CANTLON’S CORNER: WOLF PACK OFF SEASON VOLUME 5 

BY: Gerry Cantlon, Howlings

RANGERS NAME QUINN NEW HEAD COACH

The New York Rangers went a different route.

After appearing to lose out for the services of Jim Montgomery to the Dallas Stars, Rangers GM Jeff Gorton stated that the team went with their first choice and tabbed Boston University (HE) head coach, David Quinn as the new bench boss. The team made it official in a press release on Wednesday and had an introductory press conference at Madison Square Garden on Thursday morning.

Quinn has some Connecticut hockey connection having played his prep school hockey at Kent Prep.

A Cranston, Rhode Island native, Quinn oversaw the development of several of the NHL’s top draft picks during his tenure at BU. Over the last three NHL Entry Drafts (2015–2017), three players with at least one season under Quinn were selected in the first round of the NHL Entry Draft. Those three are forward Jack Eichel – second overall in 2015; defenseman Charlie McAvoy – 14th overall in 2016; and goaltender Jake Oettinger-26th overall in 2017. Forward Brady Tkachuk is ranked second among North American skaters by NHL Central Scouting for the upcoming 2018 NHL Entry Draft. In addition, over three consecutive seasons, either McAvoy and/or Matt Grzelcyk were named a First Team All-American (2014-15 – 2016-17). Eichel won the Hobey Baker Award as the top player in collegiate hockey in 2014-15. Quinn also coached current Arizona Coyotes forward, Clayton Keller, for one season in 2016-17. He is one of three finalists for the Calder Trophy as the NHL’s Rookie of the Year in 2017-18.

In addition to his head coaching experience at Boston University where he replaced legendary head coach, Jack Parker, Quinn has been a member of several coaching staffs at both the professional and collegiate levels.  He was Head Coach for three seasons with the Colorado Avalanche’s American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Lake Erie Monsters, from 2009-10 – 2011-12 before being promoted to an Assistant Coach with the parent club where he stayed for one season (2012-13).

He began his coaching career as an Assistant Coach with Northeastern University for two seasons (1994-95 and 1995-96).

Quinn also worked as an Assistant Coach at the collegiate level with the University of Nebraska-Omaha (1996-2002) and as an Associate Head Coach with Boston University (2004–2009). In his final year at Boston University, he helped the school win the National Championship. He was responsible for working with the team’s defensemen and in 2008-09, he helped develop a defense corps that included current Ranger, Kevin Shattenkirk, as well as former Ranger and Wolf Pack and the winner of the 2008-09 Hobey Baker Award, Matt Gilroy.

Internationally, Quinn has coached some of the United States’ top players in several tournaments, as well as helped develop players through the United States National Team Development Program (USNTDP). He was named the USA Hockey Development Coach of the Year in 2002-03, when he served as Head Coach of the United States’ Under-17 Team in the USNTDP.

He began his international coaching career as an Assistant Coach with the U.S. Women’s Hockey Team at the IIHF World Championship, and he helped the team earn a silver medal in two consecutive years (1999 and 2000). He has also served as an Assistant Coach with Team USA at the IIHF World U-18 Championship (2003), the IIHF World Junior Championship (2005), and the IIHF World Championship (2007, 2012, and 2016), and as a member of the coaching staff at the 2016 IIHF World Championship, where he coached current Rangers defenseman Brady Skjei.

In addition, on April 20, 2018, Quinn was named Head Coach for the 2019 U.S. National Junior Team.

Prior to beginning his coaching career, Quinn played collegiate hockey at Boston University for four seasons (1984-1988). He was selected by the Minnesota North Stars in the first round, 13th overall, of the 1984 NHL Entry Draft, and won a bronze medal while representing the United States at the 1986 IIHF World Junior Championship.

In addition, the defenseman was a member of the Rangers organization for part of one season, skating in 19 regular season games and two playoff games with the Binghamton Rangers of the AHL in 1991-92.

Quinn’s unexpected hiring creates problems for two institutions he works for. The most immediate is BU who, on short notice, need to conduct a hiring search for one of the top five hockey programs in the US Division I ranks.

