In Court Papers, Quinn Says Kings’ GM Post Was Promised to Him

The Kings made promises to Pat Quinn that he would become the team’s general manager and agreed to an option in his contract that allowed for that, according to documents filed in the Vancouver registry of the Supreme Court of British Columbia.

The documents, including an affidavit from Quinn, are part of the Vancouver Canucks’ lawsuit against the National Hockey League, which was filed last week.

According to Quinn’s affidavit, after being fired as coach by the Philadelphia Flyers March 18, 1982, he enrolled in Delaware Law School.

Quinn said he turned down five offers to return to coaching in the NHL because he was interested only in becoming a general manager.

Quinn’s affidavit reads, in part, “I ultimately signed a contract to coach with the Los Angeles Kings in May, 1984, after considerable negotiations and discussions regarding my opportunity to become the general manager of the Kings within a three-year contract term or pursuant to a three-year option which I accorded to the Kings to make me general manager and coach.

“When I signed with the Kings, I had only one year to go before completing law school and more than a year to go on my Flyers’ contract. I was being paid my full salary from (the) Philadelphia Flyers while I was attending law school. I would not have left law school without strong assurances that I would become general manager of the Kings.”

League president John Ziegler expelled Quinn from the NHL for signing a contract with the Canucks while still coaching the Kings. Ziegler also fined the Canucks $310,000 and the Kings $130,000.

Vancouver’s suit charges that Ziegler’s actions were beyond the scope of his powers and asks that Quinn be reinstated and their fine be reduced.

Quinn is prevented from coaching for the Canucks until the 1990-91 season and is barred from conducting league business for the rest of this season.

Quinn has always maintained that he acted legally and within league rules when he signed a contract Dec. 24, 1986, to become the general manager and president of the Canucks. Quinn was later paid a $100,000 signing bonus by the team. He was in the third year of a three-year contract with the Kings.

Quinn’s 16-page affidavit is the most complete record yet of his side of the events that led to his unprecedented expulsion Jan. 9.

His affidavit says that there were two options built into his contract. One was that if the Kings had not signed him to a one-year coaching contract by Oct. 1, 1986, he was free to negotiate with another team.

When the deadline passed, Quinn said, he exercised his option.

The second clause was that if the general manager’s job became vacant, Quinn would automatically assume the position. In the affidavit, Quinn said he frequently spoke with King General Manager Rogie Vachon about Vachon becoming president of the Kings and Quinn becoming general manager.

“Promises were made,” said Quinn’s attorney, Morris Chucas. “Every time Pat went to them they always weren’t ready. It was a question of when Rogie would become president. Rogie was never able to tell him (Quinn) anything. Obviously, the whole contract was structured to make Pat the GM and coach. The essence of his contract was that he wanted to be GM.”

Vachon, contacted here, where the Kings will play the Edmonton Oilers in the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs tonight, disagreed with Quinn’s version of things.

“No promises were made,” Vachon said. “I agreed to let him put that option in his contract. It was possible that one day Jerry (King owner Jerry Buss) would want to turn things over to someone else.

“Pat wanted to come here on the condition that if the GM job would become open, he would get the first crack at it. They were just options. There were never any promises.”

Quinn’s affidavit attempts to establish that Quinn had clearly stated to the Kings his wish of becoming a general manager and that the Kings had agreed to the option that allowed him to negotiate with another team.

The affidavit says that Quinn refused to discuss a job with the Canucks until after the Oct. 1 deadline. Then, before discussing an offer from the Canucks, Quinn asked that the negotiations take place after the season.

The Canucks told Quinn they had been “burned” twice before and gave him three days to decide.

In their presentation of the case, the Canucks attempt to establish that there was no tampering.

They point out that the team was in nearly constant contact with the league, requesting a list of non-playing personnel whose contracts were not on file with the league. The league, the team says, should have known what was going on and advised them if it was improper.

Under NHL rules, a team cannot charge tampering unless a coach’s contract is on file with the league. Quinn’s was not.

The Canucks are seeking an injunction preventing the league from collecting the fine it levied. The club is concerned that the NHL could deduct the fine from the Canucks’ share of monthly payment of broadcast rights revenue to the league teams.

The Canucks and the Kings have yet to pay any of the fines.

In a related matter, the Kings say they have filed a grievance with the league, seeking compensation from Vancouver for the loss of Quinn.

The matter will be heard at the next NHL Board of Governors meeting in June.