixture in the Windy City for a decade, be a casualty?
Lazerus writes that Quenneville knows the lifespan of a coach in the NHL–21 of the 31 coaches have been hired in the past three years while Tampa’s Jon Cooper has the second longest tenure in the NHL with five seasons. Quenneville called the season a “challenge” and insists that his relationship with general manager Stan Bowman is “solid.” Regardless of that, Lazerus points out that both could be on the hot seat should the Blackhawks not find that success of the past. But Quenneville insists he’s concerned about the next game–and not anything else.
- Many have pointed to the goal-scoring struggles of captain Jonathan Toews as a source for the team’s struggles. Though his numbers have dipped, there was little concern, especially after long playoff stretches where Toews played a full 200-foot game. After trading for Brandon Saad, conventional thought was that another strong two-way forward would aid Toews and take some of the pressure off of him. Instead, the struggles have remained. Lazerus writes that Toews is having the worst statistical season of his career, despite fixing some offseason workout habits that were focused on him not feeling “so heavy” during the dog days of the season. Advanced stats reveal that Toews is still playing at his highest levels, but it’s not transferring over to the scoresheet. Lazerus chalks this up to Richard Panik’s struggles and a lack of puck luck.
Coach Q is one of the best in the business, they’d be hard pressed to find someone better to replace him.
agreed. change of face for the core?
Q is great and has done wonderful things for the city and the team. He is right in the fact that this is a winning business and coaches usually have a short shelf life. I would hate to see him go, but it is usually the coach before the GM. Still plenty of season to go though. I don’t think anything happens during the season.
For those that aren’t aware, Chicago is a cutthroat city. Believe me. I live here.
This population is some of the most miserable sob’s to ever walk the Earth, and they love to take out their aggression on sports players and coaches.
God forbid you don’t win a championship 8 years out of 10. It truly is the city of “what have you done for me lately.” Coach Q is a great coach, and he should be the Hawks coach for many more years.
The team is aging, and Bowman made some horrible moves, contracts, and deals. You want to blame anyone…blame him.
Can’t wait to get out of here.
Not sure how you’re coming up with this conclusion about Chicago sports fans, but it’s dead wrong. I don’t know any Blackhawk fans that are calling for his head— none.
There’s a few in my circle. Admittedly, they don’t know much about sports. But, it just seems that’s the internal grumbling/sentiment that’s starting to grow, and of course, the media is notorious for stirring the pot, and running with it.
I could be wrong. Or a little off with my assessment, but it’s just the impression I’m starting to get. I keep hearing “his style is old and dated,” and a some other moronic comments.
Nah, Blackhawk fans love Q. The reasons for the fall of the Blackhawks are complex, and have everything to do with the NHL not wanting a dynasty in Chicago.
The economics of the league and other invisible forces have been working to pull this team apart for years. The NHL desperately wants to get Teows and Kane out of Chicago.
“There’s a few in my circle. Admittedly, they don’t know much about sports.”
You just lost all credibility with ^that^ statement.
Lemme guess, your “circle” consists of guys who wear skinny jeans, have pink hair, and have once a week home parties to watch Glee.
Don’t let the door hit you on your way out of the city, little fella. We will be much better off without you and your group of fruitloops.
Probably a St. Loser BIows fan too, LOL…. 50 years – ZERO CUPS!
You do realize you’ve proven my point with your comment, right? Lol. Can’t fix stupid. And for those that aren’t from Chicago, this guy is typical. I promise. No class.
If you think Chicagoans are “miserable sobs”, you should come to Philadelphia, NYC or Boston. Sports fans in the northeast make Chicagoans look smart and rational.
Any logical fan can see that this isn’t Quenneville’s fault. Nor is it really anyone in the Chicago Blackhawks’ ownership/front office fault. The Blackhawks’ championship run came at a perfect time. Their core players were in their prime, the role players were either in their prime or just starting to develop into star players, and the league didn’t have as much parity. The salary cap has been the biggest issue. They’ve given out some rightfully deserved (and some questionable) but expensive contracts out to some of their players which is forcing the team to constantly turn over to stay cap compliant. Same thing is going to happen to the Penguins soon; they’ll be forced to trade their key role players or let them walk in free agency in order to maintain their core players. Even with a coaching change, the Blackhawks will likely be hard pressed to get significantly more out of the team because of the cap issues.
If anyone needs to go fire bowman. He inherited dale tallons draft selections and personal. While the nhl has an extremely tight cap, he has made some poor choices on who to resign, trade, and let go. Examples Brent seabrooks contract is amongst one of the worst in the nhl, trading Brandon saad then reacquiring him at the cost of panarin, wasn’t a fan of letting Ladd go the first time but that was more of a cap casualty. Firing Q may provide a new voice which unfortunately needs to happen in pro sports at times, but firing Q would be a mistake in my opinion. Hawks are done, the run of cups is over. Only shot is to build through the draft and find a way to get younger, hawks are to slow to skate with the predators and many others.
Agreed.
This 100%. Bowman’s made a few good moves, such as acquiring forsling and trading shaw to draft debrincat and krys but overall he’s been meh or worse
Agreed. Some of the bad contracts he’s given out have forced him to trade away young assets who could have helped the current team just to clear those contracts (Bickell and Kruger contracts immediately come to mind).