Blackhawks Hire Dineen As Assistant
(CBS) Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville has turned to an old friend to join his staff.
Chicago has hired Kevin Dineen as an assistant coach, it announced Monday morning. The 50-year-old Dineen and Quenneville were teammates with the Hartford Whalers from 1984-'90.
Dineen most recently has been coach of the Canadian women's national team, which won the gold medal in the 2014 Winter Olympics.
"I am thrilled to join Joel Quenneville, a future hall of fame coach, and Mike Kitchen, as we strive to reach the ultimate goal in professional hockey," Dineen said. "After spending time speaking with John McDonough, Stan Bowman and Al MacIsaac, it is easy to understand why the Chicago Blackhawks are considered one of the top franchises in all of professional sports. Starting with Rocky Wirtz and continuing through the rest of the organization, the measure of success is very high in Chicago. I look forward to supporting the coaching staff and working with some of the best players in the National Hockey League."
Prior directing Team Canada, Dineen was the coach of the Florida Panthers from 2011-'13, and he also has a wealth of experience in the AHL.
"Kevin brings proven leadership qualities, having served as an alternate captain and captain for several of his teams during his 19-year NHL career," Blackhawks general manager Stan Bowman said.. "He will bring another well-respected voice to our coaching staff and we look forward to his contributions to our team."