Chicago Blackhawks general manager Stan Bowman is debunking the notion that the recent firing of assistant coach Mike Kitchen was intended as a warning for bench boss Joel Quenneville following an early playoff exit.

"People think that's the case, even though there's no validity to it," Bowman told Brian Hedger of the Sun-Times from the World Championship in Germany. "I learned a long time ago that you can't control what other people are going to think or say. We know what the truth is, and none of that is accurate. But that's OK. That's the way it goes."

A new assistant has yet to be named, but Quenneville will play an active role in the hiring process.

"We're not delaying it by any means, but you want to make sure you get the right person," Bowman said. "Joel's going to play a big role in that because he's going to be working with that person day to day."

Quenneville was reportedly upset about Kitchen's firing. The pair had coached together in Chicago since 2010, winning Stanley Cups in 2013 and 2015.

Prior to that, Quenneville and Kitchen worked together from 1998-2003 with the St. Louis Blues.

Quenneville was hired by Chicago in 2008 and is the NHL's longest-tenured head coach.

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