Quinn on verge of return to NHL

by James Mirtle on Jan 7, 2009 4:57 PM CST Comment 4 comments

I've received a ton of email this afternoon that states Pat Quinn is going to land an NHL head coaching job in the very, very near future, but nothing so far has been concrete enough to run with.

But the rumours are getting louder.

The Journal de Montreal has Quinn and Hockey Canada head Bob Nicholson taking over the coach and GM roles in Ottawa, which wouldn't surprise me in the least:

As the Ottawa Senators wrap up their 1-6-1 eight-game road trip Thursday night in Boston, speculation on the futures of general manager Bryan Murray and head coach Craig Hartsburg continues to grow.

Le Journal de Montreal Wednesday speculated that Senators owner Eugene Melnyk had made up his mind to replace both individuals, Murray with Hockey Canada boss Bob Nicholson, and Hartsburg with Canadian Junior gold-medal-winning coach Pat Quinn. The paper said Melnyk reached his decision after spending three weeks in the company of Nicholson and Quinn at the world junior hockey championship, which concluded Monday in Ottawa with Canada beating Sweden 5-1.

Part of the hold up has apparently been the fact more than one team is interested in adding Quinn right now. Michel Therrien is really on the hot seat now in Pittsburgh as that team has been in freefall lately.

The Penguins would obviously be a better spot for a soon-to-be 66-year-old coach to land in, as Ottawa will not make the playoffs this season and has some serious retooling to do on the roster. The Senators are a two or three-year project; Pittsburgh, once Sergei Gonchar returns from injury, can potentially win right now.

Stay tuned. Something's going to happen on this front very soon.

UPDATE Eugene Melnyk, owner of the Senators, made the following statement today:

"Contrary to what is being reported today by the media, I have made no decisions with respect to any personnel changes within the Senators organization. Winning remains our No. 1 priority and there is a collective focus by our management, our coaching staff and our players to deliver this to our fans."

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What - no conference call?

Last time this happened, Melnyk went to the trouble of having a conference call to quell the noise. This time it’s just a statement. hmmm…he’s just stalling for time. Expect the fecal matter to hit the ventilation device on Friday – after they return from losing in Boston. The drama never ends. You should start a pool on who gets tossed and who gets in. If not a pool, at least a poll.

by hockeycountry on Jan 7, 2009 7:36 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

Stating the obvious

“I have made no decisions with respect to any personnel changes” != “There will be no changes”.

Down Goes Brown - Unapologetically nostalgic for the past. Brutally realistic about the present. Grudgingly optimistic about the future.

by Down Goes Brown on Jan 7, 2009 7:59 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

He may not have made any decisions but that doesn’t mean he’s not thinking about it or that he’s not working on a deal. It would have been different if he said that he was not making any changes straight out like he did last time. Something will have to give.

by hockeycountry on Jan 7, 2009 8:10 PM CST reply actions 0 recs