Pat Quinn had a knack for assessing talent and bringing people together to create a winning team. The legendary coach captured three gold medals to prove it – one from leading the Canadian men’s hockey team to Olympic gold in 2002, one from the 2004 World Cup of Hockey, and with Team Canada at the 2009 IIHF World Junior Hockey Championships.

His passion for leadership extended beyond the game of hockey to investing and giving back to the community. Quinn played a significant role for Canuck Place Children’s Hospice.

Quinn was a player, coach, and general manager in the NHL, as well as in the international sports scene. He had a long history with the National Hockey League, starting as a player and then transitioning to coaching and general manger roles. Quinn was a standout defenceman who played for three teams – Toronto, Vancouver, and Atlanta. After his playing career was over, Quinn moved behind the bench when Philadelphia gave him his first coaching job.

In 1980, he won the coveted Jack Adams Award, which is annually given to the NHL’s top coach. Quinn also coached briefly in Los Angeles before spending 11 years as coach and general manager for the Vancouver Canucks. 

The Toronto Maple Leafs made Quinn their head coach in 1998 and he spent six seasons with the team, including four years with both coaching and general manager duties. During his tenure, Toronto advanced as far as the second round of the NHL playoffs five times, and twice to the Eastern Conference final.

Quinn found success on and off the ice and in supporting children and families in need. Commitment to community is an important value that Quinn inflected into the culture of organizations he led and the players he mentored.

This year we pay tribute to Pat Quinn a true legend in the hockey world and a difference maker in the lives of BC’s children and families.

The Pat Quinn Tribute Series will support Canuck Place Children’s Hospice (CPCH). CPCH is British Columbia’s recognized pediatric palliative care provider. Over 560 newborns, children and teens with life-threatening illnesses and their families receive clinical care and support through programs at CPCH. Through the investment of the BC community, CPCH makes a lasting difference in the lives of children and the families who love them.

More information on CPCH can be found at canuckplace.org