By Kris Smith
Quick was brought in to defend the Dundee blueline for the 2014-2015 season and he was signed from East Coast Hockey League side, South Carolina Stingrays, who he captained for two years.
The 2006 third round NHL Draft pick, played six games for Tampa Bay Lightning, who selected him #78 overall and along with his NHL experience, the Buffalo-born defender had also previously played six years in the American Hockey League and five seasons in the ECHL.
However, Kevin started off by talking about where hockey has taken him since leaving Dundee in 2015 and he began: “Since leaving Dundee, I played a few more years and then in 2017 decided not to anymore due to wanting to be home with family more and trying to settle down.
“Before I retired, I got to experience the English side of things, down in Nottingham, and travel Asia, while playing in the Asia Hockey League.
“Now I work in auto insurance and have been for the past three years.
“It is a big change from hockey, but I enjoy the consistency and not beating my body up anymore.
“I also get to spend time with my family and actually be home for holidays and family memories!”
As mentioned, Kevin also returned to the EIHL in the following season, as he was a late addition to the Nottingham Panthers squad and helped them secure both the playoff and Challenge Cup championships in 2016.
The American made many memories during his stay in Tayside and a lot of them have stuck with him to this day.
Quick added: “I have a lot of fond memories from that year and Scotland.
“My wife and I talk about Dundee, Edinburgh and St. Andrew’s to this day, very much because we love Scotland and everything about it and we cannot wait to visit again!
“All of my interactions with the fans were great, the Wards were very good to me and Hutchy (Jeff Hutchins) helped me immensely with just having fun playing hockey!
“But also, the city and surrounding cities were fun to explore, and my teammates were a blast to be around.
“I don’t look at that season as failure, and I know hockey is a business but we just did not have enough bodies to be playing in games and winning them.
“I have a lot of memories with my roommate and buddy Igor (Gongalsky) and being able to play with him for a second year in a row was exciting.
“A bunch of us lived down at the water and would cook together, so there are lots of memories with (Ryan) Grimshaw, (Shane Lust) Lusty, and (Brad) Plumton.
“They were great teammates and buddies, like I said, I have a lot of good things to think about from that year.
“Also, I would have to shout out Kevin Ward and Andy Bell, who made the locker room and rink a really fun place, those two are legends!”
Although, Kevin was able to pick out his favourite memory from his time in a Stars jersey and he answered: “For me, my favourite moment in a Stars jersey would be winning at home.
“I enjoyed playing at home that year, and being able to beat Nottingham, Belfast, and Sheffield at home were all special and huge.
“Being able to get those wins, and for (Marc Cheverie) Chevy to get those wins were much needed and deserved!
“Also, anytime you hear the fans sing your praises was always pretty special.”
The NCAA and ECHL Kelly Cup Champion also shared more about how he became a Dundee Star in the summer of 2014.
“Hutchy brought me to Dundee but that summer, I didn’t know where I was going to end up playing that year” said Kevin.
He continued: “I broke my tibia, the year before, and missed the whole season, so it was a tough year mentally and physically to work to get back into playing.
“My agent put out feelers and I got talking to Jeff and loved everything he had envisioned for the upcoming year.
“I also had a lot of friends who played in the league, previously, and they all said great things.
“I’m glad Jeff offered and wanted me to come play, and even though it was a tough year as a team, I had a great experience with my teammates.”
Finally, Quick shared a message for all the Stars fans back in Dundee and he also highlighted just how delighted he was with his reception in Scotland.
He said: “The fan appreciation was overwhelming and unbelievable, I cannot thank the fans enough for being so welcoming and as supportive as they were that year.
“To this day, I talk about the Dundee days and how much fun I had just playing and exploring Scotland.
“If the fans were not so supportive, I don’t think I would look back with so much gratitude and appreciation, for my time there!
“Home or away, the fans supported us through thick and thin, and all I can say is thank you, you made it a memorable year.
“I didn’t know what to expect coming to Dundee or how my first year overseas was going to go but you made it fun and were very supportive, so it is a year I will never forget.
“I don’t think there is a better way to welcome and support players the way you did for me.
“There was a lot of adversity with that team that year and it was too much for any team to handle, however the fans always stuck behind us and supported us, and that will never be forgotten!”
That concludes our series of ‘Look Back’ articles on the 14th Dundee Stars season but there is plenty more still to come, as next week we take you back to the 2015-2016 season.
If you want to be a part of the historic 20th Dundee Stars season then you can buy your season tickets by contacting [email protected]
