When asked if Bowman foresaw Quenneville, whose contract expires at the end of the 2013-14 season, coaching the Hawks next season, the GM chuckled and answered: "Yes."
However, the Tribune believes that other signs are pointing to some discord in Chicago, which could prompt Quenneville to start anew with friend Marc Bergevin, the new GM, in Montreal.
Quenneville was reportedly not pleased when director of player development Barry Smith, a longtime associate to Hawks senior adviser Scotty Bowman, joined practices throughout the season to help the club work on its struggling power play.
When Bowman met the media after the Hawks were eliminated in six games by the Phoenix Coyotes in Round One, the GM stated that there was no such turmoil.
"Our relationship wasn't strained at all," Bowman said back on April 25. "We have great communication back and forth. We see things very similarly in terms of areas that need improvement. So, from that perspective, I think there's a lot of synergy between the two of us."
Bowman had also added that he would talk with Quenneville about potential staff changes first.
