How does New York Rangers Head Coach David Quinn stack up?

How will Coach David Quinn of the New York Rangers fare in the NHL’s new season format for 2020-21?

The NHL and the New York Rangers are back to playing games. The league is starting January 13, 2021, with the Rangers first game scheduled for January 14th.  With realigned divisions, the league will be playing a 56 game schedule, with all play kept within the division. For the New York Rangers that means eight games each versus the Boston Bruins, Washington Capitals, Philadelphia Flyers, Pittsburgh Penguins, Buffalo Sabres, New York Islanders and New Jersey Devils.

This season will bring unique challenges with it as health and safety continue to be primary concerns. A condensed schedule, taxi squads, quarantine bubble travel and many sets of back-to-back games are just a few. Things will become more defined as we move forward, but one thing is clear. This season will be like playing seven playoff series.

The playoffs always bring more excitement, they ramp up old rivalries, created new ones and boil the blood of players and fans alike. One other thing the playoff are good for is making a coach earn his keep. While during the regular season a coach can focus on teaching, video review, practice and molding the team into their image, the playoff’s are a different animal all together.

Because you meet the same opponent game after game, a coach must be more proactive.  He must be ready to adapt, he has to work towards or avoid match-ups. He must also take part in gamesmanship, working the officials and taking the temperature of not only his team, but his opponents as well. In the playoffs, coaching can win or lose a series, just as easily as the players on-ice performance.

So in the case of the New York Rangers, how does Head Coach David Quinn stack up to the competition? Quinn’s coaching career began at Northeastern University as an assistant coach, He would then help build the hockey program at the University of Omaha-Nebraska. He then joined the United States Developmental Program before joining Boston University as an assistant, winning the National Title in 2009.

He would follow that success by becoming Head Coach of the Lake Erie Monsters of the AHL where he stayed for three seasons. In June of 2012, Quinn was named Assistant Coach with the Colorado Avalanche, his first taste of NHL action. The following year he took over as Head Coach at Boston University. He held that position for five seasons, making it to the NCAA National Championship Finals in 2015 and the NCAA Regional Finals in 2017 and 2018.

On May 23, 2018 Quinn was named head coach of the New York Rangers. In his two years, Quinn holds a 69-64-19 record with the team performing vastly better in the second season with 37 wins and 79 points. The 79 points on the season are one point better than the previous season, but with 12 fewer games played. Quinn’s Rangers played in the post season in 2019-20, taking part in the NHL’s return to play Stanley Cup Qualifier. The team was ousted in a three game sweep by the Carolina Hurricanes, being outscored 11-4.

In looking ahead to the 2020-21 season, Coach Quinn has his work cut out for him. In terms of NHL experience and success, he is clearly the underdog. While his collegiate and AHL experiences will serve him well, the other head coaches of the division have accumulated an impressive NHL resume. Between them they have four Stanley Cups, five Jack Adams Awards, and seven Presidents Trophies over 90 combined seasons and 57 playoff appearances.

Lets take a look at the competition.

Ralph Krueger of the Buffalo Sabres

Career: 49-53-15     Playoffs: N/A

Moving into his second season behind the bench for the Buffalo Sabres, Ralph Krueger has the least NHL experience in the division.  He previously coached in Europe, winning five straight championships in Austria as well as the Swiss National team that made three Olympic appearances.  He was the bench boss for the Edmonton Oilers during the 2012-13 season before switching to soccer as Director of Southampton of the English Premiere league.

The Sabres were one of only seven teams to not be included in the NHL’s return to play Stanley Cup Qualifier. This lead to several front office managements changes, however, Krueger was kept on as head coach. While he has no experience coaching in the NHL playoffs, it will be interesting to see what he brings to the rink with his eclectic resume.

Lindy Ruff of the New Jersey Devils

Career: 736-554-78   Playoffs: 66-54

Lindy Ruff may be entering his first season as Head Coach of the New Jersey Devils, but he brings 19 years of NHL experience to the rink. During his time with the Buffalo Sabres, Ruff steered the team to four deep playoff runs. An Eastern Conference Final (ECF) and Stanley Cup Finals (SCF) appearance during the Dominik Hasek era and back to back ECF appearances to start the cap era. He would win the 2005-06 Jack Adams award as the leagues best coach.

He later coached the Dallas Stars for four seasons, leading them to one first place division finish and one playoff series victory.

