Another team’s junk is another team’s, “We now have a coach with 890 wins recorded in the NHL.” Those 890 victories as a head coach is good for second all-time in the NHL. The Florida Panthers replace their old head coach they just fired with Joel Quenneville. Joel Quenneville became a legend in Chicago as he led the Black Hawks to three Stanley Cup championships in a six year span. The Panthers replaced Bob Boughner with a guy who only trails the great Scot Bowman for the most victories by a head coach in the NHL.

Dale Tallon, the Panther GM, was the one who orchestrated this move in landing Quenneville. This is the same Dale Tallon who hired Joel Quenneville in 2008 to replace Denis Savard as head coach for the Chicago Blackhawks. The first time around, the  Dale Tallon move worked to perfection. As a dynasty was formed when Quenneville took over a team that had young talent galore oozing out of the ice. However Dale Tallon was not in Chicago that long after to see what he constructed pan out. He was fired as he had to watch from home a team he helped build, win three cups. Dale found a job very quickly doing the same job he had done in Chicago, except this time he is in Florida. Has Dale been following the same blue print that worked in Chicago?  Dale has assembled some young talent for the Panthers that are just starting to gel. Then he fires the coach and gets the band back together bringing in Joel Quenneville.

Could this be 1996 all over again for the Florida Panthers? Rubber rats flying out of the stands like hats littering the ice after a three goal night by one player. The Panthers have hired guys with no head coaching experience, 5 out of the last 6 times. The Panthers have had 15 coaches in 25 years. The Panthers have missed the playoffs the last two years by only a few games. Does Joel Quenneville instantly bring this same Panthers team to the playoffs in his first season with the team? Many believe this team is ready to win right now. It might take just getting in the playoffs once for things to take off. After the young Black Hawks got their first taste and won a series then to be eliminated. The following year the Black Hawks went all the way.

I think this move is great for everyone. First Joel Quenneville is walking into a great situation like he did back in Chicago. Aleksaner Barkov had 35 goals with a total 96 points last season. Can he be the new Jonathan Toews? Then the Panthers actually have a guy named Jonathan. Jonathan Huberdeau to be exact who had 30 goals himself. Throw in some solid pieces like Aaron Ewkblad,  Eugenii Dadonon and Vincent Trochek. Joel Quenneville will teach this group how to win games they never thought they could. You will see him max out all their talents and use them in the position where their talents will thrive. If you watched Patrick Cane and Jonathan Toews grow up and become super stars, it’s because they have plenty of talent. Joel Quenneville put them in situations that was best for them Then they grew and became superstars which they are still to this day.

Dale Tallon’s work is not quite done yet. He will need to add some veterans to the mix. Just like those days with the Hawks landing a Marion Hossa. I’m sure Dale has learned from his mistakes and will not get sloppy with the whole salary cap structure that made things hard for the Hawks after they won their first cup. One of the main reasons Dale Tallon was shown the door in Chicago because they knew they would face a lot tough moves and they did without Dale and had to deal some great players to other teams to get back under the cap. One guy that comes to mind who has flourished with the Jets Dustin Byfuglien.

Both Dale Tallon and Coach Q as most people call him, are in their 60’s age wise. Most likely this is their last hurrah to take a team and win a cup. Both hope to do this together in this go-around. If they succeed like they said in the press conference, they could walk off in the sunset. In that same press conference, many of the Panther players were around to see this organization welcome in Coach Q. The players are already believing. The Florida Panther fan base is believing. This move is a big shot to the organization and the the whole sports landscape in South Beach. They compare it to a Don Shula coaching the Dolphins. Or the day the Miami Heat brought in oil slick Pat Riley to run things. Coach Q is already planted in the Chicago Rushmore in coaching. He might have his face in the South Beach Rushmore when he puts the Florida Panthers on the map again. This time the Panther fans are hoping they stay on the map for years to come.