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Pat Quinn
Pat Brian Patrick Quinn (Player/ Coach/ General Manager) Defense The Player: Pat Quinn was born and raised in Hamilton, Ontario. He played his NHL hockey as a defenceman for the Toronto Maple Leafs, Atlanta Flames and the Vancouver Canucks (1968-77). He is noted for being winner of the Memorial Cup as both a player, Edmonton Oil Kings, (1963), and as an owner, Vancouver Giants (2007). Before reaching the NHL Quinn played 2 seasons for the Hamilton Tiger Cubs of the OHA. The team finished dead last in the standings those two seasons, but that was where Quinn first established himself as a tough guy not afraid to drop the gloves. After playing a few years in the minors, he was finally called up to play for the Toronto Maple Leafs. He is best remembered there for his bone-crunching check on Boston Bruins defenceman Bobby Orr in the 1969 NHL playoffs where the Bruins swept the Maple Leafs four games straight and eliminated them from the playoffs. Quinn had engaged in a brawl with Orr earlier in the season and Bruins' fans to this day feel that the Quinn hit on Orr was retaliation. He was then picked up by the Vancouver Canucks in the 1970s Expansion
Draft. Two years NHL Coach: Pat Quinn the hockey player went on to have an even more stellar
career behind the bench as a hockey coach, both in the NHL and
International hockey tournaments. He is winner of the Jack Adams
trophy as the NHL's top coach in 1980 with Philadelphia Flyers
and 1992 His first crack behind the bench was as an assistant to Fred Shero in Philadelphia for the Flyers, 1977-78 season. The following season was made the head coach of the Flyers' farm team, Maine Mariners, where he coached for half a season before being called up by the Flyers to become their new head coach. His second season there took the team to the Stanley Cup Finals where they lost to the New York Islanders dynasty team of Mike Bossy, Bryan Trottier, Denis Potvin and Billy Smith. During his third season with Philadelphia, 1981, the Flyers went on to record an NHL record 35 game winning streak, which still stands today. That season Quinn also signed a brand new 5-year contract with the Flyers but was terminated two years into the deal. Quinn continued to be paid by the Flyers for the next three years and enrolled himself in Law School, getting a LLB from the Widener University School of Law, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, and finishing his degree at the University of San Diego while he was also coaching the Los Angeles Kings. (Note: Eventually Quinn also graduated with a B.A. from York University in Toronto, Ontario) He returned to the NHL behind the bench coaching the Los Angeles Kings in the 1984-85 season, and was there for three seasons. First year that he was there the team played 2-games above .500 and was eliminated in the first round of the playoffs. The next two seasons after that the Kings played below .500 and failed to qualify for the playoffs. During his third and final season with the Kings, Quinn was fined and suspended by NHL President John Zieglar for accepting a $100,000 signing bonus from the Vancouver Canucks while still being employed by the L.A. Kings. The League also fined the Canucks and as well the Kings for not reporting the incident promptly. In 1987-88 season Quinn became President and General Manager of
the Vancouver Canucks. When his coaching ban was lifted, he then
moved behind the bench in Vancouver, where he managed to
stay for 5 seasons on a team that featured the high-scoring and
charismatic "Russian
Rocket", Pavel Bure. The highlight of Quinn's five year
stay there was an appearance in the 1993-94 Stanley Cup Finals
where they lost out to eventual winners, Mark Messier and the New
York Rangers. Soon after the club went through with an ownership
change Quinn was In 1998 Quinn returned behind the bench in the NHL, this time
for the Toronto Maple Leafs, where he eventually was given
additional duties of general manager of the club. He instantly International Hockey Coach: Some would argue that Quinn has an even better coaching record
outside the NHL coaching Pat Quinn also coached Team Canada to victory in the 2004 World Cup of Hockey with a perfect 6-0 record, capping with a 3-2 victory over Finland in the Final. Joe Sakic and Martin Brodeur were key players for Canada in that tournament. In their quest for Olympic gold, Hockey Canada, the umbrella organization
that oversees Canadian hockey, turned to Quinn to lead Team
Canada's effort for a second consecutive Olympic Gold Medal at
the 2006 Winter Olympics held in Turin, Italy. Despite top seeding, In 2006, Pat Quinn resumed his coaching by leading Team Canada to the 2006 Spengler Cup final, an annual ice hockey tournament held in Davos, Switzerland. He served as head coach for Team Canada once again, this time
in the 2008 IIHF World U18 Championships, taking Canada to
the finals against Russia, played on April 23, 2008, a In 2008 Pat Quinn was named the head coach of the Canadian Junior National team. Honours: * Member of the committee that determines who is inducted into
the * June 9, 2005, The city of Hamilton honoured Pat Quinn at a special
ceremony at Parkdale * June 8, 2006, Pat Quinn returned to his hometown in Hamilton,
Ontario to accept an honorary Personal: Quinn is a cousin of former professional wrestler "Big" John Quinn.
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