Bowman, Quenneville Both Coming Back Next Season
On Thursday morning, Blackhawks president John McDonough announced that both general manager Stan Bowman and head coach Joel Quenneville will remain with the team for the 2018-19 season.
On Thursday morning, Blackhawks president John McDonough announced that both general manager Stan Bowman and head coach Joel Quenneville will remain with the team for the 2018-19 season.
Good news
Maybe good news-we will see. The key is who could do a better job and eventually getting the right person.
I’m a little surprised it will be the status quo.
McDonough said Q will be deciding on any coaching changes.
Now to see if they finish in 8th, 9th or 10th in draft lotto and wait until end of this month and see what the lotto does or doesn’t bring.
Bring back “Kitch”.
Great news. Especially regarding Q.
I mean that picture right there is reason enough to bring him back – anyone who stands on a bench and grabs his junk in front of thousands of people is OK in my book. No beta male there.
Love the pic you used for this post! A (not so) subtle dig to the vocal minority that are calling for his head?
I’m glad McDonough is standing pat. You don’t make a change to remove someone unless the guy you are bringing in is better the the one leaving. Is there a better coach in Hockey than Quenneville? Until the Hawks call “Uncle” and go full rebuild, you keep the best coach behind the bench.
As far as Bowman goes, I think he did a great job of playing to win now, while trying not to completely mortgage the future. I think he has earned the right to try and bring another Cup home to Chicago before the Kane and Toews window closes (and perhaps longer.)
I’m good with this.
One year after an unexpected division title, this is a good call.
I still would prefer to somehow shuffle the front office and make Bowman in charge of the draft and get someone else to negotiate contracts and handle the pro personnel moves, but this is the next best thing.
Like the regular season matters! This team is in a three year decline. Future is totally mortgaged. Cupboard is totally bare. That’s reason enough to clean house. But I am not in favor of change for change sake. Although there are a half dozen coaches out there who would have had this Hawks team in the playoffs, they are all currently employed. Don’t know the minors well enough to know if there’s another Cooper or Cassidy there to be had. If there is I would make the change. If not we wait for more wheels to fall off…transmission to fall out, etc., before the inevitable. Scotty’s kid did an admirable job keeping Dale Talon’s ship afloat as long as he could. In the end he made the always fatal mistake (in the hard cap era) of paying for past performance instead of future.
Great news – it would have been a panic move to fire even one of Stan or Q.
That’s not the MO that the Hawks are building their reputation on. From a competitive standpoint I think this makes sense as well – the hunger from everybody should be there for next year.
Let’s finish the season well, make a few adjustments esp. to D and back up goalie in the off season and get after it again.
Ring the bell! Orvil gets today’s “Brought up Dale Tallon like the 2nd and 3rd Cups had anything to do with him” award! Kudos, Orvil. Where’s the popcorn?
Can we at least trade McDonut to the NHL Offices for say a houseplant? I just don’t have a solid feel about a marketing guy having influence on hockey decisions. I obviously can’t say that he does……….it’s just my own perception. Anytime in the past when Bettman would include McDonut’s name as part of the Blackhawks’ success I just wanted to vomit. Alright Q and Stan – get it done in next year!!!
If McD allows as he said, will be interesting to see what Q does with his coaching staff. I’m sure both Q and SB know the situation that either or both could be out if October does not show promise.
Another thing McD can do is talk Rocky into LEAVING TICKET PRICES ALONE FOR A YEAR OR TWO.
Mike Q said he diesn’t anticipate any coaching changes. Orvil are you for real.
I’m glad to see this announcement. I’ve not liked how this year has turned out. I would not be for making changes in the GM or Coach category, though. Here’s hoping all of the boys get the train back on the tracks.
Go Blackhawks!!!!
Certainly good news re Q. Hopefully someone is coaching Stan on better cap management and contract negotiations. Sometimes it just seems he gives more than is appropriate re $ or term. Overall though I am happy with this and especially pleased to learn the TSN chatter can move on to other topics.
Okay, they are both staying for now which I understand, but it is definitely time to bring in the Bobs.
