Players lined the wall and watched intently Friday as Blackhawks general manager Stan Bowman formally announced a three-year contract extension for coach Joel Quenneville.
Positioned nearby, gleaming under the television lights, was the Stanley Cup.
It?s because of those players ? especially those forming the solid core in place for future seasons ? and that coveted trophy that the organization and it?s on-ice leader were motivated to forge a new deal through the 2016-17 season.
?I feel very fortunate to be a part of this organization,? Quenneville said before the opening of the Blackhawks Convention at Hilton Chicago. ?It?s a special place to work and play (and) it?s a special place to live. We love everything about Chicago. It?s a great sports town. I feel privileged to be part of something special. Winning here makes it even more enjoyable. From top to bottom, there are a million reasons why it?s such a perfect spot.?
Quenneville has led the Hawks to two championships since being named the 37th coach in franchise history on Oct. 16, 2008. With the Hawks, he has compiled a 222-106-44 record in 372 regular-season games.
Following their Cup victory over the Bruins last month, Bowman has tinkered with the roster as opposed to tearing it apart like the salary-cap purge after the ?10 title. That sets up Quenneville to be at the helm with players such as Jonathan Toews, Patrick Kane, Patrick Sharp, Marian Hossa, Duncan Keith and Brent Seabrook for the next few seasons.
?Looking at our team, I?m excited,? Quenneville said. ?We?re still young and the upside of this team going forward is still in place. I don?t think there?s too much difference from where we were exiting this season and going forward.
?We feel we?re going to have a strong team and we?d love to get back to where we ended the season. I can?t say enough about how many good attributes (there are) about being here.?
Said veteran winger Sharp: ?It?s exciting for the organization to keep a coach like that around. He has a proven track record where he has had success everywhere he has been, especially here in Chicago. We?re happy to have him.?
Over parts of 16 years coaching in the NHL, Quenneville has recorded a 660-389-162 record with the Blues, Avalanche (2005-08) and Hawks. He leads active head coaches and ranks sixth in NHL history in victories.
?There?s no one we want coaching this team more than Joel,? Bowman said. ?He has done a fantastic job over the years and the record speaks for itself. We?ve had consistent performance year after year ? culminating in the ultimate, winning the Stanley Cup two times.
?He has a presence behind the bench and we have a lot of faith he?s going to be able to get things done.?
ckuc@tribune.com
Twitter @ChrisKuc
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