Report: Quenneville turned down Flyers’ offer

In case you missed it, the Florida Panthers made a HUGE shakeup yesterday when they officially hired three time Stanley Cup champion Joel Quenneville to replace Bob Boughner as head coach.

This was a move that, frankly, NO ONE saw coming. Quenneville had been linked to both the Philadelphia Flyers and St. Louis Blues for months now and it seemed like a forgone conclusion that the two teams would battle it out for Coach Q this offseason. Then… OUTTA NOWHERE… Panthers general manager Dale Tallon cans Bob Boughner and hires Quenneville with the snap of his finger.

Maybe we shouldn’t be surprised though, Tallon and Quenneville obviously have a history together from their time with the Chicago Blackhawks. And, according to Panthers insider George Richards, it was the Tallon connection that ultimately led to Quenneville choosing the Panthers over the Flyers, Blues or any other potential candidates.

Check it out: 

Assuming the Flyers were offering up the same $6 million annual deal that Quenneville reportedly signed with the Panthers, it seems like they simply lost out due to politics and nepotism.