Career
Quinn has had two stints in the Sabres organization, the first in the 1990s as team president, and the second in the mid-to-late 2000s as managing partner, minority owner, and de facto president Quinn first joined the team as President in the 1990s and was responsible for hiring general manager Darcy Regier in 1997, after he had fired then-General Motors John Muckler. After Quinn and Regier allowed coach Ted Nolan to leave after the end of his contract, they hired Lindy Ruff as head coach.
Both Regier and Ruff would stay with the team until their respective dismissals in 2013.
Quinn assisted then-owners Northrup R. Knox and Seymour H. Knox III in securing the construction of what is now the First Niagara Center and the abandonment of Buffalo Memorial Auditorium. Quinn first served as President and Chief Executive Officer of the Sabres from November 1, 1996 to April 9, 1998.
The Sabres compiled a record of 69 wins, 48 losses and 27 ties and captured the Northeast division title in 1997 and advanced to the conference finals in 1998. Quinn was let go in 1998 as John Rigas took over the franchise.
Shortly there after, the Adelphia Communications scandal led to the league taking over the team
Quinn associated himself with the prospective ownership group led by Tom Golisano, initially serving as a consultant. When investor Hormoz Mansouri left the ownership group, Quinn stepped in and was rewarded with a minority stake in the franchise. He was named managing partner, serving as Golisano"s personal representative in Buffalo—essentially earning his old job back as head of the franchise.
The Sabres advanced to the Stanley cup conference finals in 2006 and 2007.
Quinn oversaw the first National Hockey League Winter Classic held on January 1, 2008 at Ralph Wilson stadium. Quinn left the franchise when Terrence Pegula purchased and took over the team in 2011.
Ted Black assumed Quinn"s non-hockey duties upon Pegula"s assumption of ownership. The title of President was left vacant until Pat LaFontaine"s hiring in November 2013.
A real estate developer by trade, Quinn served as vice chairman of the Erie Canal Harbor Development Corporation.
He was a significant advocate of the proposed, but ultimately unsuccessful, bid to bring a Bass Pro Shops supercenter to downtown Buffalo. Quinn left the ECHDC upon leaving the Sabres organization in 2011. Although Quinn initially left Western New York after his second tenure with the Sabres, he returned by February 2014 to announce his intent to run for Buffalo Public Schools" board of education.
Larry"s son, Matt Quinn, is a television producer who works on political campaigns.
