CHICAGO, Ill. – In somewhat of a surprising move, the Chicago Blackhawks relieved coach Denis Savard as coach of the team just four games into the season. The firing came just after the team posted their first win 4-1 against the Phoenix Coyotes Wednesday evening. Savard is being replaced by Joel Quenneville who has coached the St. Louis Blues and Colorado Avalanche.
Savard, a fan favorite, played for the Blackhawks for 13 seasons and started on the coaching staff soon after playing in 1997. On November 27, 2006, Savard was officially named head coach of the team. Through his term as head coach, Savard compiled a record of 64-66-15 and just missed the playoffs last season by three points.
Joel Quenneville played in parts of 13 seasons in the NHL mainly as a blueliner for the Hartford Whalers. He began his coaching career in 1996 with the St. Louis Blues where he took the team into the playoffs every year that he was there until he was fired during the 2003-04 season. He spent the last three seasons as head coach of the Colorado Avalanche until he was fired last season after being eliminated in the second round of the playoffs. Just last month before the season he was hired on as a pro scout for the Blackhawks.
Contact the author at matt.chin@prohockeynews.com.
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