Pat Quinn (ice hockey) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Pat Quinn |
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| Hockey Hall of Fame, 2016 (Builder) | |||
Quinn at the 2012 NHL Winter Classic
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| Born | January 29, 1943 Hamilton, Ontario, Canada |
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| Died | November 23, 2014 (aged 71) Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada |
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| Height | 6 ft 3 in (191 cm) | ||
| Weight | 215 lb (98 kg; 15 st 5 lb) | ||
| Position | Defence | ||
| Shot | Left | ||
| Played for | Toronto Maple Leafs Vancouver Canucks Atlanta Flames |
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| Coached for | Philadelphia Flyers Los Angeles Kings Vancouver Canucks Toronto Maple Leafs Edmonton Oilers |
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| Playing career | 1963–1977 | ||
| Coaching career | 1977–2010 | ||
John Brian Patrick Quinn (January 29, 1943 – November 23, 2014) was a Canadian ice hockey player, coach, and manager. People knew him as "The Big Irishman." He coached several teams in the National Hockey League (NHL), including the Philadelphia Flyers, Los Angeles Kings, Vancouver Canucks, Toronto Maple Leafs, and Edmonton Oilers. He led his teams to the Stanley Cup Finals twice.
Quinn also coached Team Canada to big wins. He helped them win gold medals at the 2002 Winter Olympics, the 2008 IIHF World U18 Championships, and the 2009 World Junior Championship. He also won the World Cup in 2004. Before coaching, Quinn played nine seasons as a defenceman in the NHL. He won a Memorial Cup as a player in 1963 and later as a team owner in 2007.
Contents
- Playing Career: From Junior to the NHL
- Management and Coaching: Leading NHL Teams
- Personal Life and Legacy
- Images for kids
Playing Career: From Junior to the NHL
Patrick Quinn started his hockey journey in junior leagues with the Hamilton Tiger Cubs. He even got a scholarship to Michigan Tech, a university. But he couldn't play there because he had already signed a contract with the Detroit Red Wings.
Instead, he joined the Edmonton Oil Kings in a different league. In 1963, he helped the Oil Kings win the Memorial Cup, which is a big championship for junior teams. He played alongside Glen Sather, who also became a famous NHL player and coach.
Turning Pro and NHL Debut
Quinn became a professional player in 1963. He played in several minor leagues before getting called up to the Toronto Maple Leafs in 1968. This was his first time playing in the NHL.
During his first season with the Maple Leafs, he became well-known for a big hit. He checked Bobby Orr, a superstar player for the Boston Bruins, during the 1969 playoffs. This hit made Orr fall unconscious and caused a big fight between the two teams.
After two seasons with the Maple Leafs, the Vancouver Canucks picked Quinn in a special draft in 1970. He played two seasons in Vancouver. Then, the Atlanta Flames chose him in another draft in 1972, and he became their team captain. Quinn had to stop playing hockey early in 1977 because of an ankle injury.
Management and Coaching: Leading NHL Teams
After his playing career, Quinn became a coach and manager. He led several NHL teams and had a big impact on the game.
Philadelphia Flyers: An Unbeaten Streak
In 1977, Quinn started as an assistant coach for the Philadelphia Flyers. The next year, he became the head coach of their minor league team, the Maine Mariners. But soon, he returned to the Flyers as their head coach.
In his first full season with the Flyers (1979–80 NHL season), Quinn led the team on an amazing run. They went 35 games without losing! This incredible streak helped them reach the 1980 Stanley Cup Finals. They lost to the New York Islanders in six games, but Quinn won the Jack Adams Award as the best coach of the year. He coached the Flyers for two more years.
Los Angeles Kings: A Contract Dispute
Quinn took a short break from hockey to study law at Widener University. In 1984, he became the head coach of the Los Angeles Kings. He helped the Kings improve a lot and reach the playoffs after two years. However, they lost to the Edmonton Oilers.
In 1986, Quinn signed a contract to become the President and General Manager of the Vancouver Canucks. But he was still under contract with the Kings. This caused a big problem. The NHL President, John Ziegler Jr., suspended Quinn. This meant Quinn couldn't coach in the NHL until 1990. He also couldn't start his job with the Canucks until June. The Kings even tried to sue the Canucks.
Vancouver Canucks: Building a Contender
Because of the suspension, Quinn joined the Canucks in 1987–88 as President and General Manager. He made some very important moves for the team. He brought in future star goalie Kirk McLean and forward Greg Adams.
Quinn also made great choices in the NHL Entry Draft. He picked Trevor Linden in 1988, who became a team captain and a fan favorite. In 1989, he picked Pavel Bure much later in the draft. Bure became a superstar, known as "The Russian Rocket," and scored many goals for the Canucks. Both Linden and Bure had their jerseys retired by the Canucks, showing how important they were.
The Pavel Bure Draft Story
Picking Pavel Bure was a bit controversial. Quinn chose him in the sixth round, but some thought Bure wasn't eligible to be drafted yet. Quinn's scout found a rule that allowed Bure to be drafted early because he had played in some extra games. The league first said the pick was illegal, but Quinn and the Canucks fought the decision. Finally, the league agreed that the pick was valid.
