Leafs rumored to have asked for the NHL to reinstate Joel Quenneville

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Tyler Ball
May 12, 2024 (5:35 PM)

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The Toronto Maple Leafs continue their pursuit of a replacement for Sheldon Keefe. Today a new rumor has suggested that the Maple Leafs have asked for the NHL to reinstate suspended coach Joel Quenneville.

Joel Quenneville is a controversial figure in NHL circles. He was the head coach of a modern dynasty in the Chicago Blackhawks. However, during his time as head coach, there was also a major scandal that he allegedly helped cover up. In a recent interview, Joel Quenneville explained his role in the scandal.

Joel Quenneville says he met with #Blackhawks Execs for 5 min following the 2010 Conf Final. Says this was the first and last time he heard of an issue involving his video coach.

In recent days there have been reports of teams asking for Joel Quenneville to be allowed back into the NHL. According to insider David Pagnotta that list of teams did not include the Toronto Maple Leafs.

As teams evaluate their coaching options, I'm told Joel Quenneville's status remains unchanged - he is still ineligible to coach.

Edit: Some teams have indeed reached out, but also told his status is still the same. The Leafs, as of now, are not one of those teams.

However a new rumor that has spread around on X seems to contradict the reporting of David Pagnotta.

Leafs have asked the NHL to reinstate Joel Quenneville #LeafsForever

Now of course an anonymous source without a lot of credibility for prior breaking news items needs to be taken with a grain of salt. However, it does leave the possibility open that the Maple Leafs are interested.

As the coaching search continues for the Toronto Maple Leafs more reports will surface regarding their candidates. If Joel Quenneville ends up being a finalist it will surely bring up a ton of controversy.