Former National Hockey League player and coach Pat Quinn passed away on Sunday after a long illness, the Western Hockey League's Vancouver Giants - a team he co-owned - announced Monday.

The following is a statement released by the Giants:

It is with great sadness that the Vancouver Giants announce, on behalf of the Quinn family, that Giants Co-Owner Pat Quinn passed away on Sunday night at Vancouver General Hospital after a lengthy illness. "Words cannot express the pain we all feel today for the Quinn family," said Giants majority owner Ron Toigo. "Pat was an inspiration to all of us. He always said that respect was something that should be earned, not given, and the respect that he garnered throughout the hockey world speaks for itself. He will be sorely missed."

A bruising defenseman as a player, Quinn - a native of Hamilton, Ont. - won the Memorial Cup in 1963 with the Edmonton Oil Kings prior to a 14-year pro career, nine years of which were spent in the NHL with the Toronto Maple Leafs, the Vancouver Canucks, and Atlanta Flames.

Quinn went on to coach the Philadelphia Flyers, Los Angeles Kings, Canucks, Maple Leafs, and Edmonton Oilers over the course of 22 years. He reached the Stanley Cup Final twice, with the Flyers in 1980 and the Canucks in 1994.

(Related: Remembering Pat Quinn, the Maple Leafs' last great head coach)

Internationally, Quinn coached Team Canada to gold medals at the 2002 Winter Olympics, 2008 IIHF World U18 Championships and 2009 World Junior Championship, as well as the 2004 World Cup championship.