Quinn Takes His Medicine as Vancouver Scapegoat

The scenario that had Coach Tom Renney paying for the Vancouver Canucks’ horrible start was all wrong. Management didn’t blame him, and showed it by firing his boss, Pat Quinn.

“You must look at the senior levels of the organization,” said Steve Bellringer, president of Seattle-based owners Orca Bay Sports and Entertainment, in explaining the firing of Quinn, the team’s president and general manager. “You can’t put all the blame at the feet of the coach.”

The Canucks, despite the off-season addition of free agent Mark Messier, are 3-11-2 and riding an eight-game losing streak after Tuesday night’s 2-1 loss to Washington.

Quinn, 54, joined the Canucks 10 years ago after leaving as coach of the Kings. He led Vancouver to the Stanley Cup final in the spring of 1994, when he doubled as coach.

Until a successor is named, hockey operations will be handled by Bellringer, assistant general manager Mike Penny and senior vice president Steve Tambellini.

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