Phoenix Share Before The Badge: Deron Quint, Professional Hockey Player

Press release from the City of Phoenix:

February 21, 2021

Phoenix Police officers come from many different backgrounds, including different careers. The department's new video series, ‘Before the Badge,’ is profiling some of those careers, and the diversity they bring to the department today.

You might recognize the name Deron Quint. He played professional hockey for 22 years — a defenseman for a number of teams from the Winnipeg Jets, to the Columbus Blue Jackets, to our very own Arizona Coyotes. He also played abroad in Italy, Germany, and Russia. But his love for the game started way back in childhood.

"My dad was a coach so I was on the ice when I was two, just following him around, and then it just grew from there," Quint said.

Quint grew up in Durham, New Hampshire where he was skating pretty much as soon as he was walking. In his early teens, he was playing with the college team in town. And by 18, he made his rookie debut with the Jets. It was that first year that he tied the NHL record for fastest two-goal span by one player, scoring twice in four seconds.

"Scored a goal on the power play, and then we won the face off and, you know, I wrapped it around the glass and it ended up hitting something on the glass, and ended up going in the net," Quint said. "It was one of those things that was real lucky."

Sure, we can call that luck, but as the saying goes, luck favors the prepared, and Quint has always come prepared. That was true in hockey. And now, that's true in the blue.

"You know I always wanted to be an officer," Quint explained. "Just something, I always looked up to them as a kid. We had a couple security officers, Jimmy O'Neil and Ray Rowe, that worked for the Phoenix Coyotes when the team came here, and I always sat with them and chatted with them, and talked to them about it. And really, it's just something I wanted to do. Just give back to the community, and help people."

Quint said he always knew that if his body held up through hockey, he wanted to become a cop in
retirement. So, when he packed up his skates for the last time, he made his way to the Phoenix Police Academy, and started on the force in January of 2020.

For Quint, the uniform may have changed, but the game remains the same.

"As a defenseman, you kind of have to read what's going on out on the ice," Quint said. "You know, you always have to be aware of your surroundings and what's going on, and you're kind of the brains back there where you're always thinking what's going to happen, what's going to go on next, and it's very similar on the streets, or when you go to a call, you gotta be aware of your surroundings."

He said trash-talking fans taught him focus, rowdy opponents taught him patience, and being part of a team taught him accountability. He has brought all these skill with him to the streets of Phoenix.

"It's just like when I was playing," Quint said. "I put the uniform on every night to be the best I can be, and to make the people around me better. You know, I feel the same way about this. I demand and expect a lot out of my squadmates because I believe we have a duty to be the best we can be every day."

This press release was produced by the City of Phoenix. The views expressed here are the author’s own.