Geoff Courtnall of Victoria played for a lot of good coaches and general-managers in his 15-season NHL career but Pat Quinn towered over the rest, he said.
“Joel Quenneville and Mike Keenan were great, but Pat was the best,” said Courtnall, of Quinn, who died Sunday in Vancouver at 71.
“He was an amazing man and great leader and knew what it took to build a winning team. He helped me become a better player.”
The two shared a ride together with the Vancouver Canucks, one on the ice the other behind the bench, to Game 7 of the 1994 Stanley Cup final during Courtnall’s five seasons with the home-province Canucks in which Quinn was either GM, head coach or both.
What players seemed to appreciate most was Quinn’s brash Irish candor.
“Pat was very approachable and very honest and up front,” said Courtnall.
“The guys really respected him for that.”
Victoria Royals head coach Dave Lowry certainly did, even though Quinn the GM traded Lowry from the Canucks to the St. Louis Blues during the 1987-88 season. “It was done as a favour,” said Lowry.
Quinn was honest about Lowry’s chances for ice time being far better with the Blues than with the Canucks under new coach Bob McCammon. Although playing the rest of that season with Peoria in the Blues’ minor system, Quinn’s move paid off for Lowry when the then 22-year-old went on to play five seasons for the Blues in a 19-season NHL career that earlier appeared to be faltering in Vancouver.
“Pat was a tremendous human being and that’s why everybody liked him and respected him,” said Lowry.
“He had an understanding of the game and how to get the best out of every player.”
Internationally, Quinn is best remembered for coaching Canada to the gold medal at the 2002 Salt Lake City Winter Olympics. He was careful not to set the NHL players above the other Canadian athletes in the Winter Games.
“The hockey players were in the Village eating with the rest of us,” said curler Julie Skinner of Victoria, who won a bronze medal at the 2002 Winter Olympics.
Skinner and the rest of the Canadian Olympic curlers got their pictures taken with Quinn in the Games Village.
“He was very interested in and cared about what was happening with curling and the other sports,” said Skinner.
Quinn had unique qualities which made him successful as a coach.
“He prepared you well and then let you fail or succeed,” said Courtnall.
“He gave guys a long leash to do that. That’s why he commanded respect.”