Ok I’m so sick of hearing about how they won the division last year for several reasons. #1 Stan Bowman was on the committee to make the schedule. I haven’t run the numbers but it seems they played more teams on the second night of the opposing team’s back to back games. (did I explain that clearly?) It’s pretty much fact a team on the second of back to back games comes out tired so the Blackhawks had an almost decided advantage all season. Heck, when the Blackhawks were playing back to back games almost everytime their second game was against a team that also was on the second game of back to back.
#2 on their way to said division title they should have played more of the prospects and rested veterans earlier in the season. Instead many players were given the last week (or was it two) of the season off and Anisimov was playing the last quarter or so of the season injured; ridiculous (though to be fair Anisimov’s health may not have improved with him not playing either). In some ways at least last season was worse than this season.
All said welcome back Q! I for one hope they resign him or least keep him in the organization. There would be nothing wrong with giving him a year off as a scout or something.
As far as Stan goes….well, he’s made his share of errors, but name a GM who hasn’t. it’s easy to pick one who has…just any team that keeps winning more….which….is pretty much only the Penguins gm(and has it been the same gm for how long? I don’t know).
If there is any question about Q’s ability to coach or teach the younger players then to me the answer is simple; hire another coach to work with them in practice in addition to Q. Seriously how much learning is taking place on the bench during a game from any coach to the players? My bet is not that much on any team. yes yes I see Dineen showing the tablet to the player about whatever he wants to show them and yes it’s best to review things right away. Maybe I just don’t know so much about what coaches actually do on the bench during a game.
Hossa’s absence was more than apparent(I for one hope he comes back)….as was Hjarlmasson, and so goes on to Crawford and Anisimov. I always say a team may be an injury away from the difference. How many of the Predator’s players were injured going into the Stanley Cup last year? And not to take anything away from any cup winning team but how many times is the team winning the cup the team with the least injuries? Remember when Philly came back and beat Boston after being down 3-0 in the series? One of the star players on the team down 0-3 was injured the first 3 games and came back in game four….oh and what else happened in game 3? A top 6 player on the team up 3-0 in the series went down with an injury for the rest of the series(or did they come back for game 7). You see my point I’m sure…and I may have philly boston flip flopped as to who was leading and who came back .
I’m happy about this on both counts. There is no better Coach than Quenneville out there. Period. As for Bowman, he has been a big part of the three Cups. Some of his moves I haven’t liked either, and the ntc’s are a problem, but at the time they were probably necessary to get a deal done. The hard cap caught up to the Blackhawks this year, and so did a very tough Division. Bowman has his work cut out for him this Summer.
Can anybody tell me one example of where the nmc have been an obstacle. I don’t think Bowman ever considered trading any of those guys and if he did ask they probably would have waived it. No move or no trade clauses are more about control of where you go, not staying where your not wanted.
Yeah I agree Ian – Sharp had a NMC I believe and they still traded him although I wonder if there were any potential deals that were nixed because Sharpie didn’t want to go to that team
Lots of teams (not just the Hawks) especially successful teams have players with NMCs – however I remember Mats Sundin refused to waive his in Toronto one year but it’s pretty rare that a player insists on hanging on if the team wants to move him. They may bargain for a destination they approve of though which again may be what happened in 10’s case.
All of you applauding this news must remember what it ALSO means (taking nothing away from the merits each man possesses):
1. The same power play. ‘Nuff said.
2. The same dysfunction between Q and Bowman that has never been resolved or worked out. Another year not on the same page? Players put on roster but go to the press box?
3. The same eyes acquiring talent and signing contracts. What did we see last month with those questionable signings?
4. The same voice that seemed to have been tuned out for a lot of the season. And so blend the lines again?
5. The same locker room dynamic. The leadership, the message, the vibe will all be retained. Cultures matter, especially for a younger crew that’s going to become the bulk of the team.
6. The same game plans and strategies and playing style that have fallen flat 3 years in a row. Everyone knows how to beat us these days.
So what changes for the better?
Why should we assume anything will improve?
I hope the retaining of both B and Q came with some conditions–like “one more chance to right the ship,” etc.
TV canals tried to use social media to peer pressure. Suck on thaaaaat.
They just cant stand the Blackhawks/the dynasty team of salary cap era, and want to kill us when were down. Well were going to get back up now off the mat.
‘Fuck the Bozos’
(12 monkeys)
We were the 3 seed in (hardest) division then Crow got hurt.
