Quinlan was originally drafted by the Calgary Roughnecks, with the 53rd overall selection in the 2001 Entry Draft. The 19 year-old didn't make the cut with Roughnecks and was released. Quinlan continued to work on his game, and was invited to Toronto's training camp in 2005. He made it onto the Rock's 23-man roster out of training camp, but still had to crack a taltented and veteran laden lineup to make it onto the bench for a game.
In the third game of the season, beginning a home and home weekend with Rochester, the Rock suffered its worst-ever loss at home, losing 15-6 to the Knighthawks. Coach Terry Sanderson looked to make changes for Saturday, and Quinlan dressed for his first NLL game the next night at Rochester. "I knew this was my big chance, the one I'd been wating for", said Quinlan. After some first-half jitters, he settled in and scored three goals in the second half. The Rock lost the game 12-11 in overtime, but Quinlan's three goals led the Rock scorers that evening.
The rookie became a valuable member of the supporting cast that season, playing in seven of Toronto's remaining twelve regular season game and one playoff game. He learned a lot from the talent around him. A left-handed shooter, he learned a lot by playing and practicing with fellow left-siders Colin Doyle and Josh Sanderson. "The biggest thing I learned from those guys was the consistency they bring to the arena, night in and night out throughout the season", said Quinlan.
During that first training camp, he had one of those moments that all rookies do. "We were playing an intrasquad game at practice and I kept dropping the ball", said Quinlan. "One of the coaches blew the whistle, and yelled that if I dropped one more ball, that the entire team would be running laps". So did you drop any more balls that day? "No, but it was because the guys were afraid to pass it to me for the rest of the game", laughed Quinlan.
Following the championship season, Quinlan was traded to his hometown of Edmonton. He was now going to become an every game player, a key contributor, for the expansion Rush. "It was mixed emotions at the time", said Quinlan. "I was sad to be leaving Toronto, but happy to be coming home. I'd been living all over the place for the past four years, and was now returning to Edmonton."
He would get the chance to do what every player strives for, to become a fixture on the team, playing in all sixteen games. His first full season of action would prove to be a learning experience, both from an individual and team perspective. Quinlan had a solid season, scoring 20 goals and 19 assists for 39 points, third highest total on the Rush. The team struggled to a 1-15 record in its first season. Despite the struggles, the team stuck together. "Within our dressing room, we never turned on each other. We were always excited to be at the rink. We were excited for every game, and felt that we always had a chance to win if we executed our game plan", said Quinlan.
As an Edmonton native, he also is the local face of the team in a community that he grew up in, which takes on new meaning after a tough season. "It was tough, knowing a lot of people in the city, people were always asking me what was going on with the team", said Quinlan. "As an athlete playing in your hometown, you learn quickly take all the comments with a grain of salt. For the most part, people were and continue to be supportive. We want to get that first home win for them."
Help is definitely on its way. Following the expansion draft, Edmonton GM/Head Coach Paul Day traded for a pair of veteran goal scorers in Dan Stroup and Chris Gill. The pair combined for 50 goals last season. Edmonton as a team scored 151 in 2006. "I'm excited to have them with us", said Quinlan. "They will bring us not only offense, but the leadership you'd expect from a pair of veterans who won multiple championships. I think their presence on the floor will attract the most attention of the opposing defenses, and that should hopefully open up some floor space for our other forwards, including myself. They've won everywhere they've played, and they work well together."
Quinlan's goals for 2007: "I want to have the type of consistenct throughout the season that I learned from the guys in Toronto. Last season I started strong and faded late. As for our team, we are gunning for one of the four playoff spots in the Western Division".
Away from lacrosse, Quinlan is finishing his degree in education at the University of Alberta. In addition to school, he drives a wine delivery truck, delivering wine to restaurants and bars in the Edmonton area. His customers know him well, follow him with the Rush, and aren't afraid to bust his chops on delivery day. "Sometimes I show up to make the delivery, and they are reading my stats from the last game to me", said Quinlan with a laugh. "I don't mind though, I'm glad they're following the team".
