NHL Announces Reinstatement of Joel Quenneville, Stan Bowman and Al MacIsaac

Credits: Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports

Yet another piece of news from the day to share, and it’s in a noticeably different light than all the other Blackhawks-related reports from Monday.

Former Chicago head coach Joel Quenneville and former team executives Stan Bowman and Al MacIsaac have been reinstated by the NHL, allowing them to seek employment in the league for the first time since October 2021 amid the fallout from the team’s mishandling of sexual assault allegations against former video assistant coach Brad Aldrich.

The NHL has officially reinstated Stan Bowman, Al MacIsaac and Joel Quenneville. They are eligible to seek employment starting July 10.

— Chris Johnston (@reporterchris) July 1, 2024

Quenneville resigned as coach of the Florida Panthers on October 29, 2021, while Bowman resigned as Chicago’s general manager two days before that. MacIsaac was fired the same day Bowman resigned.

Here’s the league’s statement on the decision, as shared by ESPN’s Greg Wyshynski:

At best, it’s a curious move by the NHL, making an announcement that’s sure to draw strong reactions on one of the busiest days in NHL history. At worst, it’s a par for the course for a league that continues to prioritize on-ice performance and results above all else, despite repeated public comments that it wishes it did otherwise.