Jeremy Colliton’s cellphone lit up with calls, voicemails and text messages after he was named the Blackhawks new head coach Tuesday morning. But there was one text message that stood out above the rest.
Joel Quenneville, who was fired as the team’s coach after 11 seasons and three Stanley Cup championships, reached out to his successor to congratulate him and wish him luck with the Blackhawks.
Jeremy Colliton said Joel Quenneville texted him Tuesday and congratulated him.
“It means a lot,” Colliton said. “He’s a Hall of Fame coach and I’m succeeding him and took the time to send me a text message. Again, he’s a great man.”
— Scott Powers (@ByScottPowers) November 8, 2018
Colliton obviosly has big shoes to fill as Quenneville is the second-winngest coach in franchise and NHL history.
Colliton, who is the youngest active NHL coach at age 33, will make his NHL coaching debut Thursday against the Hurricanes at the United Center. He joined the organization last season as the head coach for the Rockford IceHogs in the AHL. The IceHogs swept Manitoba and Chicago en route to making the Western Conference Final in the Calder Cup playoffs for the first time in franchise history.