Pat Quinn was finally appropriately honored for his contributions to hockey in 2016 with a posthumous induction into the Hockey Hall of Fame.
On Saturday night he was given another honor when the Canucks unveiled a statue of him outside of The Rogers Centre before their 2-1 win overtime win against the Calgary Flames.
Quinn, a player for nine years in the league and a long-time executive and coach, spent two of his seasons as a defenseman in Vancouver and then spent parts of five seasons behind the team’s bench between the 1990-91 and 1995-96 seasons.
He compiled a 141-111-28 record as the team’s coach, and led the team to the 1994 Stanley Cup Final.
Here is a look at the statue.
"Obey your passion, listen to your heart, follow your dreams" - Pat Quinn ☘️ pic.twitter.com/HPq7p2014t
— Vancouver Canucks (@Canucks) February 19, 2017
Along with his time as a coach, he also spent several years in the team’s front office and played a significant role in acquiring several key pieces of that 1994 team, including goaltender Kirk McLean by way of a trade with the New Jersey Devils, and then drafting Trevor Linden and Pavel Bure. The Bure pick was an especially shrewd move because it came in a year when most teams did not know he was eligible to be picked. Bure would go on to be one of the most exciting players in the league and one of the best Canucks ever.