Nhl: Quenneville becomes second nhl coach with 1,000 wins
Joel Quenneville reached 1, 000 regular-season victories when Cutter Gauthier scored with 1: 14 left to lift the Anaheim Ducks to a 6-5 win over the Edmonton Oilers at Honda Center. The milestone completed a dramatic, back-and-forth game that was each club’s first outing after the break for the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026.
Gauthier's late goal in Anaheim
Cutter Gauthier’s go-ahead goal at 1: 14 remaining capped a 6-5 final and delivered Quenneville his 1, 000th win. Leo Carlsson, who missed the previous 11 games after a procedure to treat a left thigh injury, had a goal and two assists for Anaheim and set up Gauthier for the decisive score. Chris Kreider added two assists and Lukas Dostal made 22 saves as the Ducks improved to 31-23-3 and stretched a home winning streak to six.
Nhl milestone and Scotty Bowman
Quenneville’s coaching record now stands at 1, 000-595-153, and he coached 77 tie games earlier in his career. He joins Scotty Bowman — whose record is 1, 244-573-10 with 314 ties — as the only coaches to reach the milestone. The 67-year-old Quenneville has compiled his 1, 000-595-153 total over 26 seasons. He noted the context of Bowman’s place in the game, saying, “(Bowman’s) in a different league when I look at his company, ” and added that Bowman is “lonesome up there, the number he’s at, ” referencing Bowman’s many championships.
Ducks erase deficits, keep streak
Anaheim erased a pair of two-goal deficits to notch its NHL-leading eighth multigoal comeback victory and its sixth straight win at home. The Ducks are 10-2-0 in their past 12 games. Quenneville described the contest as unpredictable, saying, “It was a tremendous game as far as the unpredictability of the outcome. Both teams looked like they were in complete control of the game at some times of that game. ”
Oilers scoring and goalie changes
Edmonton opened the scoring 13 seconds into the game when Matt Savoie made a stretch pass up the wall to Jack Roslovic, who got behind Ducks defenseman Radko Gudas and scored with a snap shot from the left circle. The Oilers pushed the lead to 2-0 at 9: 03 when Connor McDavid recovered a loose puck behind the Anaheim net and fed Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, who lifted a close-in shot over Dostal’s right shoulder.
Tristan Jarry made 20 saves before being replaced in the third period by Connor Ingram, who recorded three saves. Matt Savoie finished with a goal and two assists, while Nugent-Hopkins and Evan Bouchard each had a goal and an assist. Connor McDavid and Mattias Ekholm each had two assists. Edmonton fell to 28-23-8 and to a season-high four-game losing streak.
Key plays and scoring sequence
Ian Moore cut Anaheim’s deficit to 2-1 at 10: 30 when he stepped into a puck off the side boards and scored up high with a one-timer from the right circle. Alex Killorn stopped a short-handed rush in the Anaheim zone and then put in a rebound while on the power play to tie the game 2-2 at 3: 01 of the second period. The teams traded chances throughout a contest described by Matt Savoie as “a hard-fought game, ” adding, “Trading chances on both sides, just gave up a little too much and they were able to capitalize. ”
Quenneville's return, background and reaction
Quenneville is in his first season with Anaheim after being hired on May 8, 2025, ten months after he was reinstated by the league. He had been out of the NHL since 2021, when the league determined he had an “inadequate response” to allegations of sexual assault within the Chicago Blackhawks while he was coach there. Quenneville said he wasn’t prioritizing the number, noting, “I just wanted to play well tonight and find a way to win. That was the motivation, and it turned out to be a very special one as well. ” Asked whether he ever thought he would get another coaching opportunity, he said, “It’s something I don’t think about. My motivation, my goals were always once you win a Cup one time, you can’t wait to do it again. And that’s always been the reason why we’re doing what we’re doing. ”
After the game, Ducks players gave Quenneville an ovation and surprised him in the locker room by wearing fake versions of his signature mustache. Defenseman Jacob Trouba said, “Very happy for him. He’s come out here, he’s been a great coach for us. I think he’s been just kind of a breath of fresh air coming in here and we’re excited to play for him. He’s a good coach. ” Radko Gudas, who played under Quenneville in Florida, praised the coach’s perspective: “The way he’s looking at the game, and the other team, is something you can’t really teach. It just has to come with experience. Being the second one that can do it or will do it is absolutely, in” unclear in the provided context.
Bowman’s total of 1, 244 wins may be out of reach; observers note it could take Quenneville at least five more seasons to match it. Quenneville remains the active leader ahead of Paul Maurice, whose 945 wins rank third all-time.
Final score: Anaheim 6, Edmonton 5. Goal that clinched the game: Cutter Gauthier with 1: 14 remaining at Honda Center.