The other is USA Hockey who announced just last month Quinn would be the coach for 2019 US World Junior Championship team that will play in Vancouver and Victoria, BC at Christmas time tournament. They will have also begin an immediate new search committee as the WJC selection camp starts in two months.

Another potential side casualty could be UCONN hockey as with the BU job now opening a likely very serious candidate would have to be Mike Cavanaugh, the current UCONN head coach of six years has strong Boston hockey roots and is very well know commodity in Hockey East. 

PLAYER & COACHING MOVEMENT

Former Wolf Pack and Bridgeport Sound Tiger Joel Bouchard was named the new head coach for Laval (AHL) and ex-Beast of New Haven, Dallas Eakins, signed a contract extension with San Diego.

Former New Haven Nighthawk and Hartford Whaler, Paul Fenton, leaves Nashville to become the GM of the Minnesota Wild.

Five more AHL’ers are heading to Europe. Returning home is Petter Granburg who goes from Milwaukee Admirals to Skelleftea AIK (Sweden-SHL), Lukas Bengtsson leaves the Wilkes Barre/Scranton Penguins for Linkopings HC (Sweden-SHL). Victor Loov leaves Iowa/Binghamton to go to Jokerit Helsinki  (Finland-KHL), Kirill Gotovets departs from Manitoba to play for Dynamo Minsk (Belarus-KHL) and Richard Bachman says goodbye to Utica to say hello to Timra IK (Sweden-SHL) .

Ex-Pack Tommy Hughes, who spent most of last season with the South Carolina Stingrays (ECHL) and played ten games with Hershey, signs with the Nottingham Panthers (England-EIHL).

Ex-Pack Lauri Korpikoski goes from ZSC Zurich (Switzerland-LNA) to TPS Turku (Finland-FEL) next year.

Ex-Pack Colby Genoway, goes from HC Slovan Bratislava (Slovakia-KHL) to Cologne (Germany-DEL).

Matt Generous (Cheshire) is going from EC Salzburg (Austria-AEHL) to Illves Tampere (Finland-FEL).

Arpad Mihaly, one of three players left to wear a New Haven pro hockey jersey with all three being the UHL New Haven Knights, has signed for another year as the captain of ASC Corona Brasov (Romania-MOL). The other two players are Nathan Lutz who played Canadian senior hockey with Rosetown (AB) Red Wings (ALLAN CUP WEST) and Alexei Lazarenko with Kharkov (Ukraine-UHL) as a playing head coach.

A pair of ex-Sound Tigers, Blaine Down goes from Iserlohn (Germany-DEL) to ESV Villacher (Austria-AEHL) next season and Jamie Fraser from Vienna (Austria-AEHL) to ESV Villacher (Austria-AEHL)..

Ex Pack David Stich goes from HC Kladno (Czech Republic Division-2) and BK Mlada Boleslav (Czech Republic-CEL) to KLH Chomutov (Czech Republic-CEL).

Ryan Verbeek, the other nephew to Whaler great and ex-Ranger, Pat Verbeek, is in Canadian college hockey with the Canadian Maritimes and he goes from Dalhousie University (AUAA) to Cergy (France-FREL) in the fall.

Former Yale Bulldog Denny Kearney goes from Milton Keynes (England-EIHL) to Grenoble (France-FREL).

Austin Frank and Lane King of Division III Lawrence University Vikings (NCHA) are the 12^th  and 13^th collegians to sign in Europe Frank with Mont Blanc (France Division-2) and King with Neuilly-sur-Marne (France-FREL).

Ex-Sound Tiger, Tomas Malec, re-signs with HC Brno (Czech Republic CEL) and David Musil, nephew of former Whaler and Ranger, Bobby Holik, re-signs with HC Trinec (Slovakia-SLEL).

Andrew Rowe, an ex-Sound Tiger and ex-Pack, re-signs with Mora IK (Sweden-SHL).

Max Sauve goes from Avon Old Farms (CTPREP) to Penn State (Big 10) next year.