A big part of what made David Quinn an attractive coaching candidate for the Rangers this summer was his previous experience as a head coach in the AHL and as an assistant in the NHL.
On Friday, he returns to face the lone pro franchise that had employed him, as Quinn’s Blueshirts make their only trip of the season to Denver to take on the Avalanche. Quinn was the headman for their AHL team in Lake Erie from 2009-2012 — where he coached Kevin Shattenkirk, the Avalanche’s first-round pick (No. 14 overall) in 2007 — before becoming an Avalanche assistant for the lockout-shortened season of 2012-13.