Florida Panthers

Joel Quenneville resigned as head coach of the Florida Panthers on Thursday. 

The move comes amid an investigation into the Chicago Blackhawks' handling of a sexual assault allegation in 2010 when minor league hockey player Kyle Beach said team video coach Brad Aldrich sexually assaulted him at his Chicago apartment. 

Statement from Joel Quenneville: pic.twitter.com/4FB4CZ2gyw

— Chris Johnston (@reporterchris) October 29, 2021

Statement from NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman on the resignation of Joel Quenneville. pic.twitter.com/1KjdI2SKOL

— NHL Public Relations (@NHLPR) October 29, 2021

Andrew Brunette will take over Quenneville's former post on an interim basis. ESPN's Kevin Weekes first reported a coaching change was incoming and that John Tortorella will be a potential candidate to take over on a full-time basis.

Quenneville coached Chicago from 2008-2019. He said in July that he had not heard about the allegations until earlier this summer, via ESPN's Michele Steele:

Reporter asks Quenneville if he still stands by the statement he put out in July that he had first learned of the allegations earlier this summer. The report directly contradicts that, with multiple people saying Q was informed in 2010.

Q: "I do but I can't comment"

— Michele Steele (@MicheleSteele) October 27, 2021

However, multiple sources claim Quenneville knew of the allegations in 2010, with Beach being one of them.

Kyle Beach, John Doe in the Blackhawks investigation, talks to @rwesthead about how his NHL experience 'changed forever,’ his reaction to the findings, and support for other victims of sexual assault.

VIDEO: https://t.co/hVG7ZYiY1d pic.twitter.com/vcQYxINOX8

— TSN (@TSN_Sports) October 27, 2021

"I've witnessed meetings, right after I reported it to [Blackhawks mental skills coach] James Gary, that were held in Joel Quenneville's office. There's absolutely no way that he can deny knowing it," Beach said, per ESPN.com news services.

Blackhawks general manager Stan Bowman (who has since resigned) and mental skills coach Jim Gary said otherwise when interviewed for private firm Jenner & Block's report on the matter, noting that Quenneville was concerned with upsetting chemistry during the team's Stanley Cup-winning run.

"Bowman recalled that, after learning of the incident, Quenneville shook his head and said that it was hard for the team to get to where they were, and they could not deal with this issue now."

— Rick Westhead (@rwesthead) October 26, 2021

Quenneville became the Panthers' head coach on April 8, 2019, and led the team for two-plus seasons.

The entire Jenner & Block report was released Tuesday. Quenneville still coached Wednesday, leading the Panthers to a 4-1 victory over the Boston Bruins that gave them a 7-0 record.

Panthers general manager Bill Zito released a postgame statement:

Florida Panthers General Manager Bill Zito addressed the media postgame. pic.twitter.com/UrDwvGnZJT

— x - Florida Panthers (@FlaPanthers) October 28, 2021

Quenneville did not speak with media after the game either.

"In light of this afternoon's news, we felt it appropriate that I address you all," Zito said, per ESPN's Greg Wyshynski.

"Joel will be meeting with commissioner Gary Bettman tomorrow. He has no comments prior to that meeting."

Quenneville met with Bettman in New York on Thursday to discuss his involvement in the Blackhawks sexual assault case. No news emerged from that meeting before reports emerged of the Panthers' coaching change.

Florida Panthers head coach Joel Quenneville said he'll meet with NHL commissioner Gary Bettman on Thursday to discuss the Chicago Blackhawks' handling of sexual assault allegations in 2010 after the results of an independent investigation were released Tuesday.

Quenneville, who coached the Hawks from October 2008 through November 2018, said Wednesday he won't publicly discuss the situation until he speaks with Bettman.

"I respect you all doing your job here and have your own questions here," Quenneville told reporters. "But I won't be commenting further until my meeting with the commissioner."

On Tuesday, the Blackhawks announced the findings of the independent investigation by Jenner & Block law firm into the organization's handling of a sexual abuse allegation brought forward by a former player against then-video coach Brad Aldrich during the 2010 Stanley Cup playoffs:

It is clear the organization and its executives at that time did not live up to our own standards or values in handling these disturbing incidents. We deeply regret the harm caused to John Doe and the other individuals who were affected and the failure to promptly respond. As an organization, we extend our profound apologies to the individuals who suffered from these experiences. We must—and will—do better.

