Canadian juniors may turn to Quinn

by James Mirtle on Aug 21, 2008 1:09 PM CDT Comment 5 comments

When the Canadian World Juniors take to the ice in Ottawa this December for their attempt to win a fifth straight tournament, they will do so without head coach Benoit Groulx.

Groulx has signed on to be head coach of the Rochester Americans of the American Hockey League and will not be able to coach Team Canada.
— TSN.ca

Groulx is the second AHL head coach named this week, as the Iowa Chops hired Gord Dineen, Pirates head coach Kevin Dineen's brother, on Tuesday.

TSN is reporting that Pat Quinn and Willie Desjardins, coach of the Medicine Hat Tigers, are in the running to replace Groulx as Canadian coach.

It'd be pretty interesting to see the 65-year-old Quinn lead such a high profile group of youngsters, but he did a nice job guiding the Under-18 team to a gold medal back in April. This may be his route back to an NHL head coaching gig.
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I just can't see this working out. Quinn has always been good with veterans more than he has been with young kids. Quinn has been about 'win now', and doesn't strike me as the ideal coach for the junior squad.

Go with someone younger and hungrier. Quinn's time is long gone.

by Jes Gőlbez on Aug 21, 2008 2:39 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

Quinn's so bad with the kids that he won the U-18 tournament. He has always been good with players, period.

by PPP on Aug 21, 2008 2:55 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

I have never understood where this notion came from that Quinn can't work with younger players. In his last season with the Leafs, 05-06, he had a fair number of kids, and did pretty well with them. (Better than Paul Maurice ever did, and Maurice is a pretty good coach himself.) It is a travesty that someone with Quinn's experience and track record is available for an NHL coaching gig, only to see GMs hire less qualified coaches instead to protect their own turf. You think Garth Snow, Don Waddell or Bryan Murray wanted Quinn in the organization, ready to replace them the minute the owner is unhappy? Not a chance. Far better to hire a coach who is just happy to be there, and is no threat to their authority.

Quinn would be an outstanding choice for the World Junior job. Hopefully, after that, an owner will overrule his own GM and bring in Quinn for another shot.

by Dennis Prouse on Aug 21, 2008 3:37 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

I think this would be great, and with all Pat Quinn has already done in his pro hockey life, maybe the NHL is not where he wants to be. he has accomplished a good amount as a coach and maybe at 65, coaching Team Canada juniors just may be the best way for him to give back to the game!
I know he would dearly love to get a Stanley, but maybe that just isn't in the cards..

by RPK on Aug 21, 2008 4:54 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs