New York Rangers: Unpacking David Quinn’s New York Post interview

During the course of the bye week, New York Rangers’ head coach David Quinn had an interview with Larry Brooks of the New York Post. In the discussion, Quinn touched on the differences between college and the pros, his views on development and several other topics.

The first 48 games of David Quinn’s first stint as an NHL head coach could have gone a lot worse. The New York Rangers went through a series of peaks and valleys ranging from nine wins in eleven games to being outscored 25-6 in five games. As an extremely inconsistent team, the Rangers were all over the place and it was up to Quinn to keep things on the tracks.

In Quinn’s opinion, the biggest difference between college and the professional ranks is the level of responsibility associated with coaching. In the NCAA, a coach is also responsible for fundraising, recruiting and making sure that his players are going to class as well as staying out of trouble. Whereas at the NHL level it’s more about “what can I do to help us get better right now?”

In terms of approach, Quinn feels that he needs to constantly be adjusting how he deals with the team. Certain players respond to different types of motivation and as a collective, the team itself has a personality of its own, which requires a different type of massaging all together.

"” It was more about the team, how am I going to be able to coach this team? What buttons am I going to be able to push, can I be hard on them, can I not be hard on them, are they visual learners, and so forth. There’s a lot that goes into trying to figure out a team. I’ve learned as I’ve gone through this, and I do coach differently now than I did in October, but I don’t think that’s because of the level I’m at, but because that’s just coaching.”"

Working hard

When it comes to approach, Quinn clearly emphasizes the importance of practice in a way that Alain Vigneault did not. Under the former bench boss, much of practice time was optional and instead dedicated to rest and recovery for a veteran team. With Quinn, there is an emphasis on teaching and making sure that things are done the right way.

"“It’s not as physical, that’s for damn sure. And everybody frowns upon a practice. It stuns me that you go for 40 minutes and people act like it’s a marathon. What do people want me to do? They hired me to coach here. I’m not acting like Joe Tough Guy, but I’m not going to let things go; that’s how you get better. And I believe that’s what this team at this time needs.”"

There is always going to be a give and take when it comes to coaching, especially when it comes to professionals. These are players that were lacing up skates at six years old and already the best player on their team, at some point, they may feel like there is a limit as to what could be potentially be gained through practicing.

But, give credit where it’s due, Quinn knows he’s got a lot of teaching and work to do with his current group. The former Boston University coach was hired with an intention of a long-focus in which he could develop his own program and culture over time. Even though it’s year one, Quinn is in the early stages of weeding out who fits into his ideal team.

Development is earned, not given

The most telling quote from the entire interview was Quinn’s view on player development.

"“Development is funny. Some people think that development is to throw a guy out there and let him play and let him play. But development getting experience and ice time, but it’s also learning what we’re going to need big picture, too. Fil Chytil went through a stretch where he was playing 10 minutes a night because that’s what he deserved. You don’t just give somebody something. There’s also a checklist in my mind when I’m handling these guys of, ‘OK, what are your intentions?’ I’m big on intentions.”"

For those who consistently question on why Quinn is relegating certain players to small roles, he has an answer for you.

"“Are you making a mistake yet you had the right intentions and it just didn’t work, or is your mistake one because you had the wrong intentions? Is your work ethic what it needs to be? Is your preparation what it needs to be? It’s our responsibility as a staff of sending the message of what is acceptable and what’s not. That’s part of development. Letting them know they have to earn what they get is part of development. That’s one of my most basic principles.”"

This pokes a hole in the argument of many Twitter finger bench bosses that consistently argue that Quinn should be throwing the younger players into a high leverage roles right away. There is a clear path that can be traced from level of effort associated with a player’s talent level.

Cody McLeod may not bring much to the table, but Quinn sees that he’s busting his hump out there and making the most of the situation. In a meritocracy based system, there needs to be context surrounding the output. If someone is limited as to what they can do, but is putting in every bit of effort, that’s more important than someone more talented going at about 80 percent.

Any regrets?

Although it’d be a terrible sign if Quinn did admit that he missed college, the coach hits the right note on his response.

"“Honestly, none. I knew, we knew, we all knew the situation we were in. It’s been everything I thought it would be and more. I knew it was going to be very challenging but these guys have been very receptive to the things we’re trying to do.“If anything, I just miss the college feeling, but who doesn’t? If you can stay in school, stay in school right? But I love New York. It’s a great city. This experience, this job, has been everything I thought it was going to be. And I’ve enjoyed it probably a little bit more than I thought.”"

Quinn is learning every single day like his players are, it’s just a matter of making the perfect union between the two.

It’s obviously a tactical decision for Quinn to sit down with a friendly voice in Brooks during a lull in the schedule, but the head coach hit all of the right notes. Now the greater populace has a better understanding as to his and the staff’s mindset regarding the team.