In 1991, Quinn was allowed to coach again, so he took over as the Canucks' head coach. He won his second Jack Adams Award in 1991–92 because the Canucks improved so much. The team continued to be strong, and in 1994, they reached the Stanley Cup Finals. They played against the New York Rangers in a thrilling seven-game series but lost the final game.
After this, Quinn stopped coaching to focus on being the team's President and General Manager. In 1997, new owners took over the Canucks and fired Quinn because they didn't agree on how to run the team.
Toronto Maple Leafs: A New Era
Before the 1998–99 NHL season, Quinn became the head coach of the Toronto Maple Leafs. Under his leadership, the Maple Leafs became a much faster and higher-scoring team. They reached the conference finals in his first season but lost to the Buffalo Sabres. Quinn was also given the job of General Manager.
The Maple Leafs continued to be a strong team under Quinn. In 2002, they reached the conference finals again but were eliminated by the Carolina Hurricanes. In 2003, Quinn was replaced as General Manager, but he remained the head coach.
After the 2004–05 NHL lockout, the Maple Leafs missed the playoffs in 2005–06 for the first time with Quinn as coach. Because of this, Quinn was fired in April 2006. Even though the team had many injuries to key players, they still finished the season strongly with younger players.
International Coaching: Gold Medals for Canada
Quinn also had great success coaching Team Canada in international tournaments.
2002 Winter Olympics Gold
At the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, Utah, Quinn coached Team Canada to a historic gold medal. It was Canada's first Olympic hockey gold since 1952! They won by beating Team USA 5–2 in the final game. Fans gave him a huge cheer when he returned to the NHL after the Olympics.
World Cup and Junior Success
Two years later, in 2004, Quinn coached Team Canada to win the 2004 World Cup. They had a perfect record, winning all six games, and beat Finland 3–2 in the final.
Quinn coached Team Canada again at the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin. But this time, the team didn't do as well and lost in the quarter-finals.
He then coached Team Canada at the 2006 Spengler Cup, where they reached the final but lost. Quinn also coached junior teams for Canada. In 2008, he led the Canadian under-18 team to a gold medal at the 2008 IIHF World U18 Championships, winning 8–0 against Russia. In 2009, he coached the Canadian under-20 team to a fifth straight gold medal at the 2009 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships.
Edmonton Oilers: Final NHL Coaching Role
After three years away from the NHL, Quinn returned to coach the Edmonton Oilers on May 26, 2009. In his only season with the Oilers, the team finished last in the league. He was replaced as head coach in 2010 but stayed with the Oilers as a Senior Adviser for one more season.
Personal Life and Legacy
Patrick Quinn was born in Hamilton, Ontario. He was a cousin of the professional wrestler "Big" John Quinn.
He earned a degree in economics from York University in 1972. After he stopped playing hockey, he decided to go to law school. He earned his law degree from Widener University School of Law. Even though he never worked as a lawyer, his legal knowledge helped him a lot in his management jobs with the Canucks and Maple Leafs.
Death
Pat Quinn passed away on November 23, 2014, in Vancouver, British Columbia. He had been battling a long illness.
Honours and Legacy
Quinn received many honours for his contributions to hockey:
- Won the Memorial Cup as a player in 1963 and as a team owner in 2007.
- Won the Jack Adams Award (NHL coach of the year) in 1980 and 1992.
- Won an Olympic gold medal with Team Canada in 2002 as head coach.
- Won the World Cup with Team Canada in 2004 as head coach.
- Won the IIHF U18 gold medal with Team Canada in 2008 as head coach.
- Won the IIHF U20 gold medal with Team Canada in 2009 as head coach.
"Upper Body Injury"
Quinn is famous for popularizing the terms "upper body injury" and "lower body injury" in hockey. He started using these terms during the 1999 Stanley Cup Playoffs. He said he came up with them because he was tired of talking about player injuries and wanted to protect players' privacy. The NHL allows these terms because they don't give away private medical information.
Quinn was also a member of the committee that decides who gets into the Hockey Hall of Fame. In 2013, he became the Chairman of this committee. He himself was elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2016.
Memorials
Several places and things have been named in honour of Pat Quinn:
- On June 9, 2005, an arena in his hometown of Hamilton, Ontario, was renamed the Pat Quinn Parkdale Arena.
- On June 8, 2006, he received an honorary law degree from McMaster University.
- On March 17, 2015, a street outside Rogers Arena in Vancouver was officially named "Pat Quinn Way."
- In 2015, a book about his life called Quinn: The Life of a Hockey Legend was written by Dan Robson.
Images for kids
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Quinn at the 2012 NHL Winter Classic
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Quinn at Pacific Coliseum during Gordie Howe Night in Vancouver, March 2008
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Mural for Quinn, with the bottom portion of the mural depicting him as a member of the Maple Leafs
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The Pat Quinn Parkdale Arena was named in Quinn's honour in June 2005
