Quinn named Oilers head coach

The Edmonton Oilers named former NHL defenseman and long-time bench boss Pat Quinn to the club's head coaching post on Tuesday, adding former Rangers head man Tom Renney as an associate coach.

The 66-year-old Quinn becomes the eighth man so named in franchise history. He takes the helm from Craig MacTavish, who was fired in mid-April after the Oilers finished the 2008-09 campaign with a mark of 38-35-9, which was good for just 11th in the Western Conference. It marked the third straight season that the team missed the playoffs.

"I'm certainly aware of the history of the Oilers. I'm fully aware of the passion that the fans have for the team, and of the work ethic within the organization," Quinn said at a press conference. "I think we have a real terrific opportunity to create a team that can win. I want to do everything possible to make you proud that you welcomed me to the organization."

Quinn had most recently led the Toronto Maple Leafs as head coach from 1998-2006 and as general manager from 1999-2003. Edmonton is his fifth stop behind the bench since taking his first head coaching position with the Philadelphia Flyers late in the 1978-79 season.

With the Flyers (1979-82), Kings (1984-87), Canucks (1990-95) and Maple Leafs, Quinn has racked up a 657-481-26 record with 154 ties over 1,318 regular- season games. In 183 playoff contests, he holds a 94-89 mark, including two unsuccessful trips to the Stanley Cup Finals, one with Philly in 1980 and the other with Vancouver in 1994. He was also the head coach for Team Canada's gold-medal winning effort in the 2002 Olympics.

The native of Hamilton, Ontario is also a two-time Jack Adams Award winner as the NHL's best coach, earning the honor in both 1980 and 1992. He played 606 games over nine seasons as a defenseman in the NHL.

Renney, 54, led the New York Rangers from the end of the 2003-04 campaign until February 23 of this past season. Over 428 games with Vancouver and New York, the British Columbia native was 203-170-46 with nine ties.

"I'm very excited that he accepted the job as head coach," said Oilers owner Darryl Katz of Quinn. "The luxury we now have is of two men who have extensive experience behind the bench."

Kelly Buchberger, a former Oiler, was also added to Quinn's staff as an assistant.