The investigation found that the team failed "to promptly and thoroughly investigate" the allegations, violating its own policy on sexual harassment, and allowed Aldrich to continue working with the team, providing opportunities for further misconduct.

The player filed a lawsuit against the NHL team in May for negligence, saying members of the franchise covered up his allegations.

In July, Quenneville stated he didn't become aware of the alleged conduct of Aldrich until details from the lawsuit became public.

"I first learned of these allegations through the media earlier this summer," Quenneville said. "I have contacted the Blackhawks organization to let them know I will support and participate in the independent review. Out of respect for all those involved, I won't comment further while this matter is before the courts."

However, the Jenner & Block report found the coach was among the high-ranking members of the organization to attend a meeting about the allegations when they first were reported in May 2010.

Reid Schar, a Jenner & Block partner who spoke about the findings, said witnesses recalled that Quenneville and then-president John McDonough expressed their desire to focus on team chemistry and the playoffs rather than act on the allegations (via Mark Lazerus and Scott Powers of The Athletic):

Several witnesses recalled and later told others about a discussion then ensued during the meeting regarding whether the time was right to address the allegations against Aldrich in light of the ongoing playoffs. One witness recalled during the meeting that Mr. McDonough and coach Quenneville made comments about the challenge of getting to the Stanley Cup finals and a desire to focus on the team and the playoffs. What is clear is after being informed of Aldrich’s alleged sexual harassment and misconduct with the player, no action was taken for three weeks.

Aldrich was allowed to remain on the Chicago coaching staff for the remainder of the season as the Hawks went on to win the 2010 Stanley Cup title. When the team finally did act, it allowed Aldrich to resign but continue to participate in the championship celebrations.

The NHL announced Tuesday the Blackhawks were fined $2 million for their inadquate response to the allegations, and Bettman confirmed meetings with Quenneville and Winnipeg Jets general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff, Chicago's former assistant GM, about their roles in the situation.

"I plan to arrange personal meetings in the near future with both individuals to discuss their roles in the relevant events as detailed in the report," Bettman said. "I will reserve judgment on next steps, if any, with respect to them."

Quenneville, who coached the Hawks to three Stanley Cup titles, was hired by the Panthers in April 2019.

The former NHL defenseman has also served as head coach of the St. Louis Blues and Colorado Avalanche during a 26-year coaching career.

The Florida Panthers and captain Aleksander Barkov reportedly agreed to an eight-year, $80 million contract extension Friday ahead of the 2021-22 NHL season.

Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman first reported details of the deal. Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic noted the contract includes signing bonuses worth over $70 million in total.

Barkov has been a cornerstone in the Panthers lineup since the franchise selected him with the second overall pick in the 2013 draft.

His breakout season came in 2015-16, when he scored 59 points in 66 games, and he ranks 16th among all NHL players with 405 points across 404 appearances over the past six years, per StatMuse.

The 26-year-old Finland native tallied 26 goals and 32 assists in 50 contests for Florida last season.

Barkov's analytics also suggest he's one of the league's best forwards, as illustrated by JFresh of EP Rinkside:

Aleksander Barkov, signed 8x$10M by FLA, is one of the top players in the NHL, a dominant offensive player who attacks with speed, manages the puck better than anybody in the league, and is a pain in the ass to play against. #FlaPanthers pic.twitter.com/b7II7blt6a

— JFresh (@JFreshHockey) October 8, 2021

In September, the dynamic center confirmed he wanted to remain with the Panthers for the long haul.

"I love playing here. I love what we're building here," Barkov told reporters. "Hockey in South Florida is getting bigger and better. I'm really excited about everything that's going on here. I haven't really thought about anything else. Wearing a Panthers jersey is a huge honor for me."

Florida has reached the postseason each of the past two seasons, but it was knocked out in the qualifying round in 2020 and got eliminated by the eventual Stanley Cup champion Tampa Bay Lightning in the first round of last season's playoffs.

