Kevin Dineen facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

Quick facts for kids Kevin Dineen
Dineen in 2006
Born	(1963-10-28) October 28, 1963 (age 61) Quebec City, Quebec, Canada
Height	5 ft 11 in (180 cm)
Weight	190 lb (86 kg; 13 st 8 lb)
Position	Right wing
Shot	Right
Played for	Hartford Whalers Philadelphia Flyers Carolina Hurricanes Ottawa Senators Columbus Blue Jackets
Current AHL coach	Utica Comets
Coached for	Florida Panthers (Head Coach) Portland Pirates (Head Coach) San Diego Gulls (Head Coach) Chicago Blackhawks (Assistant)
National team	Canada
NHL Draft	56th overall, 1982 Hartford Whalers
Playing career	1984–2002
Coaching career	2005–Present

Kevin William Dineen (born October 28, 1963) is a Canadian professional ice hockey coach and former player. He was the head coach of the Utica Comets in the American Hockey League (AHL) from 2021 to 2024. Before that, Dineen was the head coach for the Florida Panthers and an assistant coach for the Chicago Blackhawks. He was born in Quebec City, Quebec.

Playing Career Highlights

Early Hockey Days

Kevin Dineen started playing junior hockey when he was 17. He played for the St. Michael's Buzzers in the 1980–81 season. He scored 15 goals and had 43 points in 40 games.

After that, he went to college and played for the University of Denver Pioneers. In his first year (1981–82), he scored 10 goals. The Hartford Whalers then picked him in the third round of the 1982 NHL Entry Draft. He played one more year in college, serving as captain, before joining the Canadian national team.

Playing for Team Canada

Before starting his professional career, Kevin played for the Canadian national hockey team in the 1983–84 season. He scored 5 goals and had 16 points in 52 games. He also played in the 1984 Winter Olympics in Sarajevo, representing his country.

Time with the Hartford Whalers

Kevin Dineen began his professional career in the 1984–85 season. He played a few games in the minor leagues before joining the Hartford Whalers in the NHL. He scored 25 goals in his first 57 NHL games.

In the 1985–86 season, he scored 33 goals and helped the Whalers win their first playoff series. The 1986–87 season was a big one for Kevin. He scored a team-high 40 goals and helped Hartford finish first in their division.

He had his best season in 1988–89, scoring a career-high 45 goals and 89 points. He was also chosen to play in the NHL All-Star Game in both 1988 and 1989. Kevin played for the Whalers until November 1991, when he was traded to the Philadelphia Flyers.

Years with the Philadelphia Flyers

Joining the Philadelphia Flyers meant Kevin got to play for his father, Bill Dineen, who was the Flyers' head coach. He quickly improved his scoring, getting 26 goals in 64 games that season.

In 1992–93, he scored 35 goals, which was his highest total since his time with the Whalers. He was named the Flyers' captain for the 1993–94 season. In 1995, the Flyers made it to the Eastern Conference finals in the playoffs. After the 1995–96 season began, Kevin was traded back to the Hartford Whalers.

Return to Hartford and Carolina Hurricanes

Back with the Hartford Whalers, Kevin was named team captain for the 1996–97 season. On April 13, 1997, he scored the very last goal in Whalers history. After that game, he thanked the fans for their support. The team then moved to North Carolina and became the Carolina Hurricanes.

Kevin was the Hurricanes' first captain and scored their first goal in the 1997–98 season. He played for the Hurricanes until 1999, helping them reach the playoffs for the first time.

Later NHL Teams

Kevin then played for the Ottawa Senators in the 1999–2000 season. After that, he was chosen by the new Columbus Blue Jackets team in the 2000 NHL Expansion Draft. He played two full seasons with the Blue Jackets before retiring from playing on November 5, 2002.

In his long career, Kevin Dineen played 1,188 NHL games. He scored 355 goals and had 760 points. His jersey number 11 was honored by the AHL's Hartford Wolf Pack in 2006.

