ANAHEIM, Calif. — Hockey history was made Wednesday night as Joel Quenneville achieved a milestone reached by only one other coach in NHL history, earning his 1,000th career victory when the Anaheim Ducks defeated the Edmonton Oilers 6-5.
The 67-year-old coach now stands alongside Scotty Bowman as the only bench bosses to reach this exclusive milestone. Bowman first accomplished this feat with Detroit on February 8, 1997 — remarkably, just one month after Quenneville began his head coaching career with St. Louis.
The historic victory came in thrilling fashion during Anaheim’s first contest following the Olympic break. The Ducks overcame multiple two-goal deficits and trailed again in the final period before Cutter Gauthier netted the decisive goal with just 1:14 remaining. As time expired, Quenneville celebrated by high-fiving every player on the bench before joining his team on the ice for commemorative photographs.
This achievement marks a remarkable comeback for Quenneville, who returned to NHL coaching this season after a four-year hiatus. His absence from the league began in late 2021 when he resigned from Florida following revelations about his handling of Chicago’s sexual abuse scandal from over a decade earlier.
The NHL reinstated Quenneville in July 2024, and Anaheim hired him a year later to revitalize a franchise that hadn’t reached the playoffs in seven straight seasons. Under his guidance, the Ducks (31-23-3) have surged into Western Conference playoff contention. Throughout his career, Quenneville has guided teams to postseason appearances in 20 of his 22 completed NHL seasons.
Before transitioning to coaching, Quenneville spent 13 seasons as a reliable defenseman, known for his distinctive mustache that remains his trademark today. His coaching career has spanned parts of 26 seasons, highlighted by three Stanley Cup championships with Chicago during their dominant 2008-2017 era.
Quenneville reached this historic milestone in his 1,825th game behind the bench. Bowman concluded his coaching career in 2002 with 1,244 victories across 2,141 regular-season contests, also capturing nine Stanley Cup titles.
Following his playing retirement in 1992, Quenneville earned a Stanley Cup ring as Marc Crawford’s assistant in Colorado during 1996. He received his first head coaching opportunity with St. Louis midway through the subsequent season, leading the Blues to seven consecutive playoff berths before his dismissal.
His next opportunity came with Colorado in 2004, where he spent three seasons and guided two teams to the playoffs. After briefly serving as a Chicago scout, he replaced Denis Savard as the Blackhawks’ head coach in 2008. He then orchestrated eight straight playoff appearances and three championships, including the 2010 Stanley Cup that ended the franchise’s 59-year drought.
Chicago dismissed him in November 2018, leading to his April 2019 hiring by Florida. However, his tenure with the Panthers ended abruptly when the NHL suspended him along with former Chicago executives Stan Bowman and Al MacIsaac for their “inadequate response upon being informed in 2010 of allegations that Blackhawks player Kyle Beach had been assaulted by the club’s video coach,” according to the league.
NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman acknowledged Quenneville’s remorse regarding his inaction during the allegations that emerged amid Chicago’s championship run. Quenneville also collaborated with advocacy organizations to learn proper leadership approaches for such situations.
During his four-year absence, Quenneville remained deeply engaged with the NHL, watching games nightly from his Florida residence and maintaining relationships throughout the hockey community. These connections included Pat Verbeek, his former Hartford teammate who now serves as Anaheim’s general manager during their rebuilding process.
Verbeek dismissed Greg Cronin last spring despite the coach delivering a 21-point improvement in his second season. He then convinced owner Henry Samueli to accept the potential risks and public relations challenges of hiring Quenneville. The decision has proven successful on the ice, with the Ducks significantly improving their record while their promising young core gains valuable experience.
Two additional veteran coaches could join Bowman and Quenneville in the 1,000-win fraternity within the coming seasons.
Paul Maurice, who captured the last two Stanley Cups with Florida, has accumulated 945 career victories across five franchises. Lindy Ruff reached his 933rd career win Wednesday night as Buffalo defeated New Jersey 2-1.
Both Maurice and Ruff have coached more NHL games than Quenneville, though both maintain sub-.500 career winning percentages — a statistic that carries less significance in the modern era of overtime losses.