The Panthers upgraded their roster during the offseason, highlighted by a trade with the Buffalo Sabres to acquire Sam Reinhart, who'll likely skate alongside Barkov on the top line.

They also signed 42-year-old future Hall of Famer Joe Thornton to provide depth at center.

Florida's path to a Stanley Cup title is complicated by playing in an Atlantic Division that also features the Lightning, Boston Bruins and Toronto Maple Leafs, but it definitely has enough talent to make a deeper playoff run this year after getting a recent taste of postseason action.

The Panthers will open the new campaign Thursday when they host the Pittsburgh Penguins.

The NHL's Florida Panthers announced Wednesday they've offered name, image and likeness (NIL) partnerships to all female student-athletes at Florida Atlantic University.

More than 200 FAU athletes are eligible for the program, which is in coordination with the Panthers' FLA Athlete program and Dreamfield, an NIL marketplace that counts University of Miami quarterback D'Eriq King among its co-founders. King previously signed an NIL deal with the NHL team.

"We're excited to announce this next stage of our 'FLA Athlete' program and bring an entire collegiate athlete women's program into our Panthers family," Panthers chief strategy officer Sam Doerr said. "We look forward to supporting and collaborating with these talented female athletes in our South Florida community on innovative ideas and events in South Florida."

Athletes who sign up for the program will be invited to attend Panthers games, where they can "engage their local fanbase through social media posts."

Florida becomes the first professional sports team to sponsor an entire women's college athletic program.

Although many of the high-profile NIL deals have featured football and men's basketball players since the Supreme Court ruled in June the NCAA could no longer limit "education-related benefits," Doerr told David Wilson of the Miami Herald female student-athletes have a lot of growth potential within the NIL market.

"Olympic athletes, female athletes that have massive followings on Instagram and TikTok ... can cut into a space that, quite frankly, we probably aren't capitalizing on enough," Doerr said. "Don't be shocked if we only have a couple football players and one basketball player, but we have five or 10 female athletes from Olympic sports that are really good with video content on TikTok."

FAU offers 10 sport disciplines for women: basketball, beach volleyball, golf, soccer, softball, swimming and diving, tennis, cross-country/track and field, volleyball and spirit.

The Panthers launched the FLA Athlete program in July.

The Florida Panthers announced Friday they have signed six-time All-Star and likely future Hall of Famer Joe Thornton to a one-year contract. 

Joe Thornton's one-year deal with #FlaPanthers is for the league minimum: $750,000.

— Chris Johnston (@reporterchris) August 13, 2021

Thornton said he was really impressed with how the #FlaPanthers looked against the #TBLightning in the playoffs.

"It left a big impression on me." pic.twitter.com/7jPPqlgVDQ

— Jameson Olive (@JamesonCoop) August 13, 2021

In 1,680 career regular-season games, the 42-year-old has recorded 425 goals and 1,104 assists for 1,529 points. He also won the Hart Trophy as NHL MVP and the Art Ross Trophy as the league's top points scorer in 2005-06.

While Thornton is no longer an elite player, his leadership and experience make him a valuable piece.

Panthers general manager Bill Zito explained the rationale behind signing him: "With more than 1,600 games played in the NHL, Joe will bring a wealth of experience to our locker room and lineup. His drive to succeed is unmistakable and we are thrilled that he chose to sign with our club and that he believes in what we are building here in South Florida."

Thornton ended a 15-year run with the San Jose Sharks when he signed with the Toronto Maple Leafs ahead of the 2020-21 season. A native of London, Ontario, he said going to Toronto brought him closer to home but that the move was reflective of what the Leafs were building.

"It was probably the hardest hockey decision I've ever had to make, but I truly believe Toronto, with the roster they have with the guys they picked up this offseason, I think this team is ready to win now," he said in October. "I'm ready to win. I'm just excited. I'm coming to be a Maple Leaf."

Joe Thornton took Jason Spezza and Alexander Kerfoot aside to spend time working on their own drills as an individual line. Kerfoot says he's never experienced that before.

