Report: Blackhawks will pay 70% of Quenneville’s salary with the Panthers

The Florida Panthers shocked the entire hockey world when they hired former Chicago Blackhawks head coach Joel Quenneville. Coach Q had been linked to coaching vacancies with the Philadelphia Flyers and Edmonton Oilers but no one, and I mean NO ONE, predicted him signing with the Panthers.

Panthers insider George Richards broke the news and first reported on Quenneville’s contract, but Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman has now reported that the Blackhawks will be on the hook for 70% of Quenneville’s $6 million in 2019-20.

Check it out:

The Athletic’s George Richards was first to report the structure, the initial season at $6 million — about 70 per cent of which will be paid by Chicago. After that, it is all Panthers, starting at $5.25 million, with the possibility of escalators to $7 million. Here is one way those escalators work: There are bonuses for things like winning one round, going to the Stanley Cup Final, winning it all, etc. If you reach a bonus, not only do you get that payout, but the amount is added to your base salary for the remainder of your contract. 

Ouch… that’s a lot of bread to pay for someone who’s not even in your organization. Speaking of bread, how much would it hurt Blackhawks fans if the Bread Man himself Artemi Panarin ends up signing with the Panthers, as some insiders have predicted.