International Hockey Appearances

Kevin Dineen played for Team Canada many times. Besides the 1984 Winter Olympics, he also played in several World Ice Hockey Championships:

1985: 3 goals, 5 points in 10 games.
1987: 4 goals, 6 points in 9 games.
1989: 3 goals, 10 points in 10 games.
1993: 1 goal, 3 points in 8 games.

He also played for the NHL All-Stars against the Soviet Union in a special series called Rendez-vous '87.

Coaching Career

Leading the Portland Pirates

In 2005, Kevin Dineen became the head coach of the Portland Pirates, a minor league team in the AHL. In his first season (2005–06), he led the Pirates to a fantastic record, earning him the Louis A. R. Pieri Memorial Award as the AHL's best coach. The team made it to the conference finals that year. He coached the Pirates for six seasons, leading them to the playoffs four times.

Coaching the Florida Panthers

In May 2011, Kevin became the head coach of the Florida Panthers in the NHL. In his first season, he led the Panthers to their first division title in team history. This was also their first time in the playoffs in 12 years! They lost in the first round of the 2012 Stanley Cup Playoffs. He coached the Panthers until November 2013.

Coaching Team Canada Women's Team

In December 2013, Kevin Dineen was named the head coach of Team Canada's women's national ice hockey team. He led them to a gold medal at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia. This was Canada's fourth straight Olympic gold in women's hockey! He also coached the Canadian National Men's Under-18 Team to a bronze medal in 2014.

Assistant Coach with the Chicago Blackhawks

In July 2014, Kevin joined the Chicago Blackhawks as an assistant coach. He worked with Joel Quenneville, who used to be his teammate. As an assistant coach, Kevin won his first Stanley Cup with the Blackhawks on June 15, 2015. He stayed with the team until November 2018.

Coaching the San Diego Gulls

From 2019 to 2021, Kevin was the head coach of the San Diego Gulls, another AHL team. He led them to a good record over two seasons.

Current Role with the Utica Comets

In August 2021, Kevin Dineen was hired as the head coach of the Utica Comets, the AHL team for the New Jersey Devils. In November 2021, the Comets set a new AHL record for the longest winning streak to start a season, with thirteen wins in a row. He coached the Comets until 2024.

Personal Life

Outside of hockey, Kevin Dineen is a spokesperson for the Crohn's & Colitis Foundation of America. He is the son of former NHL player and coach Bill Dineen. Kevin has four brothers and one sister. Even though he was born in Canada, he grew up mostly in the United States because of his father's hockey career. Kevin and his wife, Annie, have four children.

Career Statistics

Here are Kevin Dineen's statistics from his playing career in the regular season and playoffs:

			Regular season					Playoffs
Season	Team	League	GP	G	A	Pts	PIM	GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
1980–81	St. Michael's Buzzers	MetJHL	40	15	28	43	167	—	—	—	—	—
1981–82	University of Denver	WCHA	26	10	10	20	70	—	—	—	—	—
1982–83	University of Denver	WCHA	36	16	13	29	108	—	—	—	—	—
1983–84	Canada	Intl	52	5	11	16	2	—	—	—	—	—
1984–85	Binghamton Whalers	AHL	25	15	8	23	41	—	—	—	—	—
1984–85	Hartford Whalers	NHL	57	25	16	41	120	—	—	—	—	—
1985–86	Hartford Whalers	NHL	57	33	35	68	124	10	6	7	13	8
1986–87	Hartford Whalers	NHL	78	40	39	79	110	6	2	1	3	31
1987–88	Hartford Whalers	NHL	74	25	25	50	217	6	4	4	8	8
1988–89	Hartford Whalers	NHL	79	45	44	89	167	4	1	0	1	10
1989–90	Hartford Whalers	NHL	67	25	41	66	164	6	3	2	5	18
1990–91	Hartford Whalers	NHL	61	17	30	47	104	6	1	0	1	16
1991–92	Hartford Whalers	NHL	16	4	2	6	23	—	—	—	—	—
1991–92	Philadelphia Flyers	NHL	64	26	30	56	130	—	—	—	—	—
1992–93	Philadelphia Flyers	NHL	83	35	28	63	201	—	—	—	—	—
1993–94	Philadelphia Flyers	NHL	71	19	23	42	113	—	—	—	—	—
1994–95	Philadelphia Flyers	NHL	40	8	5	13	39	15	6	4	10	18
1994–95	Houston Aeros	IHL	17	6	4	10	42	—	—	—	—	—
1995–96	Philadelphia Flyers	NHL	26	0	2	2	50	—	—	—	—	—
1995–96	Hartford Whalers	NHL	20	2	7	9	67	—	—	—	—	—
1996–97	Hartford Whalers	NHL	78	19	29	48	141	—	—	—	—	—
1997–98	Carolina Hurricanes	NHL	54	7	16	23	105	—	—	—	—	—
1998–99	Carolina Hurricanes	NHL	67	8	10	18	97	6	0	0	0	8
1999–2000	Ottawa Senators	NHL	67	4	8	12	67	—	—	—	—	—
2000–01	Columbus Blue Jackets	NHL	66	8	7	15	126	—	—	—	—	—
2001–02	Columbus Blue Jackets	NHL	59	5	8	13	62	—	—	—	—	—
2002–03	Columbus Blue Jackets	NHL	4	0	0	0	12	—	—	—	—	—
NHL totals			1,188	355	405	760	2,229	59	23	18	41	127

