The league fined Quinn $100,000 US after he criticized the league and its teams over the money spent on free agency, a trend which he says will lead to labour problems in the near future.
"What's happened in this business? Where's the money coming from? When's it going to stop," Quinn said last week.
"And then we come into a year like this where we get five-year contracts (at) $9 million (per year). There are ways to run a business and that's why there's going to be a lockout. Because we're not running the business well."
Toronto coach and general manager Pat Quinn was fined $100,000 for comments he made about recent free-agent signings in the NHL. (CP Photo)
Quinn was especially disgruntled with extensive contracts signed by free agents such as Darius Kasparaitis, Bill Guerin and Bobby Holik.
"What blew everyone away was the length of the contracts ... we had no clue that was going to happen," he said. "The fourth and fifth years were very, very scary."
The New York Rangers signed Kasparaitis to a six-year deal worth $27-million and Holik to a five-year deal worth $45-million. Guerin received a five-year deal woth $45-million from the Dallas Stars.
It's not the first time Quinn has been fined by the NHL this season.
He was handed a $30,000 punishment during the 2002 Stanley Cup playoffs for criticizing the officiating following the Leafs' first-round playoff win against the New York Islanders.
