 Larry Quinn
Managing Partner
Lawrence Quinn is starting his fifth year as Managing Partner. As Mr. Golisano’s representative in Buffalo, Larry oversees the direction of the franchise and is responsible for day-to-day operations. Quinn also serves as an alternate governor on the NHL’s Board of Governors.
On the strength of 53 wins and 113 points, the Sabres finished atop the NHL standings in 2006-07, capturing the first ever Presidents Trophy in franchise history. Buffalo also advanced to the Eastern Conference Finals for the second consecutive season and fourth time in the past 10 seasons, joining Colorado (5) and Detroit (4) as the only teams with four or more Conference Finals appearances since 1997.
In March, the Sabres were recognized by ESPN the Magazine as the number one sports franchise among the 122 North American professional sports teams when it comes to paying fans back for their investment of time, money and passion. More than 80,000 fans were polled in phone and e-mail surveys and asked about their favorite teams in terms of fan relations, overall commitment and effort of ownership, players’ efforts (in and out of competition), stadium experience, affordability for fans, quality of coaching and championship drive and success. One final category, “Bang for the Buck,” measured a team’s performance against money it receives directly from fans. Based on survey results, the Sabres were ranked #1 in this category.
Buffalo fans continued to prove themselves as the most passionate in the league, as HSBC Arena was sold out for all 41 regular season home games and nine postseason dates. This was the first time since 1979-80 that Buffalo sold out every home game. During the four years since Quinn assisted Mr. Golisano in his acquisition of the team, the Sabres season ticket base has increased from 6,000 to more than 14,000 ticket holders, forcing the team to create a waiting list that is now at 5,000.
The launch of Buffalo’s new uniforms last September also created a league-wide frenzy among fans, with Sabres merchandise leading the way on shop.nhl.com and in retail outlets across Western New York and Southern Ontario. Sales of Sabres merchandise increased more than 1000% over the previous season, with Sabres player jerseys regularly among the top 10 in league sales each month.
Larry Quinn is well known throughout Western New York for his active role in various private and public development projects. Following his graduation from the University of Notre Dame in 1974, Quinn was soon appointed the City’s Director of Development where he oversaw the planning and development of the original waterfront village at the Erie Basin Marina as well as the initial development of the City’s Theater District. Several years later at age 28, Mayor James D. Griffin appointed Quinn as Commissioner of Development -- the youngest person ever to serve as a Commissioner in the City’s history.
Quinn left Buffalo in 1982 and worked as a developer in Manhattan and Princeton, N.J., for 10 years until he was recruited by the late Seymour H. Knox III to spearhead the development of the HSBC Arena. Quinn was the vision and driving force behind the design, site acquisition, financing and construction of the project that was completed for the 1996-97 season on time and under budget for $127 million.
Quinn was appointed President and CEO of the Sabres in 1996 and ran the team during its Northeast Division title season and subsequent advance to the Conference Finals. Quinn left the franchise when the Rigas family of the now defunct Adelphia Communications Company assumed control of the team.
In August 2005, Governor George Pataki appointed Quinn as Vice Chairman of a New York state commission to plan and oversee the development of the entire Buffalo waterfront. Named the Erie Canal Harbor Development Corporation, the commission is responsible for developing the waterfront area immediately surrounding HSBC Arena and planning the ultimate development of the outer harbor and old port area. Included among the group’s immediate projects is the restoration of the Erie Canal terminus and the redevelopment of the former Memorial Auditorium site. In March 2007, the ECHDC signed a pre-development agreement with Harbor District Associates, an affiliate of Benderson Development, and Bass Pro, which is to build the 100,000 square foot, historic-styled store near the canal terminus on the inner harbor. It is part of an overall plan called Canal Side, a $275 million development to revitalize downtown by capitalizing on the historic inner harbor, creating a marketplace and public plaza as well as restaurants, a hotel, residential units, and office space.
During the NHL lockout, Quinn led the effort to build a new research home for Nobel Laureate Herbert Hauptman in the heart of the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus. The Hauptman Woodward Institute Medical Research Center is now a highly acclaimed work of architecture and the home to one of the finest structural biology research centers in the world.
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