Vancouver Canucks: 5 greatest head coaches in franchise history

3. Pat Quinn

Pat Quinn joined the Canucks organization in 1988 as the new general manager, and he assumed the head coaching position for the final 26 games of the 1990-91 campaign, compiling a 9-13-14 record.

Even though his tenure in Vancouver was fairly short, Quinn’s impact on the organization hasn’t been forgotten over two decades later. While overseeing the development of young stars like Trevor Linden and Pavel Bure, Quinn guided the Canucks to the playoffs in the 1991-92 (winning the Jack Adams Award) and 1992-93 seasons — losing in the Division Finals both years.

But 1993-94 wasn’t only his best season in Vancouver, but perhaps the finest of Quinn’s legendary coaching career. The Canucks barely squeaked into the postseason with 85 points (a 41-40-3 record), upsetting the arch rival Calgary Flames in round one. Quinn and the Canucks then took down the powerhouse Dallas Stars in the second round, before upsetting the Toronto Maple Leafs to book the second Stanley Cup Final appearance in franchise history.

The Canucks met Mark Messier and the New York Rangers in a clash for the Cup. Vancouver fell behind 3-1 in the series, but they pulled off a pair of gutsy victories to force a decisive Game 7. Quinn’s squad battled hard against the superior Rangers, who were loaded with Hall of Famers, but they ultimately fell 3-2.

But there was nothing to be ashamed of. Quinn took an overlooked Vancouver team and got them to within one victory of a championship. After coaching six games in 1995-96, Quinn relinquished the head coaching gig to Rick Ley and stayed on as GM until he was fired in 1997.

Quinn finished with 141 wins (fourth-most in franchise history), and a superb .554 winning percentage — tied for second-best among all Canuck coaches. Quinn passed away in 2014 and was posthumously inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame two years later.