Rave reviews for 'Q'

If the measure of a man is how he treats someone who can do him absolutely no good, then it looks like the Blackhawks have found themselves a winner in new coach Joel Quenneville.

Because from former players ("I enjoyed my time there") to the men who covered him on the beat ("Good guy") and even to the last guy who fired him ("Big fan"), it's nothing but rave reviews for the guy affectionately known as "Q."

And now that his head has stopped spinning, the man who has made a habit of making the playoffs (nine times in 11 years with the Blues and Avalanche), looks to lead the Hawks to the promised land as the 37th head coach in franchise history.

"It's been a pretty crazy last 24 hours," Quenneville said. "I was sitting on the plane coming here this morning and I just envisioned what it means to be a Blackhawk."

Steve Martins of the defending Calder Cup champion Chicago Wolves, who had a pair of brief stints playing for Quenneville in St. Louis, thinks Q is a great fit.

"He's very structured, very prepared - he knows what the other team is doing night in and night out," Martins said. "Some coaches just worry about their own team. His strategy would change depending on who we were playing."

A common theme.

"The guys (on the Blues) would say there are few people better at making in-game adjustments," said Derrick Gould, who covered Quenneville for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

Now Quenneville will try to weave his magic with the young Hawks, who missed the playoffs last year by a scant 3 points.

"We've got an extremely entertaining, exciting team with great youth and great prospects for success," Quenneville said. "I'm looking forward to fulfilling all our objective of being a top team and winning hockey games and getting to the playoffs and going from there."

So what should Hawks players expect from their new coach?

"He's a guy you could talk to about anything," Martins said. "Real personable, not a yeller or a screamer."

"I'd say his preferred playing style is up-tempo when the opportunity is there, but overall he thinks defense first," said Adrian Dater of the Denver Post.

Also, according to Dater, Quenneville has earned a reputation for having a quick hook with goalies.

"That's one thing to watch, how he deals with (Nikolai Khabibulin) and (Cristobal) Huet," Dater said. "I'd say he's a tough coach, but fair. I think he's more of a Scotty (Bowman) type of coach in that respect."

As for what Hawks fans should expect from Q? It's really quite simple.

"As a coach we're in the winning business," Quenneville said. "And that's what I enjoy most."