I expect us to be 3 seed in division next yr and play well in playoffs. Getting valuable experience for the young guys for a few long runs in the 5 coming yrs.
Just get roster chiseled out and filled with meat and potatoes and were on our way.
We wont have to play without 81/4/50 like we did this yr. Need another Dman.
Bomba you make some interesting points. Nice tavern discussion.
Pirri another goal tonight lol.
One improvement that could be made with the same lineup is keep Keith off the PP. That would be the definition of addition by subtraction. I hope the nice one-timer Keith had on the PP against the Blues yesterday doesn’t convince the coaches to keep him on the PP next season. A PP with a point man who can’t shoot is not going to be a good PP.
Hey Duncs, you’re going to play heavy minutes against the opponents top line and you;re going to be the first unit on the PK – but you’re not going to get any time on the PP. Period. Great, have a nice summer and come back ready.
ER-how about Q limits the minutes of 2 and 7? They can’t do now what they did then in terms of ice time. Rested and fresher because of less minutes = greater effectiveness. Q has to be smart and flex off of his past ways and go-to’s. Team isn’t what it was so he can no longer coach it the same way.
Put me in the I’m totally for this.
I thought for sure Q would call it good and exit on his own terms.
I give McDonough credit, organizational stability is underrated in sports.
Look at the New York football Giants, everybody said Fire Tom Coughlan. Eventually the Owner listened to drumbeat. They wound up with McAdoo, who did not even last two years until the team turned into a tire fire. Now back to square one even worse off.
Back to hockey, this move by McDonough certainly makes the trade of Ryan Hartman even more understandable. Q was not a fan.
Also great to see McDonough talk about the importance of the upcoming draft. It has become a draft and develop, younger, faster league.
Coach Q is a great coach who would be snapped up in a heart beat if he left the Blackhawks. Can you expect any coach to win with the back up goalies Bowman gave him and players like Jurco and the D corps he had?
Bowman has made some good drafts and free agent signing but also a lot poor decisions like length contracts on Seabrook, Keith and Hossa. Wasted a third round pick for Jurco? Brings back too many used up players.
Q’s body of work – Excellent. Glad he is staying.
Bowman’s body of work – not so good. However, I don’t believe in replacing for the sake of replacing. Who out there is available with a record of success?
The cupboard is not bare but has thinned out. You can’t expect no impact when you trade your 1st round pick two years in a row for rentals. Other 1st rounders were traded or did not work out. Still, am confident that several of our youngsters are going to develop into NHL-quality players. The moves made during the draft and summer to address G and D will be more important than ever.
I get that people have a bad taste in their mouths about the year that SB traded our 1st for Ladd and Danault for Weiss and Fleischmann and the Hawks went out in the first round – I get it – it didn’t work out like trading a 1st for Vermette worked out by winning the SC – but I would have been pissed if the Hawks didn’t go all in both years.
IMO that’s what you should do as GM of a contending team – thats how you win – not hanging on to your 1st rounders so 2 – 3 years down the road you have another nice player. You think NSH fans are gonna be up in arms about Poile trading their 1st round pick for Hartman if they win the cup.
You can’t be a revisionist about these moves – I cheered the Ladd trade for a 1st and I think almost all Hawk fans did. The Hawks have been going for it and rightly so for a decade – yeah the cupboard’s a bit thin. You can’t have your cake and eat it too.
I see Hogs… signed Mathias From to PTO…
I loved From- 2 years ago- Prospect camp… very speedy skater/with heavy wrist shot… predicted- he was “sleeper” pick and would make the NHL
Last year– Prospect camp… I was less thrilled… still skates well… but seemed to make some IQ mistakes… and much less noticeable to me…
I know he has under achieved in SHL… and was kicked off team???
Still – could be a solid fore-checker … like Jurco with a better wrist shot… just don’t know if the Hockey IQ will keep him from making the League…
A fun line in 2 years… Soderlund/Kampf/From… all are Plus skaters… with ability to actually score
I’m glad the Org came out publically and announced this. No point in having both of this 2 twist in the wind with uncertainty. Hopefully, the 2 of them can get on the same page and get things turned around. They have ALOT of work to do!
