Music: {allcanada} BLACKHAWKS DENY SPECULATION QUENNEVILLE HEADED TO HABS

Tuesday, May 8, 2012

{allcanada} BLACKHAWKS DENY SPECULATION QUENNEVILLE HEADED TO HABS

Montreal Canadiens general manager Marc Bergevin will apparently have to look outside of Chicago to find a new head coach, as speculation about current Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville possibly being available don't look to be true.

Blackhawks general manager Stan Bowman told the Chicago Tribune on Monday that while he doesn't like to address rumours, Quenneville - who is under contract through the 2013-14 seaosn - would be returning to the club next season.

The Tribune reports that Quenneville had disagreements with management during the season, when director of player development Barry Smith was on the ice with the team working on their struggling power play.

Smith continued the role until the playoffs, but did not travel with the club, after a reported confrontation between Quenneville and team management.

Rumours of Quenneville leaving Chicago picked up when Bergevin left the team to become the Canadiens' GM last week and news broke of former Blackhawks executive Rick Dudley's imminent departure from Toronto to Montreal.

"Joel is a great coach," forward Patrick Sharp told the Tribune. "It doesn't surprise me that those rumors are out there. I think a lot of teams would like to have him, but we're all happy to play for him, that's for sure."