Joel Quenneville became the second head coach in NHL history to record 1,000 regular-season victories when the Anaheim Ducks defeated the Edmonton Oilers 6-5 on Wednesday night.
Quenneville joined Hockey Hall of Famer Scotty Bowman, who recorded 1,244 wins, as the only coaches to reach that milestone. The 67-year-old Quenneville has a career record of 1,000-595-153 over 26 seasons. He also coached 77 tie games before the NHL eliminated those by implementing the shootout in the 2005-06 season.
Quenneville, in his first season with Anaheim, has the Ducks in playoff contention. The Ducks hired him on May 8, 2025, 10 months after he was reinstated by the NHL. He had been out of the NHL since 2021, when the league determined Quenneville had an “inadequate response” to allegations of sexual assault within the Chicago Blackhawks when he was coach of the team.
After coaching stops with the St. Louis Blues and Colorado Avalanche, Quenneville had a highly successful run with the Blackhawks — which included three Stanley Cup championships — before a stint with the Florida Panthers, which ended with his resignation in 2021.
Bowman’s record might be out of reach, as it likely would take Quenneville at least five more seasons to reach him. But Quenneville remains comfortably ahead as the active leader, with Paul Maurice’s 945 wins ranking third all-time.
“Well, I’ve been fortunate along the way,” Quenneville said recently. “We’ve had some really good teams. Everywhere I’ve been, we’ve had really good teams. I’ve had the privilege to coach with a lot of good coaches and coach a lot great players along the way. I’m pretty excited about the situation where we’re at right now and knowing that we’ve got some young players that they kind of remind me of the situation in Chicago.
“This has been fun getting back in the game and in a really good spot here. And I’m taking it one year at a time or one game at a time.”
Detroit Red Wings’ Patrick Kane, who won the Hart Trophy while playing under Quenneville in Chicago, said: “He understands who’s going and who’s not, and who to play, and who to put in what situation. If he needs to switch up things, or switch up lines, he’s the best at that. And I think his understanding of how to get the most out of a team throughout the full season — not just day-to-day, or rash decisions, but understanding what’s best for the team throughout a whole 82-game season, he’s obviously incredible at that, too.”
Ducks defenseman Radko Gudas, who also played under Quenneville in Florida, said Quenneville’s understanding of the game makes it easy to learn from him, and that he has the ability to balance what his teams need in a specific moment while managing an entire group over the long grind.
“The way he’s looking at the game, and the other team, is something you can’t really teach,” Gudas said. “It just has to come with experience. Being the second one that can do it or will do it is absolutely, in the history of the game, incredible. Something you can’t describe. That is one of the most special things that a coach, I would say, can do.”
— The Athletic’s Max Bultman contributed to this report.