Twitter Poll: By a 2-to-1 margin, fans say NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman should discuss a possible return to the league with former Blackhawks and Panthers coach Joel Quenneville. It's just the opposite for former Chicago GM Stan Bowman.
Hockey fans appear to be more willing to forgive former Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville than former Chicago general manager Stan Bowman for their roles in the team mishandling a 2010 sexual assault charge.
“Overlook” might be a better term than forgive.
Joel Quenneville behind the Florida Panthers bench.NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman said he’d talk to Quenneville and Bowman after the 2023 playoffs about possibly returning to the league. He must reinstate Quenneville or Bowman for either to take another job with a team, although the league did not technically suspend either.
Stan Bowman at an International Ice Hockey Federation event.In a series of Twitter polls, we asked fans separately if Bettman should talk to Quenneville or Bowman. The results:
- 63% of respondents said Bettman should talk to Quenneville. 37% said no.
- 38% of respondents said Bettman should talk to Bowman. 62% said no.
Bowman resigned as Chicago's GM and Quenneville as Florida's coach in October 2021 after an investigation into the Blackhawks response following the sexual assault of 2008 first-round draft pick Kyle Beach by then-video coach Brad Aldrich in May 2010.
Both Bowman and Quenneville were in positions of authority with the Blackhawks when allegations surfaced within the organization during Chicago's run to the first of three Stanley Cups over six seasons. Neither took immediate action against Beach’s complaint. It appeared they and other Blackhawks managers tried to dust it under the rug, not wanting to create a distraction as the team focused on a championship.
The events are summarized in this Associated Press article: https://apnews.com/article/nhl-sports-chicago-chicago-blackhawks-sexual-assault-a45609a2c00113c20da5fa3f6f3c9e16
Per a team-commissioned report by Chicago law firm Jenner & Block, the encounter between Beach, then a 20-year-old minor leaguer, and Aldrich, then 27, occurred on May 8 or 9 in 2010.
After the assault, Beach first confided in then-Blackhawks mental skills coach Jim Gary.
On May 23, after the Blackhawks swept the San Jose Sharks in the Conference finals and advanced to the Stanley Cup Final. Bowman, former team president John McDonough, executive vice president Jay Blunk and assistant GM Kevin Cheveldayoff met with Quenneville and Gary to discuss the allegations.
Given a typical chain of command and operations of an NHL team, the entire coaching staff may have know about Beach's complaint before the front office did. We’re not sure, but it’s plausible that Quenneville knew before Bowman did.
Different Legacies, Personalities and Likeability Factors
The Beach affair notwithstanding, Quenneville and Bowman have different hockey images and legacies.
Bowman (left) Quenneville and Blackhawks managers and players meet with Barack Obama at the White House following 2013 Stanley Cup win.He 64-year-old Quenneville has a regular season coaching record of 696-572-77-150 (OTL) in 1,768 games over 25 season. He spent 11 with Chicago before he was replaced by Jeremy Colliton 15 games into the 2018-19 season.
Chicago was 6-6-3 at the time. The switch was seen as being orchestrated by Bowman.
Quenneville joined Florida for the 2019-20 season. He was in his third season with the Panthers and had them off to a 7-0 start in 2021-22 when he resigned,
Quenneville’s coaching run followed 13 years as a rugged, stay-at-home defenseman with five teams.
Bowman’s record is different.
He was named the teams ninth GM on July 14, 2009, following a perceived power play when Dale Tallon was pushed out of the job. Tallon and his staff were generally credited with acquiring the Blackhawks core talent – Patrick Kane, Jonathan Toews, Duncan Keith, Corey Crawford, Brent Seabrook – that carried the team to its three Cups.
Statistically, Bowman’s best draft picks were forwards, all of whom were traded to other teams
- Alex DeBrincat. Second round, 39th overall in 2016. 187 goal and 186 assists in 450 NHL games.
- Brandon Saad. Second round,43rd overall 2011. 227 goals, 230 assists in 781 NHL games.
- Teuvo Teravainen First round, 18th overall in 2012. 130 goals, 276 assists in 594 NHL games.
- Nick Schmaltz First round, 20th overall 2014. 100 goals, 199 assists in 427 NHL games.
- Phillip Danault First round, 26th overall 2011. 100 goals, 204 assists in 553 NHL games.
- Ryan Hartman. First round, 30th overall in 2013. 107 goals, 126 assists in 506 NHL games.
- Kevin Hayes. First round, 24th overall in 2010 155 goals, 230 assist in 634 NHL games.
Highly-touted defensemen —including Nicolas Beaudin. Ian Mitchell. Henri Jokiharju, Chad Krys, Adam Boqvist – have washed out or were traded.