Wednesday, May 23, 2018

Quinn Tabbed to Lead Rangers

Record five former NCAA coaches to head NHL staffs in 2018-19.

Quinn Tabbed to Lead Rangers
David Quinn led BU to four straight NCAA Tournament appearances. (Photo by Rich Gagnon/RichImagesPhotography.com).

For the first time in NHL history, five coaches with college experience will be head coaches in the league when the 2018-19 season begins.

Boston University alum and former Terrier head coach David Quinn was officially named the head coach of the New York Rangers on Wednesday, joining Jeff Blashill, Dave Hakstol, John Hynes and Jim Montgomery as NHL coaches with college coaching experience.

Hakstol, Montgomery and Quinn have all been hired directly from the college ranks since 2015; only two NCAA coaches got their first NHL jobs directly from college in the first 97 years of the NHL.

Quinn led Boston University to the NCAA Tournament in the last four of his five years on Commonwealth Ave. He won two Hockey East tournament titles and one Beanpot, and reached the NCAA championship game in 2015.

The former Terrier forward and first-round draft pick as a player won a national championship as an assistant coach at BU in 2009. Quinn’s coaching resume includes professional stops as the head coach of the AHL Lake Erie Monsters and an assistant coach with the Colorado Avalanche.

He becomes the 11th current NHL head coach to have played college hockey:

Rod Brind’Amour, Carolina (Michigan State)
John Tortorella, Columbus (Maine)
Jim Montgomery, Dallas (Maine)
Jeff Blashill, Detroit (Ferris State)
Peter Laviolette, Nashville (Westfield State)
John Hynes, New Jersey (Boston University)
Doug Weight, New York Islanders (Lake Superior State)
David Quinn, New York Rangers (Boston University)
Dave Hakstol, Philadelphia (North Dakota)
Mike Sullivan, Pittsburgh (Boston University)
Jon Cooper, Tampa Bay (Hofstra-varsity lacrosse, club hockey)