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<< Previous   of   Next >> AP  (click to enlarge) Coach Joel Quenneville (above) and the Colorado Avalanche mutually decided to end their relationship Friday, a week after the team was swept out of the NHL playoffs by the Detroit Red Wings.   ADVERTISEMENT   CONTACT THE HERALD Report scores and results to 425-339-3470 or 1-866-6-SCORES (Call after 4:30 p.m.) E-mail information including items for Tuesday's Communities Sports Roundup and Thursday's Outdoor Calendar, to sports@heraldnet.com Kevin Brown, Sports Editor kbrown@heraldnet.com   Published: Friday, May 9, 2008 NHL: Colorado coach won't return next season Associated Press DENVER — The Colorado Avalanche want to play a faster, more attacking brand of hockey, similar to the style that brought them two Stanley Cup titles. Now, they’re looking for a coach who fits that description. Joel Quenneville and the Avalanche mutually decided to end their relationship Friday, a week after Colorado was swept out of the playoffs by the Detroit Red Wings. Quenneville was 131-92-23 in three seasons with Colorado, but just 2-2 in playoff series after inheriting a team that was on the slide after a decade of dominance in the NHL. “Whatever happens going forward, my memories are all going to be positive here,” Quenneville said. Avalanche executive vice president and general manager Francois Giguere doesn’t have a timeline for when he’ll hire a new coach, but he does have one requirement — an up-tempo philosophy. He wants the Avalanche to play with more speed. “We’ve always been an organization that’s been a puck possession, upbeat, high tempo, high energy, attacking (team),” said Giguere, whose franchise captured the Cup in ‘96 and ‘01. “That’s the way the Avalanche have always played and I think that’s the way I foresee this team continuing to play.” Quenneville thought the Avalanche were serious Stanley Cup contenders after beating Minnesota in a first-round series. Then, injuries hit — again. Peter Forsberg (groin), leading scorer Paul Stastny (knee) and forwards Ryan Smyth (foot) and Wojtek Wolski (ribs) all joined Marek Svatos (knee) on the bench as the Avalanche could never muster any momentum as Detroit rolled past them. “We believed we had a real good chance and things changed quickly in that Detroit series,” Quenneville said. “The ending leaves a sour taste, but at the same time there’s a lot of good things we should be proud of.” Quenneville said the two sides are departing on good terms. “We’ll still be able to say ‘Hi’ to each other,” he said. The future of Quenneville’s staff remains in limbo. It will be up to the new coach whether assistant coaches Jacques Cloutier, Tony Granato and Jeff Hackett remain. Quenneville was an assistant with the Avalanche during their Stanley Cup run in 1996, then was hired away by St. Louis. He spent eight seasons with the Blues, becoming the team’s winningest coach with 307 victories. In 2004, Quenneville became the fourth coach in Avalanche history. He coached his 800th game this season, joining Bob Pulford and Jacques Lemaire as the only coaches in NHL history to both play and coach in 800 or more games.

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