Career
Quinn served as president of the National Hockey Association (NHA), the predecessor of today"s National Hockey League (National Hockey League). At the time of his death, Quinn was a Fire Commissioner in Montreal. Quinn first became notable in the field of ice hockey as a coach of the Montreal Shamrocks in the 1906-1907 season.
He was replaced after the season and worked as a referee for the 1907-1908 season.
He was the referee of the game, in Cornwall, Ontario in February, 1907 in which Owen McCourt died as a result of his on-ice injuries. He returned to coaching, for the Quebec Bulldogs of the Eastern Canada Amateur Hockey Association (ECHA) in 1908-1909.
He also served as the ECHA"s secretary-treasurer. In 1909, he was part of the dissolution of the ECHA. He became the Canadian Hockey Association"s secretary-treasurer.
When that league dissolved, he joined the National Hockey Association (NHA) as secretary-treasurer.
In 1910, he was appointed president of the NHA. He held the position until October 18, 1916 when he resigned. Under his tenure, the league imposed a salary cap on its players. The Pacific Coast Hockey Association (PCHA) was founded in 1911, and it became the NHA"s major competitor, albeit in western cities, while the NHA operated in eastern cities.
He also negotiated agreements to respect each league"s player contracts and a controlled draft for the transfer of players between the leagues.
Quinn resigned from his position as president of the NHA after the 1915-1916 season. He was rewarded with a silver tea service from the NHA in October 2016.
He ended his involvement with hockey entirely. Quinn had three brothers Fred, Percy and Raphael.
Quinn married May Kiely.
They had three children: Richard Francis Quinn, Robert Emmett Quinn and Millicent Quinn. Quinn was nominated to the Fire Commissioner"s Court in 1924 for his experience in fire hazards. He died in 1930 at 52 years of age.