Bruce Cassidy of the Boston Bruins

Career: 208-113-9-41     Playoffs: 29-29* (not including Stanley Cup Qualifier warm-up games)

After two uneventful seasons with the Washington Capitals in the early 2000’s, Bruce Cassidy would take the helm of the Boston Bruins.  After missing the playoffs for two straight seasons and middling around the .500 mark, Bruins management decided to make a change. Cassidy would replace Claude Julien behind the Boston Bruins bench in the second half of the 2016-17 season. A little more than one season later, the Bruins were back in the SCF, losing in game seven to the St. Louis Blues.

Cassidy would follow up that SCF appearance with a Presidents trophy as the leagues top team and a Jack Adams Award in 2019-20.

Alain Vigneault of the Philadelphia Flyers

Career: 689-456-35-105     Playoffs: 78-77

Alain Vigneault started his coaching career with the Montreal Canadiens. After parts of four seasons he left with a sub .500 record and one playoff appearance. Hired by the Vancouver Canucks several years later, he immediately led them to a first place finish in their division in 2006-07, earning him the Jack Adams Award. He would later lead them to 5 straight first place finishes, two Presidents Trophies and a SCF appearance in 2010-11.

The next two seasons were ended with first round playoff upsets, including a sweep by the San Jose Sharks in 2012-13. He was then released and subsequently signed by the New York Rangers. in his first season as the Rangers bench boss he steered them to the SCF. The following year, the Rangers would win the Presidents Trophy. The next several years are painful to Rangers fans as Vigneault slowly lost the room as the team declined. He was relieved of his duties following the 2017-18 season, coinciding with the Rangers rebuild.

Vigneault was hired by the Flyers at for the 2019-20 season. The team was on pace to its best wins record since 1985-86.

While they are all now persona non grata, many of the coaches listed above have connections to the New York Rangers.

David Quinn is not just the New York head coach, he was also a prospect. Quinn was originally drafted in the first round by the Minnesota North Stars in 1984. While trying out for the 1988 US Olympic team, he was diagnosed with Christmas Disease (Hemophilia B). He initially retired, but later found medical treatment to allow him to continue his career.

in February of 1992 he signed with the Rangers. He would play 19 games for the Rangers AHL affiliate in Binghamton.

Rangers fans bemoan that Lindy Ruff was the team’s assistant defensive coach for the last three seasons. But, he was also one a New York Rangers defenseman. Acquired from the Sabres for a 5th round draft pick, Ruff played 83 games on Broadway over parts of three seasons between March of 1989 and March of 1991. He registered three goals, 12 assists and 138 penalty minutes in Rangers blue.

Alain Vigneault is all too familiar in Rangers fans minds. Although he left on a sour note, his accomplishments within the organization deserve note. All-Time among Rangers coaches he is 4th in games played (410), 3rd in wins (226), 3rd in points (489) and his .508% playoff winning percentage is 5th in Rangers history. Additionally, he is one of only six Rangers coaches to have taken the team to a SCF.

Prior to professionals being allowed to play in the Olympics, Peter Laviolette represented the United States twice (1988 and 1994). He also played a very short NHL career of just 12 games, all with the Rangers in 1988-89. He registered zero points with six penalty minutes and had a plus/minus rating of +2.

Although he never played for the New York Rangers, Mike Sullivan was a Rangers fourth round pick in the 1987 NHL Entry Draft. Upon retiring in 2002, after 11 years in the NHL, with no coaching experience he took on head coaching duties of the Providence Bruins for the 2002-03 season. He led them to a 41-17-9-4 record before his promotion to the NHL.

Between being head coach of the Bruins and Penguins, Sullivan was also an assistant coach with the New York Rangers. Staying with John Tortorella after a short stint with the Tampa Bay Lightning, Sullivan joined the Rangers for the 2009-10 season. He remained with the Rangers through the 2012-13 season, again following Tortorella, this time to Vancouver.

David Quinn will be the first person to tell you that this coaching line-up is fill of “piss and vinegar”. But, so is he. Coaching is about living and learning, gaining experience through adversity and learning as you go. He has the pulse of the team and he knows what buttons to push to motivate his players. The tougher losses over the last two seasons, especially the three game sweep by the Hurricanes in the Stanley Cup Qualifier, are lessons to be learned from.

If there is one thing that is for sure, Coach Quinn has his work cut out for him. But, he is up for the challenge. Whether the results are good or bad for the Rangers, rest assured, he will learn from the moment.

Thanks for reading. I hope everyone has a happy, healthy and safe holiday season.