Joel Quenneville landing spots: Top 3 coaching destinations for reinstated NHL coach

The NHL has officially reinstated Joel Quenneville, making the three-time Stanley Cup-winning coach eligible to return behind the bench. Quenneville had been ineligible to coach in the NHL since he stepped down as the Florida Panthers' head coach in October 2021.

In 2010, player Kyle Beach made sexual assault allegations against Chicago Blackhawks' coaching staff member Brad Alrich. Quenneville, who was then the head coach of the Blackhawks, and assistant manager Al Maclssac stepped down following an investigation released by the team in 2021, that deemed they had mishandled the allegations.

With Quenneville eligible to be a head coach again, here are three possible landing spots for him.

Top 3 coaching destinations for Joel Quenneville

#1, Columbus Blue Jackets

The Columbus Blue Jackets are currently the only NHL team without a head coach. Joel Quenneville would be a sensible pick for the job. The Blue Jackets are looking to become contenders, and Quenneville comes with a winning pedigree as he has won three Stanley Cups.

#2, Pittsburgh Penguins

The Pittsburgh Penguins have Mike Sullivan as their coach, but there have been reports that the two are no longer seeing eye-to-eye.

If the Penguins get off to a slow start, it wouldn't be a surprise to see Sullivan replaced by Quenneville. Pittsburgh is trying to get one last run out of Sidney Crosby, Kris Letang, Erik Karlsson as well as Evgeni Malkin, and hiring Quenneville could increase their chances.

#3, Detroit Red Wings

Detroit hired Derek Lalonde in June 2022, but he has yet to lead the Red Wings to the playoffs. Detroit should be a playoff team on paper and if the Red Wings fail to make the playoffs this season, it wouldn't be a surprise to see Lalonde fired. If Detroit does make the move, hiring one of the best coaches of all time in Quenneville should be the team's top priority.