OTTAWA - Pat Quinn thought he could give it up, get it out of his system like he did with the cigars.
After suffering from that bout of arrythmia in 2002 while coaching the Toronto Maple Leafs in the playoffs, Quinn gave up his favourite stogies.
Getting coaching out of his system?
He hasn't had as much luck.
He thought he could enjoy playing some golf, but he missed getting up in the morning and looking forward to a game.
That's why the 65-year-old was behind Team Canadašs bench last night, where he wants to be, coaching in another game that had the attention of just about every Canadian and many others in the hockey world, coaching what could be his grandkids.
Now after winning gold with Canada's U18 team last spring and bringing the Team Canada juniors to the brink of another, Quinn has distinguished himself with his service on the international stage (along with bringing Canada its first Olympic gold in menšs hockey in 50 years in 2002).
Steve Yzerman, the executive director of Canada's men's Olympic team in 2010, stopped by Scotiabank Place yesterday to talk to the kids about preparing for a big game and gave an update on preparations for 2010.
A coach and his staff wonšt be named until after this spring's Stanley Cup playoffs.
A little while later, in a quiet hallway outside the Team Canada hallway, Quinn was asked about another shot at coaching the Olympic team.
The big Irishman's face lit up.
"It would be a wonderful opportunity again," said Quinn. "Coaching is special. Heck, I would carry the bags, the sticks and the skate sharpener." Quinn would love to get back into the coaching racket in the NHL. The only thing missing off his resume at this point is a Stanley Cup (he made it twice to the final, with the Philadelphia Flyers in 1980 and with the Vancouver Canucks in 1994).
In the meantime, he's having a pretty good run with the kids. His points of reference might be totally out of whack with the new generation (hešs compared little offensive defenceman Ryan Ellis to Pierre Pilote and J.C.Tremblay) and brought up Stan Makita to team Canada star John Tavares, who had to Google Makita, but he's managing to get his message across.
Talk to the kids and the thing they talk about his Quinn's burly, imperturable presence.
Those who traveled with the U18s to Kazan, Russia endured numerous travel delays and the usual logistical nightmares that occur on trips to that part of the world. Quinn had seen it all before and the group picked up on the vibe.
In a tournament like this, where the challenge is not inspiring players to a greater emotional plane, but controlling them, Quinn's unflappable approach perhaps has been his most valuable asset.
Not to mention he tends to like a slant towards offensive hockey which plays to the strengths of the type of players who will be selected to play in this type of elite tournament.
The Swedes were the ones who looked edgy in the early going, swarming every Canadian player who went near goaltender Jacob Markstrom, who wound up being booed by the Scotiabank Place crowd every time he touched the puck after his numerous dives. Swedish forward Mikael Backlund took it over the line on the first shift of the game, cross-checking Canadian star John Tavares to the ice after the whistle after Markstrom had covered the puck 22 seconds into the game.
The Canadian power play made them pay.
It entered the game at an astounding 51.35 percent, which was actually down from about 60 percent or "something silly like that," as Quinn had said earlier in the week. That was one of the pleasures of the tournament, seeing the generous amounts of skill teams like Canada and the Swedes could put on the ice, especially on the power play.
Canada's PK Subban, who was neck and neck with Sweden's Erik Karlsson as the best defenceman in the tournament, scored to make it 1-0 and Canada was off and running.
Quinn had sworn off the cigars, but he admitted to having one after the U18s won gold last spring.
You can bet he had another one at the ready last night.
He just needed a reason to light up.
