Chicago Blackhawks: Three reasons Quenneville should’ve stayed

Reason #1: Quenneville brought Blackhawks back to greatness

Yes, I realize that the NHL and professional sports as a whole exist as a “What have you done for me lately?” business. In the last three seasons, the Blackhawks have disappointed after setting the bar very high. But it’s also important to realize everything Quenneville did for the team.

The Blackhawks were once considered the worst franchise in all of professional sports. The team had completely detached from its rich tradition and was a perennial last-place squad. The home games weren’t even televised at the request of then-owner Bill Wirtz.

After the death of Wirtz in 2007, his son “Rocky” Wirtz took over as owner and drastically changed the culture of the team. He hired Quenneville in 2008 and invited legends like Bobby Hull and Stan Mikita to come back to the team and act as ambassadors.

The team made a lot of crucial free agent moves but also benefited from high draft picks. Stars Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane were drafted in back-to-back years as high first-round picks.

The turnaround from laughingstock to Stanley Cup contenders was quick, and Quenneville was a big part of that effort. The team won three Stanley Cups in Quenneville’s tenure. They had three other cup wins in the entire team’s history before Quenneville arrived.

While coach Q couldn’t rest on his laurels forever, it’s important to acknowledge all this team accomplished under his tutelage. He clearly knows how to win, but was his style of coaching getting stale in Chicago? We likely won’t have a clear explanation from the front office.