from Frank Seravalli of TSN,

And they’re off!

In a nod to noted horse racing fan Joel Quenneville, it’s fair to say that Coach Q opened the gates on the NHL’s spring coaching derby when he joined the Florida Panthers on Monday.

Quenneville’s hiring came just a few hours into Day 2 of the off-season.

The Panthers’ hiring of the three-time Stanley Cup winner, maybe the best coach of his generation, has sent teams with vacancies scrambling toward the finish line for the best thoroughbred bench boss.

Officially, seven teams have openings after one of the bloodiest years for in-season coach firings on-record: Anaheim, Buffalo, Edmonton, Los Angeles, Ottawa, Philadelphia and St. Louis.

Nearly one-third of the NHL’s coaching positions could change over since the puck was dropped on the start of this season.

And the Minnesota Wild could make it eight vacancies, with GM Paul Fenton believed to be deliberating Bruce Boudreau’s fate. Like Quenneville, Boudreau would have his pick of the litter. This marked the first full season that Boudreau failed to make the playoffs and hit 100 points in his 12-year coaching career.

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