6 Feb 1999: Head coach Pat Quinn of the Toronto Maple Leafs watches from the bench during the game against the New Jersey Devils at the Continental Airlines Arena in East Rutherford, New Jersey. The Maple Leafs defeated the Devils 3-2. Mandatory Credit: Al Bello /Allsport

Nearly two years after he passed away at the age of 71, Pat Quinn will be inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame.

The big Irishman coached five NHL teams over a span of 32 years and collected 684 wins, won two Jack Adams Awards and made two trips to the Stanley Cup Final. He was also behind the bench for Team Canada at two Olympics, a World Cup, a Spengler Cup and the U-18 and U-20 World Junior Championships and brought home three gold medals and the 2004 World Cup title.

While many remember Quinn as a hockey coach, he also had a long career as a player, suiting up for 606 NHL games with the Toronto Maple Leafs, Vancouver Canucks and Atlanta Flames.

The transition from player to coach went smoothly for Quinn, who had to retire from playing due to an ankle injury. Two years after hanging up his skates, he coached the Philadelphia Flyers during a memorable season where they went 35 games without a loss and reached the Final. That run would earn him his first coach of the year award.

Quinn touched many lives during his hockey life. We reached out to a few who crossed paths with him to collect their memories about the Hockey Hall of Famer.

THE TEAMMATE

Before he went into broadcasting, Bill Clement spent parts of two seasons playing in Atlanta with Quinn and admired his captain greatly.

“Pat was fiercely competitive as a player and was also extremely protective of his teammates. Always there for you.”

Dale Tallon was a No. 2 overall pick when he entered the league during the 1970-71 season with the Vancouver Canucks. He was the youngest player on that team, and the older, wiser Quinn acted as a mentor to his fellow defenseman.

“He’s the best teammate I played with. He took me, I was only a kid, and he was really a tremendous mentor for me and helped me on and off the ice. He just turned me into a real pro. I looked up to him and I admired the guy. He was a great friend and a great mentor.”

THE MOTIVATOR

Bret Hedican was dealt from the St. Louis Blues to the Canucks during the 1994 NHL Trade Deadline. He was 24, and this was the first time in his career he had been dealt. His confidence was a bit shaken, and Quinn sensed that.

One day, he summoned Hedican to his office, knowing he needed to get his new defenseman’s head straight following the trade. He told Hedican to keep it simple and not to overdo it, and to use one of his best assets, his skating ability, to his advantage to quickly get the puck and move it out of the zone.

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The chat helped clear Hedican’s head and rebuild his confidence. The Canucks would come within a game of winning the 1994 Stanley Cup, and that conversation early in his Vancouver career would stick with Hedican for another 14 NHL seasons.

Quinn had a way with words when dealing with his players and trying to inspire them, Hedican recalls.

“I have so many memories of Coach Quinn, but one that will always be etched in my mind is Game 5, first round of the 1994 Stanley Cup Playoffs vs. the Calgary Flames. We were down 3-1 [in the series] and this was an elimination night, where Calgary could close us out on their home turf.

“I remember Pat walking in the locker room before the game and putting a piece of paper on the wall that he wanted us all to read. The paper talked about three teams that had been down 3-1 in the opening round and came back to win that series and go on to win the Stanley Cup. After we all had read the paper Pat came in to say, ‘Many teams truly don’t know how close they are to winning a Stanley Cup because many give up when they’re in this situation. What was different about those three teams? The difference is that those three teams believed they could win. Those three teams had the individuals that wouldn’t quit no matter what. Those three teams committed to believing in the way they played and in each other. I believe, WE ARE ONE OF THOSE TEAMS!’

“Well, we went on to win that Game 5 in Calgary, Game 6 in Vancouver, and then Game 7 back in Calgary. To this day, that might have been one of the toughest playoff series I’ve ever been associated with. Pat was right. We were one of those teams. We went on to lose in the Final that year to the New York Rangers, but had we not believed in that first round being down 3-1 we would had never had that opportunity to play in a Game 7 for the Cup. It’s amazing when you have a coach like Pat, who can guide you to believe in yourself and your teammates when sometimes you don’t know.”

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