By Corey Masisak (The Athletic)
PRAGUE — David Quinn’s path through the coaching ranks had been a steady, relatively swift rise when he arrived in New York to coach the Rangers four years ago.
He had worked his way up, from college assistant to the U.S. National Team Development Program to lead college assistant, AHL assistant, NHL assistant, head coach at one of the top NCAA programs and then, his first chance to lead one of the 31 teams in the best league in the world. Three years later, he was suddenly unemployed. A career path that had only pointed north for nearly two decades was suddenly untracked.
It’s a cliche that borders on fact — every hockey coach is going to get fired eventually. Even the ones who have a plaque in the Hockey Hall of Fame have been told they weren’t wanted anymore at some point in their careers.
When the Rangers dismissed Quinn at the end of the 2020-21 season, one of his best friends in the sport was ready to support him.
“We did talk a lot because I knew just the range of emotions that we go through,” Nashville Predators coach John Hynes said. “We would talk fairly regularly. Sometimes it was good. Sometimes it was, ‘What did you hear? This is what I’m thinking. This is where I’m at with it now.’ I just kept telling him, ‘You’re going to get another opportunity. You’re a good enough coach. You’ve just got to believe that and do the right things.’”
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