Even before he stepped down as coach of the Florida Panthers, Joel Quenneville really had no business being behind the bench last Wednesday in Sunrise, Fla.
The results of the investigation into the Chicago Blackhawks had been released Tuesday, and they, in short, indicated Quenneville was aware of what happened to Kyle Beach and did not act appropriately. After the report was released, Quenneville was scheduled to have a meeting the following Thursday with commissioner Gary Bettman.
In between was a game between the Panthers and Boston Bruins that Quenneville coached.
It was tone deaf and bizarre, and that feeling furthered when he resigned shortly after the meeting.
Bettman on Monday attempted to answer the question many still have not had answered: "Why was he behind the bench for the Bruins-Panthers game?"
“Should Quenneville had coached on Wednesday night? I’m sure people could quibble with that," Bettman said, via SI's Mike Stephens. "But he’s already coached 867 games at that point and I didn’t want him to think I had pre-judged him at that point”
That is a somewhat fair, albeit flawed response. It would not be unsurprising if a player who was potentially facing discipline did not play in a game the night before a hearing with the league.
The Panthers obviously knew something was wrong with him coaching, seeing as they didn't make him available to the media after the game and only had general manager Bill Zito face the media -- which was brief since he didn't really take questions.
