After missing the NHL playoffs for a seventh consecutive season, the Anaheim Ducks made a bold move.
They hired Joel Quenneville, who ranks second in league history in coaching victories behind only Scotty Bowman. Quenneville, a three-time Stanley Cup champion, hadn’t been behind a bench in nearly four seasons after being banned by the league for his role in the 2010 Chicago Blackhawks’ sexual abuse scandal.
The Quenneville era begins Thursday night when the Ducks open the season at Seattle.
“I am so excited to be back in the NHL, and the Ducks are the team I wanted to restart my career with. Great ownership, great management, one of the most exciting young cores in the NHL,” Quenneville said. “I am humbled and deeply grateful for the opportunity to return to the game I love and I can’t wait to get started.”
The Ducks, who finished 35-37-10 last season, added veteran forwards Chris Kreider and Mikael Granlund to support youngsters like Mason McTavish, Cutter Gauthier, Leo Carlsson and Jackson LaCombe.
“I think that’s what we really needed was those veteran guys,” said goaltender Lukas Dostal, who moved into the No. 1 role this offseason after John Gibson was traded to Detroit. “They’re going to really help our young core.”
With Quenneville and his 969 career wins guiding the team, the goals have changed in Anaheim.
“I feel like we can say we’re out of the rebuild, and we’re here to make the playoffs,” said Gauthier, who scored 20 goals in his rookie season.
Forward Troy Terry, who in his ninth year is the longest-tenured player on the roster, said things “feel different.”
“Saying it in the past, it’s felt sort of like, ‘Oh, well, you know, hopefully, myself included, some guys can take steps,'” Terry said. “It’s less guessing hopefully that it all kind of comes together. It’s a team that I think knows what it’s capable of now, and we’ve added some veteran experience and some big time hockey players. It’s an exciting time.”
The Kraken, who went 35-41-6 last season, are still trying to find a way to duplicate their sophomore campaign of 2022-23, when they earned 100 points and reached the second round of the Western Conference playoffs. They haven’t had more than 81 points in a season, nor reached the postseason, since.
Jason Botterill was promoted to general manager in April as Ron Francis moved up in the front office. Botterill hired Lane Lambert as the Kraken’s third coach in as many seasons, following Dave Hakstol and Dan Bylsma.
“We’re getting better,” said Lambert, who went 61-46-20 in 1 1/2 seasons as the New York Islanders coach. “We’re getting a little bit better every day. There will be a little step back and then two steps forward at times. But certainly, we’re getting closer.”
The Kraken will look for former first-round picks like Matty Beniers and Shane Wright to take a step forward. Beniers was one of four 20-goal scorers for the Kraken last season — Wright fell just short with 19 — and they added another in an offseason trade for Dallas’ Mason Marchment.
“We may not have that 100-point guy that’s going to be a game-breaker, but … winning by committee is always a fun way,” Kraken captain Jordan Eberle said. “Each guy’s got to grab that role and feel good about the importance of it.”
