The Penguins are probably bringing in former Rangers and Sharks head coach David Quinn to hitch their employees, The Athletic’s Arthur Staple reports Tuesday.
Quinn, 57, will function an assistant or affiliate beneath head coach Mike Sullivan, who’s anticipated again subsequent season for his tenth yr with the membership. He replaces outgoing affiliate coach Todd Reirden. The Penguins announced over a month in the past that they weren’t renewing Reirden’s contract.
If Reirden’s duties are changed immediately, Quinn will work intently with Pittsburgh’s protection group and oversee their energy play. That reunites him on each fronts with Erik Karlsson, whom he coached to a Norris Trophy and 101-point season with the Sharks final yr.
Total, although, Quinn should get the ability play again on monitor. The Pens’ man benefit completed third-worst within the league this season, clicking at simply 15.3%. It’s an unacceptable quantity for any group, however much more so for a membership with Karlsson, Kris Letang, Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Bryan Rust nonetheless round.
The Sharks fired Quinn shortly after the top of the common season with one yr left on his contract. Whereas the roster wasn’t constructed to provide him a lot assist, he guided San Jose to a 19-54-9 document and 47 factors, placing them squarely within the dialog for one of many worst groups of the wage cap period.
He’d held the publish for 2 seasons, his second NHL head teaching job after main the Rangers from 2018 to 2021. It’s been a very long time since Quinn took a secondary position on a training employees, final serving as an assistant coach for the Avalanche in 2012-13.
He then returned to Boston College, the place he had a quick enjoying profession and an earlier run as an affiliate coach, to take over their program. Over 5 seasons with Quinn on the helm, the Terriers gained three Hockey East titles, and he was named the convention’s Coach of the Yr in 2014-15.
The rest of Sullivan’s employees this season — assistants Ty Hennes, Mike Vellucci and goaltending coach Andy Chiodo — is anticipated to return.