Former Flyers Coach Pat Quinn Dies at 71
Members of the Philadelphia Flyers Alumni team, from the left, Bill Barber, Eric Lindros, Bob Clarke and coach Pat Quinn (standing) on the bench during the Winter Classic Alumni hockey game with the New York Rangers Alumni team, Saturday, Dec. 31, 2011 in Philadelphia.
Former Philadelphia Flyers coach Pat Quinn, who led the Flyers to an NHL-record 35-game unbeaten streak in 1980, has died after a long illness. He was 71.
Quinn — known as “The Big Irishman” — was a popular figure in hockey circles. He played seven years in the NHL as a defenseman in the late 1960s and ’70s. His first head coaching job was with the Flyers; he replaced Fred Shero late in the 1978-79 season. In the 1979-80 season, Quinn led the Flyers on their incredible streak: After losing its second game of the year, the team went 25-0-10 in its next 35 games.
That Flyers team lost to the Islanders in the 1980 Stanley Cup Final. Quinn would coach the team into the 1981-82 season, when he was replaced with eight games left in the year.
“We went on that incredible run there where we kind of snuck up on everybody,” Flyers president Paul Holmgren told the Inquirer. “Most of the credit for that goes to Pat because of the way he got the team to believe in themselves. And to come together as a group.”
Quinn also coached the Los Angeles Kings, Vancouver Canucks, Toronto Maple Leafs and Edmonton Oilers. He took the Canucks to the 1994 Stanley Cup Final, losing to another New York team (the Rangers). He also coached Canada to a hockey gold medal in 2002. He went 684-528-154 in his coaching career.
[Inquirer]