This is very good news. Not that we were going to win the cup this year but the loss of Crow changed things dramatically.
Watched most of the Notre Dame game last night and get no pleasure from saying Dennis Gilbert looked terrible despite the win. He was stapled to the bench for most of the 2nd period. He is a tough stay at home d-man but he really struggled against speed. Based on the recent games I have seen he is a real long shot for ever getting to the NHL. Hillman looks much better.
MS agree that Gilbert is not looking like NHL material anytime soon, unfortunately i had hoped he would be in picture for next year.
Q, Bowman and McDonough all say Crawford will be ready next season and thats as positive an update as we will get. So hopefully we can put his health to rest for now. Sounds like expectations are to be competitive next season, so could be in for an interesting offseason. Thr draft lotto the end of April, the draft the end of June and free agency July 1st.
Too Bad on Gilbert… slow
Kind of saw that at Prospect Camp… Mitchell/Hillman looked better…
and really still high on Tuulola
I guess I was a minority then. Going into the year after the 2015 Cup win, I said they can’t trade their 1st rounder 2 years in a row, so if they pick up a deadline guy, should be someone slightly below the top tier guy available. I would have rather kept that first, strategically.
There is something to be said for trying to maximize the window and going for it for sure. There are costs to doing that though and that is part of what we are seeing now with a couple years running with no defensive depth as the young guys matured in lower leagues, and no goalies in the system any good.
I think they were sucked in by the notion of being the first back to back Championship team of the salary cap era.
I understand the all-in argument, but there are limits to it and how it gets used to cover some real mistakes. Adding Vermette as a key piece was a good move. I could even understand getting Ladd although it didn’t work out. However, adding a career bottom 6 guy and a retread in Weise and Fleischmann was overkill and never made sense (not being a revisionist, I just liked always hated that move).
Jordyhawk after years of waiting i will appreciate 3 cups and 2 more conference finals in the last decade, without constantly beating them up over a few decisions i didn’t like. Hopefully the retool or whatever you want to call it is successful and next few years are easier to watch than this season.
Chris Carpenter: Tallon was the GM that gave Keith and Hossa their contracts.
VERY good news! It means the shit show that was this season was part of the plan (maybe not as bad as it was, but much of what happened was not Bowman nor Q’s fault).
Next year, though….I’m guessing they are going to want to see some better results.
Ian: Relax, fans criticize – it goes with the territory. I have stuck with this team forever, so if I take issue with some of the decisions that’s the way it is.
@hereismike – agreed that after 2015 cup they wanted the back to back titles no doubt and why not – not many teams get that chance
I was mostly addressing the trading of 1st rounders (ie. for Ladd and Vermette)
I was less sure at the time of the wisdom of giving up Danault but I’m not holding a grudge over it – it was not so far fetched that it couldn’t have worked out
To me these are the cycles a team goes through especially in a hard cap league – you can’t be real contenders every year. If the Hawks don’t bounce back strong next year then I’ll be concerned about the management of this team. Until then I can live with a somewhat expected down year and look forward to how they’re going to get back to contending.
Danault was the logical replacement for Kruger, would have saved plenty of cap m0ney with little falloff in performance. That is why that deal never made sense to me. They have struggled to replace Kruger’s role….Kero had some run but wasn’t good enough….even now we hope Kampf can do the job over a full year.
But you are right it was all done in the spirit of going for it all for a back to back. However, why in the world we had to throw in a 2nd round pick to rent Weisse and Fleishmann along with giving up Danault I will never understand. A rental of either of those guys should have been around a 4th round pick with no player exchanged at all. But what’s done is done, and a checking line center shouldn’t be the hardest thing in the world to replace, it’s just that Danault has some scoring upside that most guys in that role don’t have, was cheap on an entry level deal, and competent centers that can skate don’t grow on trees.
Just seems he was severely devalued in that deal.
I’m sure Stan would like that trade back – Weiss I think got over valued based on a couple of good previous playoffs – in CHI he never fit in with Q but hasn’t really done anything post Hawks either so I suppose those two playoffs were a bit of a fluke
@ HEREISMIKE
I completely agree was a dumb trade then and looks worse now. Honestly overpaying for Kruger was equally as dumb too. He’s currently in the AHL and can’t even make Carolina’s roster.