International Play Statistics

Here are Kevin Dineen's statistics from his international games:

Year	Team	Event	GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
1984	Canada	OG	7	0	0	0	8
1985	Canada	WC	10	3	2	5	10
1987	Canada	WC	9	4	2	6	20
1987	Canada	CC	3	1	2	3	0
1989	Canada	WC	10	3	7	10	12
1993	Canada	WC	8	1	2	3	8
Senior totals			47	12	15	27	58

Coaching Record

NHL Coaching Record

Team	Year	Regular season						Postseason
Team	Year	Games	Won	Lost	OTL/ SOL	Points	Finish	Won	Lost	Result
FLA	2011–12	82	38	26	18	94	1st in Southeast Division	3	4	Lost in First Round (NJD)
FLA	2012–13	48	15	27	6	36	5th in Southeast Division	—	—	Did not qualify
FLA	2013–14	16	3	9	4	(10)	7th in Atlantic Division	—	—	Fired mid-season
Total		146	56	62	28	.474	1 Division championship	3	4	0 Stanley Cups

Minor League Coaching Record

Team	Year	Regular season							Postseason
Team	Year	G	W	L	OTL	SOL	Pts	Finish	Result
POR	2005–06	80	53	19	5	3	114	1st in Atlantic	Won in division semi-finals (4-2 vs. PRO) Won in division finals (4-2 vs. HFD) Lost in conference finals (3-4 vs. HER)
POR	2006–07	80	37	31	3	9	86	6th in Atlantic	Did not qualify
POR	2007–08	80	45	26	5	4	99	3rd in Atlantic	Won in division semi-finals (4-1 vs. HFD) Won in division finals (4-2 vs. PRO) Lost in conference finals (3-4 vs. WBS)
POR	2008–09	80	39	31	3	7	88	3rd in Atlantic	Lost in division semi-finals (1-4 vs. PRO)
POR	2009–10	80	45	24	7	4	101	2nd in Atlantic	Lost in division semi-finals (0-4 vs. MAN
POR	2010–11	80	47	24	7	2	103	1st in Atlantic	Won in division semi-finals (4-2 vs. CT) Lost in division finals (2-4 vs. BNG)
POR totals	2005–2011	480	266	155	30	29	591	1 division title	29-29 (0.500) - 0 Calder Cups
SD	2019–20	57	30	19	6	2	68	4th in Pacific	Playoffs cancelled
SD	2020–21	44	26	17	1	0	53	3rd in Pacific	Lost in division semi-finals (1-2 vs. BAK)
SD totals	2019–2021	101	56	36	7	2	121	0 division titles	1-2 (0.333) - 0 Calder Cups
AHL totals	2005–2021	581	322	191	37	31	712	1 division title	30-31 (0.492) - 0 Calder Cups