David Quinn is back with the New York Rangers.
Quinn, who was the Rangers coach from 2018-21, was named as one of three assistants on coach Mike Sullivan's staff on Thursday. He is the first former Rangers coach to return to the team as an assistant.
Joining Quinn on Sullivan's coaching staff in New York are Joe Sacco and Ty Hennes. Sacco was previously with the Boston Bruins and Hennes was with Quinn on Sullivan's staff with the Pittsburgh Penguins this season.
Sullivan was named the Rangers coach on May 2.
Quinn guided the Rangers to a 96-87-25 record in his three seasons as coach. They went 32-36-14 in 2018-19. The next two seasons were impacted by COVID-19.
The Rangers were 37-28-5 before the 2019-20 season paused in March. They played in the postseason when the League returned but were swept by the Carolina Hurricanes in the Stanley Cup Qualifying Round.
New York went 27-23-6 in the COVID-shortened 2020-21 season.
Quinn was fired on May 12, 2021, by current general manager Chris Drury, who had taken over in that role one week prior, when New York also fired former general manager Jeff Gorton and president John Davidson.
Eight current members of the Rangers played under Quinn in his three seasons in New York: forwards Mika Zibanejad, Chris Kreider, Artemi Panarin, Alexis Lafreniere and Jonny Brodzinski, defensemen Adam Fox and K'Andre Miller, and goalie Igor Shesterkin.
Zibanejad scored a career-high 41 goals in 2019-20. Fox won the Norris Trophy as the NHL's best defenseman in 2020-21. The Rangers selected Lafreniere with the No. 1 pick in the 2020 NHL Draft.
Quinn went on to coach the San Jose Sharks for two seasons from 2022-24 before becoming an assistant on Sullivan's staff with the Penguins this season. He was also on Sullivan's Team USA staff at the 4 Nations Face-Off.
Sacco spent the past 11 seasons with the Bruins, including being elevated to interim coach for the final 62 games this season after Boston fired Jim Montgomery on Nov. 19. The Bruins were 25-30-7 under Sacco and missed the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Sacco also spent the 2013-14 season as an assistant with the Buffalo Sabres after being the head coach of the Colorado Avalanche from 2009-13, posting a record of 130-134-30.
Hennes spent the past seven seasons with Sullivan in Pittsburgh, the first four as the Penguins' skating and skills development coach and the past three as an assistant.