— luke fox (@lukefoxjukebox) March 25, 2021

The franchise played up to Thornton's expectations during the regular season by finishing first in the North Division with 77 points. But the Leafs threw away a 3-1 series lead against the Montreal Canadiens in the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs.

Thornton had a limited role, which was to be expected given his age. He had 20 points (five goals, 15 assists) in the regular season and added one more goal in the postseason. He provided depth and used his experience to help teammates in ways that don't show up on a stat sheet.

After the Maple Leafs' playoff exit, Thornton was noncommittal about playing in 2021-22.

"This came so sudden—I really haven't had time to think about it," he told reporters. "First and foremost, I have to be a dad for a little bit here. But I feel really, really healthy. I feel really, really good. But we'll see. I haven't made any decision yet."

Thornton's decision to sign with Toronto made his priorities clear. In the event he decided to return for 2021-22, he was only going to join a team with Stanley Cup ambitions.

The Panthers have never won the Stanley Cup, but they boast a stacked roster and have reached the playoffs in each of the past two years. They even finished ahead of the two-time reigning Stanley Cup champion Tampa Bay Lightning in the standings last season.

Florida is poised to take the next step, and having a player like Thornton should help come playoff time.

The NHL named the three finalists on Friday for the Jack Adams Award given to the league's top head coach.

The finalists are Minnesota Wild head coach Dean Evason, Carolina Hurricanes head coach Rod Brind'Amour and Florida Panthers head coach Joel Quenneville.

Congratulations to the Jack Adams Award finalists! 👏

Who was the coach of the year? #NHLAwards @NHLdotcom has more ➡️ https://t.co/L0MjaVSuDu pic.twitter.com/MxrqAe5eoE

— NHL (@NHL) June 11, 2021

Both Evason and Brind'Amour are first-time finalists. Quenneville is looking to become a two-time Adams winner after winning it in 2000 with the St. Louis Blues.

---

Evason got his first NHL head coaching opportunity in the 2019-20 season when he coached the Wild for the final 12 games. After helping lead them to the playoffs, the 56-year-old was named the full-time coach entering 2020-21.

That decision paid dividends for the Wild as they went 35-16-5, finished third in the West Division and reached the playoffs, where they lost in seven games to the Vegas Golden Knights in the first round.

Brind'Amour, 50, completed his third season as head coach of the Hurricanes, leading Carolina to the playoffs for the third straight year.

The former Blues, Philadelphia Flyers and Hurricanes center guided Carolina to the Central Division title with a 36-12-8 record, finishing ahead of the defending Stanley Cup champion Tampa Bay Lightning.

The Canes needed six games to beat the Nashville Predators in the first round of the playoffs before falling to Tampa in five games.

Of the three finalists, Quenneville is by far the most experienced and accomplished NHL head coach.

The 62-year-old won three Stanley Cups as head coach of the Chicago Blackhawks in 2010, '13 and '15.

The likely future Hall of Famer also ranks second in NHL history in career coaching wins with 962. That puts him behind only Scotty Bowman and his 1,244 career victories.

This season, Quenneville led the Panthers to a 37-14-5 record, which was good for second place in the Central Division. They fell to the Lightning in the first round of the playoffs in six games.

If the Ontario, Canada, native wins the Jack Adams, he will become the eighth head coach in NHL history to win it at least twice.

Also, his 21 years between winning the award would be a new record, breaking the one of 19 years held by Bowman.

The winner of the Jack Adams Award and the other NHL awards will be announced during the Stanley Cup playoffs.

The Florida Panthers have earned another shot at the postseason.

They clinched a postseason berth Tuesday, using a four-goal third period to overcome the Nashville Predators, 7-4.

The Panthers will head to the playoffs in back-to-back seasons for the first time since 1996-97.

Florida fell to the New York Islanders in the qualifying round last year.

This year's playoff format is different than in previous years. The league's four location-based divisions will send their top four teams to the playoffs, with the first two rounds consisting of intradivision games. The teams that make it out of that "group stage" will be reseeded based on their regular-season results.

