My recent piece in The Vancouver Sun argued that Quinn's contributions were big enough to merit more than one form of recognition:
Vancouver Mayor Gregor Robertson this week tabled a motion to have the city's naming committee consider renaming the portion of Abbott Street in front of Roger Arena as Pat Quinn Way:
That's a great start, although I would suggest there's plenty of rationale to justify both Pat Quinn Way downtown and Pat Quinn Arena at the Pacific Coliseum:
The case for recognition
The late Pat Quinn, who is an honoured member of the BC
Sports Hall of Fame as the W.A.C. Bennett Award winner in 2013 and is a member
of the Order of Canada (2012), should have his name and legacy further
enshrined with some form of civic landmark on the strength of his body of work
in hockey and in the community:
-
He is one of the most respected and admired British
Columbians and is a recognized icon in the provincial, national and
international hockey communities.
-
Original member of the Vancouver Canucks Hockey Club
in 1970;
-
Head Coach, General Manager & President of the
Canucks (leading the club to one of its three berths in the Stanley Cup Finals
in 1994);
-
Quinn championed Canucks community relations,
including the club’s support of Canuck Place and the Canucks charitable
foundation (now the Canucks for Kids Fund);
-
Co-owner of the Vancouver Giants of the Western Hockey
League (Canadian Hockey League) since their inception in 2001;
-
Coached Canada’s 2002 Olympic Men’s Hockey Team to a
gold medal at the 2002 Olympic Winter Games in Salt Lake City, Utah (Canada’s
first gold medal in 50 years);
-
Coached Canada to gold medal championships at the
World Cup of Hockey, IIHF U20 World Junior Hockey Championships and IIHF U18
World Junior Hockey Championships.
The case
for Pat Quinn Way
The
proposal: The section of Abbott Street in Vancouver between Pacific
Boulevard to the south and Expo Boulevard to the north be officially renamed
Pat Quinn Way.
The
rationale: He presided over the move of the Canucks from the
Pacific Coliseum to Rogers Arena (formerly GM Place) in 1995;
-
His former office overlooked the intersection of
Pacific Boulevard and what would be renamed Pat Quinn Way;
-
There is a strong symbolic connection between Quinn
and Gate 16 on what is currently that section of Abbott Street – named for former
captain and current team President Trevor Linden (drafted by Quinn in 1988);
-
There is a long-standing relationship between Quinn
and the Griffiths family and hence a natural symmetry between Griffiths Way to
the west and Pat Quinn Way to the east;
-
Quinn is recognized on the Ring of Honour at Rogers
Arena but should also be remembered as a franchise executive, coach and builder
by future generations of Canucks fans;
-
The creation of Pat Quinn Way is simple and convenient
given that Canucks Sports & Entertainment is the only business operating on
that segment of Abbott Street.
The case
for Pat Quinn Arena
The
proposal: The Pacific Coliseum be officially renamed Pat Quinn Arena
(or Pat Quinn Place).
The
rationale:
Quinn coached the Canucks at the Coliseum from 1991 to
1994;
-
His greatest coaching accomplishments came at the
Coliseum, including the 1994 run to the Stanley Cup Final;
-
Arguably the greatest Canucks win in franchise history
– Game 6 of the 1994 Final – was played at the Coliseum;
-
Quinn served as a founding co-owner of the Vancouver
Giants of the WHL in 2001 and the team won the Memorial Cup at the Coliseum in
2006;
-
Quinn died as a co-owner of the Giants;
-
Renaming is no detriment to facility operations (a
generic name is replaced by an individual’s name).
The
proposal: The Canucks endorse the creation of Pat Quinn Way at Rogers
Arena and the Giants champion the renaming of the Coliseum as Pat Quinn Arena
or Pat Quinn Place.
The
rationale: The arc of Quinn’s career – as a player, head coach,
general manager and team president of
the Canucks and as a co-owner of the Giants – spans both buildings;
-
The modern history of professional hockey in Vancouver
involves both buildings;
-
Quinn coached the Canucks at the Coliseum from 1991 to
1994;
-
Quinn played and coached at the Coliseum and coached
at what is now Rogers Arena with the Toronto Maple Leafs and Edmonton Oilers;
-
The dual naming ensures that Quinn’s name is forever
remembered as part of the histories of both Vancouver hockey franchises;
-
The story-telling around Pat Quinn Way and Pat Quinn
Arena forms another strong relationship bridge between the NHL Canucks and WHL Giants.
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