Source: Hawks to reward Quenneville with new deal
After leading the Blackhawks to two Stanley Cup titles in the last four seasons, coach Joel Quenneville will be rewarded with a contract extension Friday afternoon at news conference to open the team’s sixth annual convention, according to a source.
Quenneville’s .652 winning percentage during the regular season is the best in franchise history and he is 45-28 in the playoffs.
With 660 career wins, Quenneville leads all active coaches and was a finalist this season for the Jack Adams Trophy for coach of the year.
Quenneville didn’t want to talk about his personal situation when the season ended. He has one year remaining on the three-year extension he signed in 2012.
“We certainly like being here, liked our time here in Chicago,” Quenneville said after the season. “There have been a lot of thrills, a lot of excitement. Quality of life, being part of the sporting situation here in town; there are a lot of positives.”
General manager Stan Bowman will make Friday’s announcement at 3 p.m. at the Hilton-Chicago hotel.
“Joel has done a tremendous job leading the team,” Bowman said during the playoffs. “There’s no one else I’d rather have coaching this group than Joel. I think he’s demonstrated a great ability to understand what it takes to win. He’s got a proven track record and I think our players really respond to him.”
Getting Quenneville signed pretty much wraps up a busy off-season for Bowman, whose only remaining task is to name a goalie coach to replace Stephane Waite.
So far this summer Bowman has re-signed unrestricted free agents Bryan Bickell, Michal Handzus and Michal Rozsival along with restricted free agents Nick Leddy and Marcus Kruger.
Bowman also brought in veteran goalie Nikolai Khabibulin to be Corey Crawford’s backup after losing Ray Emery and Viktor Stalberg to free agency, and he traded away Dave Bolland, Michael Frolik and Daniel Carcillo to clear cap space.
Bowman also negotiated the deal with Notre Dame to hold training camp in South Bend starting on Sept. 12.
“It’s always good to get those things done in the summertime and sort of clear the deck for focusing on hockey starting in the fall,” Bowman said.
The Hawks convention runs Friday through Sunday with more than 10,000 fans expected to attend.
The sold-out event, which was the first of its kind in the NHL, will feature Hawks players, coaches and alumni, along with team broadcasters and executives.
Most of the team’s stars will be on hand such as Jonathan Toews, Patrick Sharp, Patrick Kane, Duncan Keith and Crawford.
The weekend includes 18 question-and-answer panels with players and front office staff, autograph and photo opportunities, an area dedicated to interactive games and more than 40 vendors.
Hawks color analyst Eddie Olczyk will host the opening ceremonies in the International Ballroom beginning at 5 p.m. Friday.
Other highlights of the weekend include:
Ÿ Stanley Cup viewing for convention attendees from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Saturday in the Boulevard Ballroom.
Ÿ Blackhawks Game Show, hosted by The Second City on Saturday evening in the International Ballroom, where fans will compete in a variety of challenges with current and former players.
Ÿ The locker room sale in the Grand Ballroom throughout the weekend, featuring live and silent auctions of Hawks memorabilia and game-used equipment
Ÿ Leddy, along with the Hockey Hall of Fame’s Phil Pritchard, Mike Bolt, Walter Neubrand and Howie Borrow, will discuss tales from the Cup keepers at 9 a.m. Saturday.
Ÿ Quenneville, Kane and Bickell will talk about the team’s record-setting season-opening streak on Saturday at 10:15 a.m.
Ÿ Toews, Sharp and Rozsival will speak about what happens inside the locker room at 2 p.m. Saturday
Ÿ Toews, Kane, Crawford and Michal Handzus will relive the Stanley Cup Final on Saturday at 3:15 p.m.
Ÿ Brandon Saad and Andrew Shaw will discuss coming up through the ranks and making an impact in the NHL on Sunday at 9:30 a.m.
Registration begins at noon Friday with all lower halls opening at 3 p.m.
Opening ceremonies will begin at 5 p.m. in the International Ballroom with hours on Saturday running from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., and Sunday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Ÿ Follow Tim’s hockey reports on Twitter @TimSassone and check out his Between the Circles blog at dailyherald.com.
Relive the memories
Check out Unstoppable! The Chicago Blackhawks Dominant 2013 Championship Season, a colorful 128-page book packed with stories and photos from the record-setting regular season through the Stanley Cup playoffs. Its available online at www.triumphbooks.com/Blackhawks2013 or call (800) 888-4741.