Kevin Dineen

Kevin William Dineen (born October 28, 1963) is a Canadian professional ice hockey coach and former player. From 2021 to 2024, Dineen was the head coach of the Utica Comets in the American Hockey League (AHL). Dineen previously served as the head coach for the Florida Panthers and assistant coach of the Chicago Blackhawks. He was born in Quebec City, Quebec.

As a seventeen-year-old, Dineen played with the St. Michael's Buzzers in Junior "B" hockey, where in 40 games he scored 15 goals and 43 points, while getting 167 penalty minutes in 1980–81.

Dineen began his college career in 1981–82, with the University of Denver Pioneers of the Western Collegiate Hockey Association. In his first season with the Pioneers, Dineen had 10 goals and 20 points in 27 games. He was then selected in the third round of the 1982 NHL entry draft by the Hartford Whalers.

Dineen returned to the Pioneers for the 1982–83 season, where he was named captain as a sophomore and saw his numbers increase to 16 goals and 29 points in 36 games. Dineen played both forward and defense for the Pioneers during his two-year college career.

Dineen spent the 1983–84 hockey season with the Canadian national hockey team, where he scored five goals and 16 points in 52 games. Dineen also played in the 1984 Winter Olympics, however, he was held pointless in seven games for Team Canada.

Dineen began the 1984–85 season with Binghamton Whalers of the American Hockey League (AHL), where he played in 25 games, scoring 15 goals and 23 points. He was then promoted to Hartford, as he made his NHL debut on December 3, 1984, against the Montreal Canadiens. He finished the season in the NHL, scoring 25 goals and 41 points in 57 games with Hartford, however, the team failed to make the playoffs.

He stayed in the NHL for good in 1985–86, where Dineen improved his numbers, scoring 33 goals and 68 points in 57 games with Hartford, finishing fourth in team scoring. In ten playoff games, Dineen had a team high six goals and 13 points, as Hartford upset the Quebec Nordiques in the first round before losing to the Canadiens in the Adams Division finals.

Dineen had a breakout season with the Whalers in 1986–87, scoring a team high 40 goals, and finishing second on the team with 79 points, helping Hartford finish in first place in the Adams Division. In the playoffs, Dineen had two goals and three points, as the Whalers were upset in the first round by the Nordiques.