June 12: The Penguins officially added Quinn to Sullivan’s staff as an assistant Wednesday, the team announced. He’ll oversee the team’s defensemen, but the release did not say that he’d be running their power play. It’s still unclear whose responsibility that will be as the team tries to return to postseason play in 2024-25.
June 11: The Penguins are likely bringing in former Rangers and Sharks head coach David Quinn to join their staff, The Athletic’s Arthur Staple reports Tuesday.
Quinn, 57, will serve as an assistant or associate under head coach Mike Sullivan, who’s expected back next season for his 10th year with the club. He replaces outgoing associate coach Todd Reirden. The Penguins announced over a month ago that they were not renewing Reirden’s contract.
If Reirden’s duties are replaced directly, Quinn will work closely with Pittsburgh’s defense group and oversee their power play. That reunites him on both fronts with Erik Karlsson, who he coached to a Norris Trophy and 101-point season with the Sharks last year.
Overall, though, Quinn must get the power play back on track. The Pens’ man advantage finished third-worst in the league this season, clicking at just 15.3%. It’s an unacceptable number for any team, but even more so for a club with Karlsson, Kris Letang, Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Bryan Rust still around.
The Sharks fired Quinn shortly after the end of the regular season with one year left on his contract. While the roster wasn’t built to give him much support, he guided San Jose to a 19-54-9 record and 47 points, putting them squarely in the conversation for one of the worst teams of the salary cap era.
He’d held the post for two seasons, his second NHL head coaching job after leading the Rangers from 2018 to 2021. It’s been a long time since Quinn took a secondary role on a coaching staff, last serving as an assistant coach for the Avalanche in 2012-13.
He then returned to Boston University, where he had a brief playing career and an earlier run as an associate coach, to take over their program. Over five seasons with Quinn at the helm, the Terriers won three Hockey East titles, and he was named the conference’s Coach of the Year in 2014-15.
The remainder of Sullivan’s staff this season – assistants Ty Hennes, Mike Vellucci and goaltending coach Andy Chiodo – is expected to return.
This makes the most sense ever if you know this anecdote…
Sullivan and Quinn went to college together and Sullivan used to use Quinn’s ID to get into bars underage. (Source: Potash)
Also…our power play being awful last year makes the most sense ever if you know this anecdote…
In his entire HOF career, Karlsson has only once been on a top 15 power play. Meaning, as great an offensive defenseman as he is, he’s been on below average power plays. This points the finger directly at him as both the supposed QB and the common denominator. He can’t pass the puck into a guy’s wheelhouse for a one timer to save his life. Geno’s still waiting.
Nurse for Karlsson.
@66TheNumberOfTheBest — I can hear #71’s beaver paddle from here. :) EK65 can probably still master the 120-foot tape-to-tape lob wedge from the d-zone, but probably sees himself confined in a phone booth when trying to run PP1.
Been waiting since Gonch left
Yeah these two guys are tight and go back a long way. I think Quinn is a sharp dude, he’ll grow as a coach and get another shot someday.
Mediocrity breeds mediocrity.
spoken like a cannabis breeder.