Panthers officially hire Joel Quenneville to be their new head coach

The Florida Panthers have found their man.

Just a day after firing Bob Boughner, the team has hired three-time Stanley Cup champion Joel Quenneville to be their new head coach.

According to sources, his new deal with the Panthers will pay him over $6 million annually with bonuses.

“Joel is a three-time Stanley Cup champion head coach who will be a transformative leader for the Florida Panthers franchise,” said Panthers President of Hockey Operations & General Manager Dale Tallon.

“We’ve seized the opportunity to add one of the most successful head coaches in hockey history and we’re thrilled that Joel has agreed to take on the challenge of leading our promising young team. I’ve worked with Joel previously and have seen firsthand how his passion for the game, head coaching experience and leadership can impact an organization. Joel will accelerate our growth into a club that qualifies for the playoffs consistently and competes every year toward our goal of winning the Stanley Cup.”

Quenneville is fresh off a successful tenure with the Chicago Blackhawks. The 60-year old, who was fired as their head coach earlier in the season on November 6, posted a combined 452-249-96 regular season record in 797 games and 10-plus seasons with the franchise.

During his time in Chi-town, the Blackhawks qualified for the postseason nine out of a possible 10 times, and won three Stanley Cups over a six-year span in 2010, 2013 and 2015.

He sits at second in all-time wins as an NHL head coach with 890.

A news conference to announce the hiring will take place at BB&T Center this afternoon.