Joel Quenneville glanced around at the media horde filling the United Center’s NBA visiting locker room — one of the few places he probably never entered during his 10-plus seasons as Blackhawks coach — with an appreciative smile beneath his iconic white mustache.
It then took about two seconds for his equally iconic lighthearted grouchiness to make its own reappearance.
“Feels good,” Quenneville said, his first words in this arena since his abrupt firing in November 2018. “It was a good feeling, seeing not all you people here today, but walking in the locker room here.”
That Quenneville would be back on Madison Street this soon — behind these benches, coaching an NHL game — felt implausible at the time of his and the Hawks’ earth-trembling breakup 15 months ago.
He admitted he didn’t follow the team much last season after successor Jeremy Colliton took over. At 61 now, he also hinted he might not be in for an 11-year haul with the Florida Panthers like he was with the Hawks. And his Hinsdale home is for sale, even though he didn’t exactly shoot down a question about potentially living in Chicago again one day.
But not surprising is how smoothly Quenneville has landed on his feet.
The Panthers squad he took over last summer entered Tuesday winners of five in a row (like the Hawks) and in position to reach the postseason after making only two playoff appearances in 19 years.
Quenneville said he and general manager Dale Tallon, fittingly together again, have noticed similarities between their new franchise’s situation and the Hawks’ trajectory when Quenneville arrived in 2008.
“[It’s a] comparable timeline . . . [to] when we first got together back here,” he said. “Trying to make the playoffs is where we’re at, and [Dale is] excited about where we’re at with the challenge. A lot of young kids looking to maybe take that next step in their own development.”
The applause that rippled, then roared, from the first row to the Stanley Cup banners in the rafters after Quenneville’s video tribute Tuesday was not for the resurgent Panthers, though.
It was for the curmudgeonly man lovingly known as ‘‘Q,’’ finally present for the entire fan base to salute.
“It all brings back [a] special time in our lives and a special time with the city, going through some amazing runs that are so memorable,” Quenneville said. “So many people shared it and so many people played a hand in it and were responsible for it.”
The fan base’s love is requited.
“People have their moments: ‘I was the one that TP-ed your house,’ ’’ he said. “Or you’ve got different people that will pop into you and have their memories when the Blackhawks had their run. Everyone likes to share that moment, and there are some good moments. . . . It’s nice hearing their stories. It’s that type of connection that makes it pretty special.”
Members of the Hawks’ core, from Patrick Kane to Jonathan Toews to Corey Crawford, said they hadn’t been able to catch up and reflect with Quenneville outside of a few scattered calls and messages. With this first on-ice meeting leading into the All-Star break (and the Panthers flying in on a back-to-back), those lengthy reunions weren’t doable this week, either.
Just as Quenneville’s legacy will live forever in Chicago, though, so will his relationships with the players.
“He’s an intense guy,” Kane said. “He loves to win and he loves to be passionate about the games, so you’ve got to love that about him.”
