The Anaheim Ducks are eager to win again, but is hiring coach Joel Quenneville a good move?

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ANAHEIM, Calif. — In an instant, Joel Quenneville became the most accomplished head coach the Anaheim Ducks have ever hired — and the one with the most baggage.

The Ducks, in hiring the three-time Stanley Cup champion, whose stature may be forever tarnished by his role in a sexual assault scandal while he was the coach of the Chicago Blackhawks, let their mission be known: They’re out to win.

They’ve braced themselves for the blowback after the announcement on Thursday. For many, the idea of letting Quenneville back in the NHL is a non-starter. And the Ducks knew they would take a public relations hit for their choice when they easily could have avoided the fuss – if not outright scorn – by going in another direction. Multiple other candidates, including David Carle, Jay Woodcroft and Rick Tocchet, were interviewed.

The thing is, somebody was going to hire Quenneville after NHL commissioner Gary Bettman lifted the nearly three-year ban on his employment last July. The NHL had determined that Quenneville had an “inadequate response” to allegations of sexual assault within the Chicago Blackhawks.

Stan Bowman, the former Chicago Blackhawks general manager who was also kept from working in the league because of his role in the incident, was hired by the Edmonton Oilers last year, less than a month after reinstatement. Scotty Bowman is the only coach in NHL history with more wins than Quenneville. And there are those three championships.

The fact is, teams want to win, and a lot will be glossed over in pursuit of those wins. The Ducks fired their previous coach, Greg Cronin despite a 21-point improvement from Year 1 to Year 2. General manager Pat Verbeek has put the playoffs on the table next season, and it has been seven years since Anaheim has been there. Whether you’re cheering this move or revolted by it, Verbeek put his team back in the spotlight Thursday.

All that aside, let’s assess what might be the biggest question associated with the 66-year-old Quenneville: From a hockey standpoint, is this even a good hire?

When the Blackhawks fired Quenneville after a 6-6-3 start to the 2018-19 season, it had become clear that he had reached the end of the line with the Jonathan Toews, Patrick Kane and Duncan Keith-driven group that delivered 10 mostly glorious seasons. The Blackhawks continued to chase that glory even after two first-round playoff knockouts following the 2015 championship. Bowman’s reliance on his proven but aging veterans — and trades of younger players, along with Marian Hossa’s unexpected retirement — contributed to their slide from prominence. Quenneville took the fall.

What often gets forgotten is that when Quenneville took over the Blackhawks from Denis Savard four games into the 2008-09 season, he got them as they were on an upward trajectory. Toews and Kane were young stars who were still ascending. Keith and Brent Seabrook hadn’t reached the peak of their powers. Dustin Byfuglien was just becoming a unique force. And they hadn’t yet signed the transformative Hossa.

After five mostly dreary seasons in Chicago without a playoff berth, Quenneville took his initial Blackhawks club all the way to the Western Conference final. A mini-dynasty followed – with an alleged sexual assault hidden from view.

Verbeek obviously believes Anaheim is on the doorstep of success. He’s taken the Ducks on a rebuild that started with bottoming out at the end of Dallas Eakins’ four-year run as coach and the difficult steps forward with Cronin, his first hire since becoming GM, the last two years. From a league-wide and greater hockey standpoint, the Ducks have mostly been irrelevant since Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry were in their prime. But this past season offered hope, with the growth of Leo Carlsson, Mason McTavish and Cutter Gauthier along with the highly capable goaltending of Lukáš Dostál.

Time will tell if those four, and the intriguing talent still on the way, will form the kind of core necessary to compete for the Stanley Cup. But there is a strong chance that the Ducks will enter a period of winning. When he was forced to resign from the Florida Panthers in 2021, Quenneville had the Panthers off to a 7-0-0 start after two seasons of leading them into the playoffs.

Quenneville wins. That’s what he has done over a decorated career. But this is no ordinary hire by the Ducks. They have embraced all that will come with Quenneville, in the name of putting the Ducks back on the map in a soon-to-be-renovated Honda Center and a nearby $4 billion entertainment district.

With respect to Randy Carlyle, the coach of their only Stanley Cup championship team and the winningest bench boss in franchise history, or Bruce Boudreau or Mike Babcock or even Ron Wilson, Quenneville comes in with a resume none of them had when they were hired by Anaheim. None of them also had the kind of black mark attached as Quenneville.

“I fully understand and accept those who question my return to the league,” Quenneville said Thursday. “I know words aren’t enough. I will demonstrate (in) my actions that I am a man of character. We will be a team this community can be proud of both on and off the ice. This is my promise.”

The NHL mostly refrained from comment Thursday. When Quenneville, Bowman and former Chicago assistant GM Al MacIsaac were reinstated last year, the league said in a statement, “While it is clear that, at the time, their responses were unacceptable, each of these three individuals has acknowledged that and used his time away from the game to engage in activities which, not only demonstrate sincere remorse for what happened, but also evidence greater awareness of the responsibilities that all NHL personnel have, particularly personnel who are in positions of leadership.

“Moreover, each has made significant strides in personal improvement by participating in myriad programs, many of which focused on the imperative of responding in effective and meaningful ways to address alleged acts of abuse.”

Here’s hoping Quenneville learned and grew as a person during his league-imposed exile. Here’s hoping the Ducks truly did what they say is “a comprehensive review” of their new head coach and his role in the deeply troubling events of 2010.

Verbeek is giving his former New Jersey Devils and Hartford Whalers teammate a chance at career redemption. Many will feel Quenneville isn’t deserving. The Ducks let it be known that they’re prepared to live with the cost that came with bringing him back into the league.

“He knows how to win,” Verbeek said. “He knows how to get the best of his players. His coaching resume speaks for itself. We feel he’s the right coach to lead us to our ultimate goal, the Stanley Cup. I know Joel will earn the trust of our fans, partners, staff and the surrounding hockey community.

“I believe that we are getting the best version of Joel Quenneville not only as a person but as a coach.”

(Photo: Jasen Vinlove / Imagn Images)

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