May 12, 2024 | 5:03pm ET
TheFourthPeriod.com
QUENNEVILLE STILL INELIGIBLE TO COACH IN NHL
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Joel Quenneville
Teams have inquired about his status, but the NHL has told them it remains unchanged.
As some clubs weigh their head coaching options, one potential candidate likely off the table remains former Stanley Cup winning bench boss Joel Quenneville.
TFP’s David Pagnotta reported on Saturday that Quenneville is still ineligible to coach in the NHL, citing a league source. Some teams have asked if his status has changed, but to this point, it has not.
It is unclear which teams have reached out to the NHL about Quenneville, but one club that has not, to date, is the Toronto Maple Leafs, according to Pagnotta, who also reported former St. Louis Blues coach Craig Berube is in Toronto’s sights for their vacancy.
As teams evaluate their coaching options, I’m told Joel Quenneville’s status remains unchanged - he is still ineligible to coach.
— David Pagnotta (@TheFourthPeriod) May 11, 2024
Edit: Some teams have indeed reached out, but also told his status is still the same. The Leafs, as of now, are not one of those teams.
Quenneville, who has been unofficially suspended indefinitely by the League for his involvement in the unfortunate Kyle Beach sexual harassment cover up, must be reinstated by NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman before he can coach again at the NHL level.
The Leafs, New Jersey Devils, Winnipeg Jets, San Jose Sharks and Seattle Kraken are all in need of a new head coach, while the Los Angeles Kings have not yet made a decision on the future of interim head coach Jim Hiller.