pat quinn

Pat Quinn: 1943-2014

November 24, 2014
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It is with tremendous sadness that Hockey Canada acknowledges the passing of long-time player, coach and executive Pat Quinn, who died Sunday night in Vancouver at the age of 71.

Quinn stood behind a Team Canada bench on seven occasions, and worked as a general manager or assistant general manager on four others, helping Canada to five medals and a World Cup championship.

“We at Hockey Canada join with millions of Canadians in expressing our sincerest condolences to the entire Quinn family on the passing of Pat,” said Tom Renney, president and CEO of Hockey Canada. “Few have touched as many lives as Pat, and we are eternally grateful for the massive legacy he has left in our society of Canadians.”

The Hamilton, Ont., native got his start with Team Canada as head coach at the 1986 IIHF World Championship, winning a bronze medal in Moscow, Soviet Union.

It would be 10 years before he was involved again with a national team, serving as assistant general manager at the 1996 World Cup of Hockey, but that marked the start of long relationship with Hockey Canada.

Quinn was co-general manager of Canada’s gold medal-winning entry at the 1997 IIHF World Championship, and returned to the worlds to serve in the GM’s role by himself one year later.

His most notable Team Canada achievement came in 2002, when, as head coach, he helped end Canada’s 50-year Olympic gold medal drought with a historic win in Salt Lake City, Utah.

He was behind the bench again in 2004, coaching Canada to victory at the World Cup of Hockey, and served at a second Olympic Winter Games in 2006 in Turin, Italy.

After leading Canada’s National Men’s Team to the final of the 2006 Spengler Cup, Quinn was head coach of Canada’s National Men’s Under-18 Team at the 2008 IIHF World U18 Championship in Kazan, Russia, guiding a team that included Matt Duchene, Jordan Eberle, Taylor Hall and Cody Hodgson to Canada’s second gold medal at the event.

Five months later Quinn stepped in as head coach of Canada’s National Junior Team and won another gold medal at the 2009 IIHF World Junior Championship in Ottawa, Ont., Canada’s record-tying fifth consecutive World Juniors gold.

Quinn was an NHL head coach for parts of 20 seasons with the Philadelphia Flyers, Los Angeles Kings, Vancouver Canucks, Toronto Maple Leafs and Edmonton Oilers, winning the Jack Adams Award as NHL coach of the year in 1979-80 with the Flyers and 1991-92 with the Canucks.

He sits fifth all-time in NHL history with 684 wins (in 1,400 games) and twice led his teams to the Stanley Cup Final – in 1980 with Philadelphia and 1994 with Vancouver.

As a player, Quinn played 606 NHL games with Toronto, Vancouver and Atlanta from 1968-77, recording 131 points (18 goals, 113 assists) and serving as captain in Atlanta from 1975-77.

He also left his mark on junior hockey, winning the Memorial Cup as a member of the Edmonton Oil Kings in 1963, and again as co-owner of the Vancouver Giants in 2007.

Quinn served as chairman of the Hockey Hall of Fame Board of Directors, a position he took over in August 2013, and spent 15 years as a member of the Hockey Hall of Fame selection committee.

Hockey Canada sends its condolences to Pat’s wife, Sandra, and his daughters, Valerie and Kalli.

For more information:

Esther Madziya
Manager, Communications
Hockey Canada

(403) 284-6484 

[email protected] 

Spencer Sharkey
Manager, Communications
Hockey Canada

(403) 777-4567

[email protected]

Jeremy Knight
Manager, Corporate Communications
Hockey Canada

(647) 251-9738

[email protected]

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