Ducks part ways with two assistant coaches

The Ducks will not retain assistant coaches Brent Thompson and Rich Clune for next season, the club confirmed on Saturday.

That decision was expected given that the Ducks had sacked Greg Cronin as head coach last month. They then hired the simultaneously decorated and disgraced Joel Quenneville on Thursday. Quenneville guided the Blackhawks to three Stanley Cups but later saw those feats tainted by a sexual abuse scandal involving former Chicago video coach Brad Aldrich.

Thompson joined the staff alongside Cronin two seasons ago, while Clune took over power-play responsibilities just last season. Both came from AHL affiliates, with Thompson arriving from the New York Islanders system and Clune having cut his teeth in the Toronto Maple Leafs organization.

The Ducks’ special teams – Thompson ran the penalty kill – gave them two Achilles heels last season. Their streaky PK routinely sapped momentum from their even-strength game, and their power play seldom generated any steam for their five-on-five effort. That was despite significant input from GM Pat Verbeek, albeit little in depth or quality in either area of special teams personnel.

Quenneville will now surely select his assistants. His last job before being barred from seeking employment by the NHL for his inadequate response to the Aldrich sexual abuse allegations when he was stewarding the Chicago Blackhawks dynasty was with the Florida Panthers.

Two of his assistants there, Andrew Brunette and Derek MacKenzie, are both with the Nashville Predators. Brunette, who took over for Quenneville in Florida, is the head coach of the Preds. Tuomo Ruuttu remained with Florida (as well as the Finnish national team) and won a Stanley Cup there last season. Ulf Samuelsson parted ways with the Panthers at the same time Quenneville did, early in the 2021-22 season, and has not coached in the NHL subsequently.