First-timers, familiar faces hop on NHL’s coaching carousel

FILE - In this Monday Sept. 18, 2017, file photo, Buffalo Sabres new head coach Phil Housley looks on during the second period of a preseason NHL hockey game against the Carolina Hurricanes, Monday Sept. 18, 2017, in Buffalo, N.Y. (AP Photo/Jeffrey T. Barnes, File) FILE - In this Monday Sept. 18, 2017, file photo, Buffalo Sabres new head coach Phil Housley looks on during the second period of a preseason NHL hockey game against the Carolina Hurricanes, Monday Sept. 18, 2017, in Buffalo, N.Y. (AP Photo/Jeffrey T. Barnes, File)

By Associated Press September 23, 2017 5 min read

When the Boston Bruins fired Claude Julien in February, Joel Quenneville took over as the longest-serving NHL head coach.

Hired in October 2008, Quenneville enters his 10th season with the Chicago Blackhawks amid a continuously rotating cast of coaching peers. Seven teams hired new coaches this offseason, including the first head coach in the history of the league’s 31st franchise, the Vegas Golden Knights.

That doesn’t include the coaches who took over at some point last season, including Julien (Montreal), Mike Yeo (St. Louis), Doug Weight (New York), and Bruce Cassidy (Boston).

Here’s a look from The Canadian Press at the newest hires and the tasks that lie ahead:

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