A feisty winger during his playing days, Dineen skated in more than 1,200 regular-season and playoff games with the Hartford Whalers\/Carolina Hurricanes<\/a>, Philadelphia Flyers<\/a>, Ottawa Senators<\/a> and Columbus Blue Jackets<\/a> during an eras-spanning career from 1984 to 2002.<\/p>\n After a short stint scouting and working in management, he spent the next two decades behind hockey benches, including two-plus seasons as head coach of the Florida Panthers<\/a> from 2011 to ’13. He coached Canada’s women’s team to an Olympic gold medal in Sochi in 2014 after being a late replacement pick for the job.<\/p>\n Dineen has his name on the Stanley Cup as an assistant with the Chicago Blackhawks<\/a> in 2015. He had most recently coached the San Diego Gulls and the Utica Comets of the American Hockey League.<\/p>\n “I wanted to share my news because hockey has taught me that no fight is faced alone,” Dineen wrote. “For anyone out there battling something heavy — whether it’s cancer or another fight entirely — I want you to know you are not alone.”<\/p>\nKevin Dineen skated in over 1,200 regular-season and playoff games with the Whalers\/Hurricanes, Flyers, Senators and Blue Jackets.\u00a0AP Photo\/Steve Miller, File<\/p>\n