All those Pat Quinn rumors? The coach isn't happy about them.
Pat Quinn is getting more ink, and Web space, than he has in a long time.
But the veteran head coach is frustrated that a lot of it has to do with NHL rumors flying in Ottawa and Edmonton, as opposed to what Canada's world junior team pulled off Monday night with another gold-medal win.
"I'm fielding lots of calls the last few days, and hardly any of them was on those kids and what they achieved," Quinn told ESPN.com on Thursday.
The world under-20 gold medal adds to Quinn's impressive international résumé, which also includes Olympic and world under-18 golds. Hockey Canada has been a good fit for the longtime NHL coach, although he faced the wrath of his nation at the 2006 Torino Olympics.
"When you have an opportunity to work with elite people -- whether they're 17, 18 or 19 years old or the higher level -- that is always a wonderful thrill," Quinn said. "Sometimes it turns out very great. It also was one of the greatest disappointments I've had in this game in Torino. It has its other edges to it. But you never think about that. You love the challenge."
Quinn can't say enough about the under-20 players that went undefeated in Ottawa.
"I was really impressed with those kids," he said. "We all think kids today have changed, but I can tell you the basic values are still there. Our parents are doing a great job. These young men were a great bunch of kids. They were open-minded, they wanted to listen and they wanted to achieve at a high level; all of the good things that you look for in kids. Did they have some scary moments emotionally? Sure. But that's just a test for them. They really rose to the occasion. They were under a lot of pressure."
But as Quinn left Ottawa this week, the gold-medal victory was quickly overshadowed by rumors that he was going to take over as coach or GM (or both) of the Ottawa Senators. Which did not make him very happy.
"It's really unfair," Quinn said. "[Sens owner Eugene Melnyk] has got good people there. There's never been one iota of conversation about Pat Quinn and the Ottawa Senators. Not one. It's really unfair to the people there to have to go through that. And there's a couple of other teams that are being mentioned, too."
Pittsburgh has been thrown out there as a rumor, which both Quinn and Penguins GM Ray Shero denied to ESPN.com, and so has Edmonton, where coach Craig MacTavish has battled rumors all season long.
"That's totally unfair, too, because there's never been any conversation there either," Quinn said of the Oilers rumor.
But don't get him wrong. The 65-year-old Quinn does want to return to the NHL if there's an opening at some point.
"I would enjoy that," he said. "I'm not trying to jump in and take anybody's job, but I've been around this business, and decisions get made, rightfully or wrongfully. If there's a place for me, I miss being around the NHL a great deal, and I'm not ready to wave the white flag."
Pierre LeBrun
