Renney to team with Quinn in Edmonton

May 26, 2009   ·   Derek Felix   ·   Jump to comments

Well, it didn’t take long for Tom Renney to find a new job. As had been speculated for a while, the former Ranger coach wound up in Edmonton where he and veteran Pat Quinn were introduced as a tandem at a press conference earlier today.

While this seems weird, Quinn will be the coach running things while Renney will reunite with him from their Vancouver days as an associate coach. They’ll work together with current Oiler assistant Kelly Buchberger, who’s staying on.

For the 66 year-old Quinn, it’s his fifth NHL stop. He’s also coached the Flyers, Kings, Canucks and most recently the Maple Leafs. He brings a wealth of experience behind the bench boasting a career record of 657-481-154-26 (657-507-154 incl. OTL). He’s won two Jack Adams (1980 Philadelphia, 1992 Vancouver), two Memorial Cups (1 player-1963 Edmonton Oil Kings, 1 minority owner 2007 Vancouver Giants) and recently coached Team Canada to a fifth straight gold medal at the WJC in Sweden. He also guided Team Canada to its first Olympic gold in 50 years back in 2002 at Salt Lake City.

Now, he gets another opportunity replacing Craig MacTavish behind the bench. Since a surprising run to the Cup Final in 2006, the Oilers have failed to qualify for the postseason three consecutive years. So, a change was necessary. They go with experience.

“I’m certainly aware of the history of the Oilers,” Quinn said after being named the ninth coach in Edmonton’s 30-year history. “I’m fully aware of the passion of the fans and the work ethics and the appreciation of talent here. I think we have the opportunity to help this team win and I’m excited to have Tom and Kelly (Buchberger) here. It’s a thrill and a joy to return to the rink and I’m happy to be here again.”

As for Renney, he joins up with a man he knows well dating back to Vancouver last decade when with Quinn moving upstairs, he got his first head coaching job in 1996. They’re also reunited with current Edmonton GM Steve Tambellini, who worked with them in the Canucks’ front office.

The affable Renney gets another chance out in Alberta to help restore order to a once proud franchise. You have to figure he’ll eventually supplant Quinn behind the bench. In four-plus years with the Rangers, he posted a 164-121-42 record helping guide the club back to the playoffs in 2005-06 ending a nine-year drought. His 164 wins rank fourth on the all-time Ranger coaching list. Prior to getting fired on Feb.23 following an overtime loss to Toronto on Howell/Bathgate Night, he won 40-or-more games in three straight seasons with the club making the postseason in all three including two Conference Semi appearances where they fell to Buffalo and Pittsburgh. This past season, he was 31-23-7 when Glen Sather replaced him with John Tortorella.

“This is a no-brainer,” Renney said of his new gig. “This is a slam dunk. I want to do everything I can within Pat’s framework to being a winning product on the ice for our fans.”

While many Ranger fans still have bitterness towards him for his mistreatment of Petr Prucha, let’s not forget that this man helped bring respectablity back to our franchise which had sunk to Titanic levels. Of course, I was also fairly critical of his conservative style and felt it was time for a change. However, this is a classy man who deserves another chance.

Best of luck in Edmonton.