With that in mind, here's a look at the current landscape of the playoffs if the regular season were to conclude today:

       

West Division

*Vegas Golden Knights: 70 points (34-11-2)

*Colorado Avalanche: 66 points (31-11-4)

*Minnesota Wild: 65 points (31-13-3)

St. Louis Blues: 48 points (21-19-6)

         

Central Division

*Carolina Hurricanes: 69 points (31-10-7)

*Florida Panthers: 69 points (32-14-5)

*Tampa Bay Lightning: 68 points (33-14-2)

Nashville Predators: 56 points (27-22-2)

        

East Division

Washington Capitals: 68 points (32-13-4)

Pittsburgh Penguins: 67 points (32-15-3)

New York Islanders: 63 points (29-15-5)

Boston Bruins: 62 points (28-14-6)

         

North Division

Toronto Maple Leafs: 65 points (30-13-5)

Edmonton Oilers: 58 points (28-16-2)

Winnipeg Jets: 57 points (27-18-3)

Montreal Canadiens: 51 points (21-17-9)

         

* = already-clinched playoff spot

Standings via NHL.com

             

The Panthers were again led to a postseason berth by the combination of Jonathan Huberdeau and Aleksander Barkov.

Huberdeau, who paced the team in points last season, has tallied 57 points by way of 18 goals and 39 assists, while Barkov is leading the team in goals with 24 goals and 28 assists.

Following the departure of Mike Hoffman to the St. Louis Blues, the Panthers needed to make up for his 59 points from the 2019-20 campaign. And Carter Verhaeghe, who signed with the team as a free agent in October, has stepped up with 17 goals and 18 assists.

The Florida offense had scored 158 goals this season, seventh-most in the league entering Tuesday.

Heading into Tuesday, backup goaltender Chris Driedger made 22 starts with a 2.17 GAA and .923 save percentage while splitting time with Sergei Bobrovsky (2.86 GAA, .907 save percentage through 28 games).

If the Panthers can perform on both sides of the puck as well as they've demonstrated this season, they should have a good chance at advancing in the postseason.

Florida Panthers defenseman Aaron Ekblad is expected to miss 12 weeks after undergoing surgery on a leg injury suffered during the second period of Sunday's game against the Dallas Stars, the team announced Monday.

Panthers general manager Bill Zito addressed the situation in a statement:

"To be without a player of Aaron's caliber and character is an irreplaceable loss to our hockey club. Aaron is an incredibly driven and talented young player and a tremendous leader for our team. He has the heartfelt support of our organization, his teammates and fans as we wish him the best in his recovery and his eventual return. Despite Aaron's absence from our lineup, we are confident in our group's resiliency and motivation as we move forward."

Ekblad left Sunday's game on a stretcher, with the Associated Press noting trainers placed an aircast on his left leg. The 25-year-old landed awkwardly on the leg after a hit into the boards by Dallas Stars defenseman Esa Lindell and immediately began clutching his knee.

Though the Panthers did not have an update on the 25-year-old's status on Sunday night, the team did send out its best wishes to the defenseman:

Ek ❤️

Incredibly, incredibly hard to watch. Not much else to say right now.

— x - Florida Panthers (@FlaPanthers) March 28, 2021

Teammate Anthony Duclair spoke about the situation, as well:

"All our prayers and thoughts are with Eky right now."

Anthony Duclair discusses having to play on after the devastating Aaron Ekblad injury.#FlaPanthers #OneTerritory #NHL pic.twitter.com/f5OI6tBFXW

— FanDuel Sports Network Florida & Sun (@FanDuelSN_FL) March 29, 2021

Ekblad has enjoyed a strong 2020-21 campaign so far. His 11 goals are only six away from setting a career high, and he delivered the overtime winner in Saturday's 4-3 victory over Dallas. 

Florida, meanwhile, will have to cope without yet another key player. Aleksander Barkov is nursing a lower-body injury, and Patric Hornqvist is day-to-day with an undisclosed injury.

The Panthers sit third in the Central Division with 48 points at 22-9-4, putting them in position to qualify for the playoffs. Ekblad's injury could loom large should the team qualify for the postseason, though.

The NHL is investigating an allegation that former Florida Panthers general manager Dale Tallon used racist language while in the NHL bubble in Toronto. 

