The Anaheim Ducks put their rebuild in the rearview mirror this past season.
From 2018 to 2025, the Anaheim Ducks failed to make the Stanley Cup playoffs and finished sixth or worse in their division. It's been a tough slog, regardless of who's been the Ducks' coach.
In their first season under coach Joel Quenneville, however, Anaheim finished third in the Pacific Division and beat the Edmonton Oilers in the first playoff round. Quenneville deserves part of the credit.
In TheHockeyNews.com's NHL coach ranking, the Ducks coach made the top five.
Criteria for these coaching rankings include long- and short-term impact, expectations, and reputation. But this ranking is subjective.
Quenneville was out of the NHL from 2021 to 2025 after an investigation determined he and other members of the Chicago Blackhawks had an inadequate response to allegations of sexual assault in 2010. But Quenneville was regarded as a difference-making coach before the scandal, and Ducks GM Pat Verbeek said when he hired Quenneville that the coach demonstrated"meaningful personal growth and accountability.
Here's more on Quenneville ranking fifth among NHL coaches. Check out the full ranking to date afterward.
5. JOEL QUENNEVILLE, ANAHEIM DUCKS
Quenneville is one of hockey's most experienced coaches ever, ranking fourth in the NHL for most games coached, with 1,850.
He also ranks second in most wins, with 1,012, 232 back of Scotty Bowman.
In his first season as Ducks coach, Quenneville showed he hasn't lost a step, pushing Anaheim to a 43-33-6 record.
That's an eight-win improvement for the Ducks from their 2024-25 season. And though much, if not most, credit for that improvement goes to Anaheim's players, you also have to give Quenneville his due – he's pushing Ducks players to new heights. And the Ducks' breakthrough season this year is the reward Quenneville has created for Verbeek.
Quenneville took the Ducks' brutal power play from 11.8 percent efficiency – 32nd in the league – in 2024-25 to 23rd-overall at 18.6 percent this past season.
Similarly, Anaheim's penalty kill went from 74.2 percent to 76.4 percent. These aren't huge strides on special teams, but Quenneville has provided structure and confidence for his mostly young core, and they're taking steps forward.
As the Pacific gets more competitive, there's no guarantee the Ducks will even be a playoff team, let alone a true Cup front-runner. So, Quenneville has his work cut out for him.
He's got to work with the heightened expectations for Anaheim star center Leo Carlsson – now the highest-paid NHLer per year at $18 million – and he must try to improve with a re-jigged defense corps and a group of forwards that isn't particularly deep.
Right winger Troy Terry will miss time at the start of the season as he recovers from hip surgery, so Quenneville has to keep his team afloat until he gets the boost in offense Terry can be relied on to provide. But so long as Ducks goalie Lukas Dostal is giving Anaheim the type of goaltending he gave them last season, Quenneville is going to put Ducks players in a position where they can succeed and grow their game as individuals and as team members.
Quenneville is making the most of his second chance. His resume now includes 21 playoff appearances, one Jack Adams Award Win, a World Cup gold medal and, most importantly, four Stanley Cup championships, including three as a head coach.
He's a master motivator and a deft tactician, and Quenneville is proving he can take an inexperienced roster and shape it into a legitimate Cup threat.
His image took a major hit because of what happened with the Blackhawks, and even after the NHL reinstated him on July 10, 2024, it took him about 10 months before being hired in the league again. His hockey results are Hall of Fame-worthy, so really what he has left to prove is his growth when he's not behind the bench.
Quenneville is one of the best ever to do it, and any NHL coach ranking must feature him at or near the top.
NHL COACH RANKINGS
6. Mike Sullivan, NY Rangers
7. Martin St-Louis, Montreal
8. Rick Tocchet, Philadelphia
9. Spencer Carbery, Washington
10. Peter DeBoer, NY Islanders
11. John Hynes, Minnesota
12. Lindy Ruff, Buffalo
13. Dan Muse, Pittsburgh
14. Rick Bowness, Columbus
15. Peter Laviolette, Los Angeles
16. Jim Montgomery, St. Louis
17. Todd McLellan, Detroit
18. Marco Sturm, Boston
19. Sheldon Keefe, New Jersey
20. Scott Arniel, Winnipeg
21. Travis Green, Ottawa
22. Glen Gulutzan, Dallas
23. Andre Tourigny, Utah
24. Jim Hiller, Toronto
25. Ryan Warsofsky, San Jose
26. Manny Malhotra, Vancouver
27. Ryan Huska, Calgary
28. Mike Babcock, Edmonton
29. Andrew Brunette, Nashville
30. Ryan Craig, Vegas
31. Lane Lambert, Seattle
32. Jeff Blashill, Chicago