I think the Hawks are now hoping Tim Söderlund can play that role. Either way the Org and many Hawks fans completely overvalued Kruger and what he brought. A plus plenty killer with zero offensive ability is not a hard niche to fill.
I was listening to a National podcast that was going over the draft and several teams including the Hawks. They had some less than kind things to say. They openly questioned why all the Hawks prospects are so small. Tim Söderlund, Dylan Skirua, Andrei Altybarmakyan and ADC all very small players. They had Joker ranked as the 60th best defenseman in the juniors but were very complimentary of Ian Mitchell. Take that for what its worth.
Well MC D got half right. Q was not the reason why they suck. All Bowman. No real back up goalie. Dumping hammer & Panarin. And. His genius long term no trade contracts tied R hands. Not to continue to bring back old hawks and players sucking up more badly needed cap space. We now need to be fast and young and Toews needs to play to his pay without having a 26 mil line to score Sums it
Scott Powers tweeting Bowman be looking at acquiring top 4 dman in offseason but having room for 8 and 12 next contracts be priority. Also said he signed 44 and 56 to add an element of offense lacking on blueline.
I think they’ll gauge the market on defensemen but Jokiharju is my favorite in the clubhouse to get a long look next year. Too many bodies already…
Bring back Mike Keenan!!!
His assistants: Orval Tessier & Alpo Suhonen.
Wall as GM.
Ian, Wonder who were going to get. Usually Bowman and crew get guys no one thought of and their good players. There will be loads of cap space to get the younger guys bridge contracts, even before trading 81 caphit and maybe other/s, just from no player bonuses and cap going way up to 80/82. I would guess 80/maybe 81. Then more the yr after.
Top4 Dman with loads of cash to spend. Hmmmm.
Mo i’ m wondering if Bowman would sign somebody like Emilin as big physical shutdown defensive guy behind Keith on leftside. He would probably take a reasonable deal for maybe 2 years. I agree with Tab that Jokiharju gets a look on right side, hoping he can play opposite Keith and they can be a drive the offense type of pairing. I see Rutta as more insurance until Jokiharju is ready, at some point next year.
We have a good chance at 7th pre draft pick. EDM had won enough games (after sucking long time) to get up to -5 and NYR have thrown games (with their sell out everybody) to be at -5. We sort of let WIN have this game (we have had some good games against them, outplayed them overall this yr) and we might be 7th. Not sure on ER tie breakers though.
Lets go, not win this game for pre draw pick.
He could be ok on 2nd pair. We want another top pair guy, so maybe we draft picks turn out for that. by that time FWs will be strong/kicking some ass.
Good Omen. No team in history of hockey has won the Cup without being 6 or more games over .500 on the road.
This yrs qualifying teams
TB- 12
BOS- 10
WAS- 6
PHI- 7
NJ- 7
NAS- 16
WIN- 7
STL- 6 (one left on road)
LV- 9
SJ- 6
LA- 8
Leafs and Pens noticably missing on that list. Be interesting to see who is still available when Bowman picks. Almost certainly now be 7th or 8th depending on what Oilers do. Be a couple of high end defencemen right there if they want likely.
Those teams are not 6 or more games over .500 on the road.
No i meant i was surprised to see they weren’t on the list. Thought they would be better on the road.
Yea I watch it every yr. We were every yr we won and on some of the others. I think thee might have only been 1 and this yr we wernt.
Home Ice isint what it used to be. Like Scotty said winning on road in playoffs is huge and we did that a lot in 10 13 and 15. As well as 09 and 14.
We need that road hungry attitude again. I would say 10 over is what you want, that means your 15-20 over at home. Too good on road your a coin flip (NAS)
Good to be road kings.
My bad, I see what your saying now.
Good talking this yr, even it sucked. Only bad yrs in 10 yrs 2011 (short handed with 6 ahl players-salary cap) and 2018 (short handed without Hoss, Hammer and Crow).
Makes us do what we were going to do anyways, more deliberate now. Plus we get a high top pick and pour normal 1st we usually draft 26-30. Debrincat is a hit and Schmaltz is going to be fucking sweet.
More good times ahead. God thing is we already have a dynasty just want to add that coveted 4th and maybe 5th Cup in the next 10 yrs.
Here, here.