Superficially, it certainly looks like the Chicago Blackhawks have an edge on the Anaheim Ducks in the coaching department.
Joel Quenneville has been a coach for more than 20 years. He became an NHL head coach in 1996-97, stepping in at midseason for St. Louis. He’s been Chicago’s coach since 2008-09, winning 14 playoff series and two Stanley Cups in that span. That’s as many series wins as the Ducks have in the history of their franchise.
Bruce Boudreau is a contemporary of Quenneville, stepping behind an IHL bench as head coach for the first time in the same year that his opponent did the same in the AHL. He spent more than a decade longer stuck in the minors, however, taking on his first NHL head coaching job midway through 2007-08, less than a calendar year before Quenneville took over the ‘Hawks.
He’s been pilloried as a playoff failure, winning just three rounds prior to this season. The 2015 playoffs mark the first time he has directed an NHL club to the third round.
Framed that way, Quenneville looks like a consummate winner, while Boudreau is a consistent lose ...
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Article written by Jonathan Willis
Will Joel Quenneville’s Experience Edge over Bruce Boudreau Decide West Final?
May 15th, 2015 by Jonathan Willis Leave a reply »
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