George Richards of FloridaHockeyNow.com was the first to report the news. NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly later confirmed to ESPN's Emily Kaplan that the league is investigating Tallon over an alleged comment that "did involve race."

After the Panthers were eliminated 3-1 by the New York Islanders in the NHL's qualifying round earlier in August, the organization decided against signing Tallon to a new contract, thus ending his 10-year tenure in Florida.

It isn't publicly known what Tallon allegedly said or when he said it, but it reportedly happened while he was in Toronto for the NHL's postseason qualifying round.

The 69-year-old Tallon joined the Panthers as their GM in 2010 after a lengthy tenure with the Chicago Blackhawks. Tallon began as the Blackhawks' director of player personnel in 1998, was promoted to assistant GM in 2003 and then became the general manager in 2005.

In 2009, Tallon was demoted from GM to senior adviser in favor of Stan Bowman. The Blackhawks went on to win the 2010 Stanley Cup, which gave Tallon his first championship.

Chicago also won the Cup in 2013 and 2015, and although Tallon left the Blackhawks for the Panthers in 2010, he has long been credited for building the Chicago team that won three Cups in six seasons.

Tallon was responsible for drafting or acquiring many of the players who played key roles on those Blackhawks teams, including Jonathan Toews, Patrick Kane and Marian Hossa.

During his 10-year stint in Florida, the Panthers only went to the playoffs twice, not including their spot in the qualifying round this season.

Tallon built a talented team that includes the likes of Aleksander Barkov, Jonathan Huberdeau, Mike Hoffman and Aaron Ekblad, but his time in Florida was largely a disappointment.

Two-time Vezina Trophy winner Sergei Bobrovsky agreed to a seven-year, $70 million contract with the Florida Panthers on Monday.

"[Bobrovsky] is an elite starting goaltender who has consistently proven to be one of the best in the NHL," Panthers general manager Dale Tallon said, per Stephen Whyno of the Associated Press.

He should replace Roberto Luongo, who recently retired after 19 seasons.

After starting his career with the Philadelphia Flyers, Bobrovsky spent the past seven seasons with the Columbus Blue Jackets, establishing himself as one of the best goalies in the NHL.

The 30-year-old posted a .921 save percentage and a 2.41 goals-against average during his time in Columbus, compiling a record of 213-130 with 27 ties/overtime losses. He is coming off a season in which he went 37-24-1 with a .913 save percentage and an NHL-high nine shutouts. 

The Russian recorded four shutouts during a seven-game stretch in the final month to help Columbus reach the playoffs for the third consecutive season.

Prior to his arrival, the Blue Jackets had made the postseason just once in 11 seasons. They have made the playoffs in four of the past six seasons, winning a series for the first time in the process.

Bobrovsky was heavily criticized throughout his Columbus career for not coming up big when the stakes were highest. He registered a .908 save percentage and a 3.03 GAA in four postseasons with the Blue Jackets. However, it was his stellar play (.932 save percentage) that led his team to a historic sweep of the record-setting Tampa Bay Lightning in 2019.

And after finally exorcising his playoff demons in Columbus, he will be moving on to Florida.

It appeared to be a foregone conclusion throughout 2018-19 season that Bobrovsky would not re-sign with the Blue Jackets. After The Athletic's Aaron Portzline reported in August that the veteran goalie was seeking "Carey Price money" (eight years, $84.5 million), negotiations went nowhere. 

Bobrovsky declined to publicly address his contract situation ahead of the season, only telling reporters that he had informed the club of his intentions.

"After the last season, I told [the team my] situation to the management of the Blue Jackets," Bobrovsky said. "They know my plans for the season. They know my plans for the future. So they know everything. They know exactly what we're going to do."

A one-game suspension during the season amid struggles didn't appear to help the Blue Jackets' cause, either.

Columbus had the opportunity to try to get something for Bobrovsky at the trade deadline but instead opted to go all-in for a playoff push, acquiring the likes of Matt Duchene, Ryan Dzingel and Adam McQuaid. While that approach resulted in a series victory in the postseason, it was not enough to convince Bobrovsky to re-sign.