Report: Quenneville out as Panthers coach, Tortorella identified as likely replacement

This just in from ESPN NHL insider Kevin Weekes, the Florida Panthers are reportedly parting ways with head coach Joel Quenneville following yesterday's damning report that revealed Quenneville's involvement in covering up an alleged sexual abuse scandal from his time with the Chicago Blackhawks.

Even more, Weekes reports that longtime NHL coach John Tortorella, now under contract as an analyst for ESPN, is Quenneville's likely replacement.

Quenneville, of course, is alleged to have had intimate knowledge about the abuse suffered by then Blackhawks prospect Kyle Beach at the hands of the team's then video coach Brad Aldrich. Beach has stated that he himself saw meetings being held by Quenneville in an effort to address the assault.

"I witnessed meetings right after I reported [the assault] to James Gary that were held in Joel Quenneville's office," Beach said yesterday to TSN's Rick Westhead. "There's absolutely no way he can deny knowing it."

Quenneville, meanwhile, has denied having any knowledge of the abuse and has stated that he only learned of it when Beach's allegations became public this past offseason. Again, Beach maintains that Quenneville is lying. Regardless of what happened or didn't happen though, it's clear that Quenneville's meeting with NHL commissioner Gary Bettman earlier today has resulted in Quenneville either resigning from his position with the team or with the team dismissing him. It's also worth noting that Quenneville did indeed coach the Panthers to a 4-1 victory over the Boston Bruins yesterday evening and there were multiple reports that the Panthers had decided to give him "one more game" before officially resigning.

Earlier this evening TSN's Chris Johnston reported that "all options remain on the table" with regards to Quenneville's job with the Panthers and, if Weekes' reporting is accurate, it appears that one of those options was to remove Quenneville from the Panthers.

From earlier today:

"It's my understanding that all options remain on the table, that he might have his contract terminated, he could be asked to resign or there could still be a suspension at play here."

- Chris Johnston, TSN

More to come on this breaking news story including official confirmation from additional sources and/or from the Panthers organization itself.