from Greg Cote of the Miami Herald,
Hockey is back in South Florida. The Florida Panthers are a player in this market again. The team is instantly relevant again. Playoffs? A franchise that has rarely been in them in its history is now thinking higher — Stanley Cup high.
All of that became true Monday because the Cats introduced as their new coach the most accomplished man and proven winner in his profession to join a local team since the Heat got Pat Riley in 1995.
Joel Quenneville — they call him Q — is that big in NHL circles, a three-time champion as a head coach, and the second-winningest coach in the sport’s history. It may not be a household name outside of hockey, but in it he is of a Bill Belichick-type stature.
It cannot be overstated how the Panthers have hit the lottery here, and what’s refreshing is, there were no attempts to modestly downplay anything about the magnitude of this get. After a parade of 15 previous coaches in 25 seasons, Florida finally has found its answer....
It was suggested to Tallon that he’d just found his Riley, or his Don Shula.
“Exactly,” he said, smiling.
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