After two and a half years in purgatory, Stan Bowman, Al MacIsaac and Joel Quenneville are once again allowed to seek NHL employment.
The league made the announcement Monday afternoon.
All three hockey players had been banned from the NHL in recent years because of their inappropriate response when they were informed in 2010 of allegations that Blackhawks player Kyle Beach had been assaulted by the club’s video coach.
Quenneville resigned as head coach of the Panthers in the wake of the scandal. Bowman and MacIsaac, the Blackhawks’ general manager and senior vice-president of hockey operations, respectively, also left their jobs.
“While it is clear that at the time their responses were unacceptable, each of these three individuals has acknowledged this and has used their time away from hockey to engage in activities that not only demonstrate sincere remorse for what happened, but also demonstrate a greater awareness of the responsibilities that all NHL personnel have, particularly those personnel in leadership positions,” the NHL said in a statement.
“In addition, each has made significant personal progress through participation in a number of programs, many of which focused on the imperative of responding effectively and meaningfully to alleged acts of abuse. The League expects them to continue this commitment in any future role within the NHL and/or one of our clubs.”
All eyes are now on the Columbus Blue Jackets, the only team without a head coach in the NHL. New boss Don Waddell had made it clear he was looking for an experienced man to replace Pascal Vincent, who was fired two weeks ago.
In Edmonton, Bowman’s name is likely to circulate quickly, as the team has been without a permanent general manager since Ken Holland left a few days ago.