The former New York Rangers coach talks about life since he was fired after last season and what he's doing while he waits for his next opportunity.
"I think there's a lot that goes on when you get fired for the first time and you're not coaching a hockey team for the first time in 28 years," Quinn said. "I think you get a chance to sit back and reflect a little bit. You can't believe you're not coaching. I just think there's a lot of emotions that go on when you're in the situation that I'm in and you try to make the most of it. You try to stay busy and stay sharp and stay in tune to the game."
To do that, Quinn has been watching a lot of NHL games and has been impressed with the Calgary Flames, Minnesota Wild, Carolina Hurricanes, Colorado Avalanche and Anaheim Ducks.
"I wouldn't say there's one team that has really separated themselves from anybody just yet," Quinn said. "It's a different year because, obviously, the COVID situation. Teams have been depleted more so than others. So I just think there's a lot of moving parts this year, as there have been in the last two years. There's a lot of things that are unexpected and that you can't control and the teams that manage those situations the best I think are going to be the teams that have a better chance to have success."
Quinn was among those impressed by Trevor Zegras' lacrosse-style pass to set up Ducks teammate Sonny Milano's bat-in goal against the Buffalo Sabres on Dec. 7. Quinn said he recruited Zegras when he was coaching Boston University before departing to coach the Rangers in 2018, so he's well aware of his skill.
"I know Trevor and he's always been an elite player, and this is a guy with the utmost confidence," Quinn said. "Swagger just falls out of him and it was a hell of a play and a fun play for hockey."
Quinn also knows Jack Eichel very well from coaching him in college in 2014-15 and said he'd been playing phone tag with the center who was recovering from artificial disk replacement (ADR) surgery Nov. 12. Quinn believes that when Eichel is healthy, joining the Vegas Golden Knights, who acquired him in a trade with the Buffalo Sabres on Nov. 4, will help him reach his potential.
"I think you're getting a guy that's just really about to burst," Quinn said. "I don't think the League knows how good this guy really is. To the fault of nobody, I think there's been a lot of circumstances in the early part of his career that have not really allowed him to probably be the player that he's capable of being. You're talking about one of the more dynamic players in the world."
"The Chirp with Daren Millard" features interviews with players, executives, alumni and other personalities around the game. You can share your thoughts on Twitter using the hashtag #ChirpMallard.
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