Intrigue continues to swirl around the Avalanche’s head coaching situation.
Joel Quenneville’s contract with the Avalanche runs out June 30 and general manager Francois Giguere has yet to give him an extension or disavow speculation he might be thinking of a change.
Meanwhile, the coaching job with the Toronto Maple Leafs became vacant Wednesday. That is the team Quenneville grew up idolizing in Windsor, Ontario. It was the first team he played for in the NHL and the organization he got his coaching start with in 1991. The man who hired Quenneville as an assistant with the St. John’s Maple Leafs, is current Toronto general manager Cliff Fletcher.
Fletcher, however, is serving only in an interim capacity, and in a statement Wednesday announcing the dismissal of Maple Leafs coach Paul Maurice, he indicated he probably wouldn’t be doing the hiring of Toronto’s next coach.
“My objective is to create the best environment possible for the next Leafs general manager to bring in his own staff and to create a new culture around the team,” Fletcher said.
Avalanche general manager Francois Giguere said he won’t discuss specifics regarding Quenneville’s status. It is unusual for coaches without a contract after a season ends to be kept in limbo, however. Usually, firings take place quickly after a season, and extensions are most often granted during a season.
Giguere said last week the Avs were “a little bit behind the eight ball” at the trade deadline, when he made three big acquisitions that helped the team. Wednesday on KKFN, Giguere said without him acquiring Peter Forsberg, the team would have been in trouble.
“If Peter is not here, we probably don’t make the playoffs,” Giguere said.
Under NHL bylaws, if Toronto or any other team wants to talk to Quenneville before June 30, it will need the Avalanche’s permission.
Giguere said he may travel to Eastern Canada to see some of the IIHF World Championships. If Giguere were considering a new Avs coach, a candidate could be Canada assistant coach Pat Burns, a three-time Jack Adams Award winner as NHL coach of the year. Burns, who recently overcame colon and liver cancer and wants to get back to the NHL as a head coach, is under a management contract with the New Jersey Devils through June 30.
Adrian Dater: 303-954-1360 or adater@denverpost.com
