Pat Quinn Would Be Proud Of Book

If there was one book I had long hoped for, it was a tell-all autobiography by Pat Quinn.

Now on the one year anniversary of Quinn's surprise passing, that obviously is not going to happen. It never was. It was not Pat Quinn's way.

But we have the next best thing in Dan Robson's new biography Quinn: The Life of a Hockey Legend,

Buy The Book:  Amazon.ca - Chapters - Amazon.com

There have been very few people I have ever respected as much "The Big Irishman," both as a hockey player and builder, and as a person.

With my lofty hopes I really figured there was no way any hockey writer out there could give me what I wanted.

Much to my surprise Dan Robson came as close as I could realistically expect, truly capturing the essence of Pat Quinn the player, the coach, and most importantly the man.

Family was the most important thing in Quinn's life, and Robson does an excellent job of understanding and portraying that. In doing so Robson gives us a text on Quinn's life that I know Pat Quinn would be very proud of.

Robson never really knew Quinn personally, but by interviewing almost every important person who did he crafted a fantastic biography of the big Irishman. It is a must read book for any true Vancouver Canucks fan, as well as Leafs and Flyers fans.

Heck, I would go as far as to say it is a must read book for any hockey fan. His life in hockey could cover volumes (Robson covers it perfectly in over 350 pages, thick for a hockey book). It is amazing that he ever got past junior hockey, as there were so many obstacles in his way as a junior and an early pro. Yet he persevered and became one of the game's most important people.

Robson does an amazing job of covering Quinn's early life and then life as a vagabond pro-hockey player. So many of us know Quinn as a coach that, other than the famous hit on Bobby Orr, we tend to forget he played the game too. It was this opening third of the book that I learned the most about Pat Quinn.

He goes on to cover Quinn's lengthy coaching and managing career, as well giving us a look at his stubborn pursuit of education outside of hockey, both formal and informal. Combined with his family first attitude, it all is weaved together nicely to give us a better insight as to how Quinn became so successful as a coach.

If there is any doubting that Pat Quinn should be inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame, I would simply give a copy of this book to each of the members of the HHOF selection committee. Quinn would be inducted as a builder unanimously shortly thereafter.

It is impossible not to be a Pat Quinn fan after reading this book.