Quinn was the Bulls’ first scoring star

by | 1970's-1980's, Belleville Bulls

1981-82

With Dan Quinn, there was never any question that he would be a dominant player in the OHL. But as the Bulls’ first ever draft pick ­first overall in the 1981
midget draft ­would Quinn become dominant in time to help the expansion Bulls?

As a rookie, Quinn put up solid ­if unspectacular ­ scoring numbers. He managed just one goal and six points in his first 14 games but then emerged as a bona-fide scorer with 13 goals and 22 points in the next 17 games.

He finished his rookie year with 19 goals and 51 points in 67 games.

“He was going to be a hockey player…”

“He was going to be a hockey player, that was in his mind,” Bulls GM/coach Larry Mavety said. “I think in his first year, he got by on talent alone. He was a very talented hockey player. When he first came in, he was living on being the first
overall pick more than anything else.”

Not satisfied with the results of his rookie year, Quinn went to work in the off-season to add 15 pounds of muscle that would help him compete in every game
during the long season.

“I was brutal at the start of the season and the end of the season,” Quinn admitted to The Intelligencer. “I played pretty well in November and December but that was about it. I saw other players that were drafted early doing better than me and I think that made me put some pressure on myself.”

“Came out flying…”

Quinn came out flying as a sophomore; he led the team with 59 goals and 147 points and was among the finalists for the Red Tilson Trophy as the OHL’s top player.

His breakout season was noticed by the NHL scouts and Calgary Flames took Quinn with their first round pick in the 1983 draft.

He enjoyed an extended stay in Calgary’s training camp the next fall and was leading the OHL in scoring with 59 points games when he was summoned to return to Calgary to replace injured veteran Jim Peplinski.

NHL Debut…

Quinn picked up an assist in his NHL debut against the Toronto Maple Leafs and scored his first NHL goal two weeks later in a 5-5 tie against the Edmonton Oilers.

In that same game, Bulls’ co-owner Wayne Gretzky scored to extend his point scoring streak to 36 games. Gretzky went on to set a 51-game streak that still stands as an NHL record.

For Quinn, it was the start of an NHL career that lasted more than 800 games.

“He’s smart and clever with the puck,” Flames’ coach Bob Johnson said about Quinn, who was runner-up to Steve Yzerman as the NHL’s rookie of the month that December.

“He’s playing well for an 18-year-old. Actually, he’s playing well period.

Quinn’s situation helped shape the new agreement with the OHL and NHL clubs ability to call up junior-aged players during the season.

Excerpt from 25 Years with the Belleville Bulls (Bell, Aaron 2005)

Intelligencer photo courtesy Community Archives of Belleville and Hastings County

Building the Belleville McFarlands

The Belleville McFarlands were already the most popular thing Belleville had ever produced but after winning the Allan Cup, their fame grew to new heights in the Quinte area. Many of the players now called the city home and they said that the hospitality that they...

MacIntyre defined Bulls early persona

The Bulls have been fortunate to have many players in the lineup over the years that were good leaders. Players like Darren McCarty, Craig Mills and Greg Bignell proudly earned their role as captains of the team. But ask anyone who was there and the person that...

Sophomore Bulls Look for Playoff Berth

After nearly making the Playoffs with a record-setting run as an expansion team, GM-coach Larry Mavety was crystal clear in what he planned to do for an encore in the 1982-83 season. He expected the second-year Bulls to continue to buck tradition and immedi­ately...

Bulls Charged Through Inaugural OHL Season

1981-82 After claiming their historic first OHL win against the Kingston Canadiens, the expansion Belleville Bulls were looking for more. They got it quickly, winning their second game when captain Dunc McIntyre tipped in the winner to give the home team a 4-3...

Belleville McFarlands win national championship

1957-58 While some stayed in Belleville to work during the off-season, it was clear in training camp that manager Drury Denyes was the busiest person on the team during the summer. Denyes had experienced a taste of success the previous season when the Macs had an...

Bobcats make a big impression in their first season

1972-73 When the Belleville Bobcats opened training camp in the fall of 1972 for their first campaign in the Metro Jr. B Hockey League, they had plenty of new faces around…along with a few familiar ones. The Bobcats were moving on from the Eastern Ontario Jr. B loop...

McSorley made his first impression in Belleville

1981-82 Marty McSorley needed to make a quick impression and he had a pretty good idea how to do it.  More than 70 players were suited up at the Bulls' first training camp before their inaugural season in 1981 and McSorley -a free agent invitee - would have to give...

The birth of the Belleville McFarlands

1956-57 When Floyd Crawford took the call from Drury Denyes, he more or less realized that his hockey career was pretty much finished. Crawford was a former Montreal Canadiens prospect that – like everyone else who played on his senior team in Northern Quebec – still...

Macs World Champs!!

In 1959, the Belleville McFarlands won the World Championship of Hockey in Prague, Czechoslovakia. The team had won the Allan Cup in 1958 in Kelowna, British Columbia. As Canadian champions, they were entitled to represent Canada on the World stage. Following their...

Hockey is coming to back to Belleville – and in a big way.

Belleville Mayor Taso Christopher and Ottawa Senator’s owner Eugene Melnyk announced at a media conference on Sept. 26th that the American Hockey League Belleville Senators will begin playing in a completely upgraded Yardmen Arena starting in the 2017-18 season. The...

0 Comments

Submit a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *