The Chicago Blackhawks fired head coach Denis Savard on Thursday morning just four games into the 2008-09 season. Veteran Joel Quenneville was named the 37th head coach in franchise history.
Savard, who was in the last year of his contract after not getting an extension in the offseason, led the Hawks to their first win of the season on Wednesday night against Phoenix at the United Center. The team lost its first three games prior to Wednesday night's 4-1 victory.
Quenneville, who had been working as a scout for the Blackhawks for the last few weeks, inherits a young squad that fans and media in Chicago and across the NHL have tabbed as one of the most promising teams in the league. Quenneville most recently coached the Colorado Avalanche from 2005 through 2008 and led the St. Louis Blues for seven seasons prior to that endeavor (1996-2004). His career record is 438-283-118, including a 44-31-7 mark last year leading the 'Lanche.
Savard recorded a 65-66-16 mark in parts of three seasons as coach of the Blackhawks. Last season, he engineered the team's first 40-win season since 2001-02.
The timing obviously raises some eyebrows. After all, the Hawks have played four games this season. If there were concerns about Savvy getting this team from Point A to Point B, why wouldn't this move have been made preseason? There's whispers that the goaltending quandary could have expedited this change; perhaps Tallon and Savvy disagreed on who should receive the bulk of the playing time. Some wonder if there is some more serious issue at play. Hopefully some major questions are answered this afternoon when the Hawks hold a news conference to announce Quenneville as the new coach. One thing remains clear, though: the revamped front office will do anything to put a winning product on the ice.
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