The Chicago Blackhawks likely would have preferred to see their 6-0 lead maintained against the Boston Bruins on Sunday, but head coach Joel Quenneville got the job done – and with the team’s victory, earned his 800th career NHL win.
Quenneville is currently in his eighth season as head coach of the Chicago Blackhawks, a time period in which he’s managed to help the Central Division team take home three Stanley Cup championships in just six years.
A native of Windsor, Ontario, the former blue liner has stood behind the bench with three various NHL clubs since 1996 as a head coach, and since 1994 as an assistant coach. He started his coaching career with the AHL’s St. John’s Maple Leafs in 1991 as a player-assistant, moving his way up to coaching with the Quebec Nordiques in 1994 – then moving with the team to Colorado the following year. He first stepped behind the bench as a head coach with the St. Louis Blues in 1996, moving back to Colorado as head coach in 2005 and finally ending up with Chicago just three years later.
Under Quenneville, the Blackhawks have never missed the post-season, collecting a 361-181-72 record during his tenure. They’ve won their three Stanley Cups, making it to the Western Conference Finals twice and taking home one of the best records in the league during his tenure to create a modern dynasty.
The season isn’t over yet, so Quenneville still has room to surpass the 800 win mark – which would put him ever closer to the NHL’s best win record of all time, held by Scotty Bowman. Quenneville still has a ways to go to hit that milestone, as Bowman holds 1,244 victories over his career – but the Blackhawks bench boss is certainly inching his way there, season by season.
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