"I'm going to watch Scotty (Bowman's) practice to see what he does because he's been there how many times," said Quinn.

	Scotty Bowman isn't ready to call it quits.

With Quinn's credentials, he hardly needs to audit the workout of World coach Bowman, who in fact will be behind the bench of an all-star team today for a record 12th time.

Quinn is a two-time winner of the Jack Adams Trophy as coach of the year and he guided the host Maple Leafs to the best record in the Eastern Conference at the time of the deadline to earn the honor of heading up the continent's best and brightest today.

Bowman, also a two-time Adams Trophy winner, is in his seventh season behind the Red Wings' bench, has eight Stanley Cup championships and is the winningest coach in NHL history.

But in the All-Star game, the coaches consider themselves window dressing and it's the one time they turn over the reins and let the stars shine.

"I've only been there once before and I was young then," said Quinn, who guided the then-Campbell Conference squad back in 1981. "That time, I'd give them the game plan and give it the whole practice. Now, what I want them to do is play, exhibit their skills and then that competitive juice will take over. If it's a good enough game to lace your skates on for, then it's good enough to win. That would be a very simple approach. I'm not going to berate somebody who misses a check but there's peer pressure, too."

It will be strange for three players on the North American team to be facing off against their coach. Defenseman Chris Chelios, and forwards Steve Yzerman and Brendan Shanahan will be trying to beat Bowman's World squad. If the three of them have learned anything from the veteran bench boss, it's all about respect. Depending on whom you ask, Bowman can be a bully, is a great strategist, can play mind games, is a taskmaster or any number of other things. What is perhaps most impressive about him is his ability to change with the times. The game has been altered and the athletes most definitely have evolved but Bowman continues to be successful.

"He's really competitive," said Red Wings' captain Yzerman. "He's really got a fire in him. You can sense that. When things aren't going well, he's not nonchalant about it. He gets worked up and he takes some kind of action with the players. He has a real competitive drive inside."

Yzerman said Bowman's creativity is one of the reason why he is so successful motivating players.

"His persona has grown," said Yzerman. "Everything he does, everyone thinks he's got some ulterior motive or he's doing it for a reason but he's very competitive and he's got a real fire and he doesn't hesitate to do something different. One thing he's not afraid to do is try something - he'll put a forward on defense [as he did in the past with Sergei Fedorov much to Fedorov's dismay], he'll change the power play around. He'll try something and if it works, he'll stick with it and if it doesn't work, he's not going to worry about it."

In a profession where three years seems to be the shelf life of an NHL coach, Bowman keeps going.

"He doesn't really try to give off a message other than you come and play hard, be good defensively and be responsible in your position and in your role on the team," said Yzerman. "He kind of just leaves the players alone to do their thing and if you're not doing it, he'll let you know in some way maybe by telling you or just by reducing your ice time. He doesn't have a shtick or play games with things."

When asked where Bowman would rate among the coaches he's had in his career, Chelios smiled.

"The oldest," he said.

Chelios was a big fan of Mike Keenan when the two were in Chicago together and Chelios said he sees a lot of similarities between the two in that Keenan was a disciple of Bowman.

"Obviously he's one of the best coaches," said Chelios of Bowman. "I've been fortunate. I've had some great coaches. I learned a lot from Jacques Lemaire and Pat Burns (in Montreal). Bowman has to be the best coach I've had."

When asked if he thought at the age of 66 that Bowman had perhaps mellowed, Chelios chuckled.

"If I listen to stories from Larry Robinson, yeah, he's mellowed," he said. "I've heard all the horror stories and I haven't seen anything out of the ordinary or worse than any other coach. For me, it's been a great adjustment with a coach like him."

Yzerman said it wasn't so much that Bowman has mellowed, it's that the Red Wings have stayed intact for the most part so everyone is used to everyone else and no one tries to take advantage of the situation.

"A majority of players have played for him for quite some time so he's got a pretty good feel for us," said Yzerman. "He kind of lets you do your thing. In some ways he has mellowed but on a game to game basis, he really hasn't changed that much."

Yzerman said one of the things that strikes him about Bowman is his ability to adapt to the modern athlete and the way the game has changed.

"My impression is that he watches a lot of hockey," said Yzerman. "He pays attention to what's going on around the league. He'll watch other teams practice when we go into another city. He'll watch a lot of hockey games. I think he has kept up with the times very well and I think he's adapted how he runs things to the way players are now and personalities and different cultures."

Chelios, who was dealt to the Red Wings last March, said there is no misunderstanding Bowman's approach and no one challenging his authority.

"His record speaks for itself and you have to respect him," he said. "His word is what everybody listens to. I've been in Detroit and I've had other coaches who have been good and for teams to have success, everyone has to be on the same page and he seems to get everybody on the same page. He doesn't let anything slip."

Quinn is hoping Bowman's squad Sunday will slip so he can guide the North Americans to a third consecutive win in the third year of this new format.

"I think the format has helped create a little bit of a competition," said Quinn. "It's not just individual competition you're showcasing but you're actually playing for `Let's beat those guys.' "

Quinn said even if he hadn't earned the honor of a coaching spot, he would've been on hand regardless.

"I was going to stay anyway just because it was Toronto," said Quinn. "I just wanted to be part of that atmosphere. When your team is good enough that you get the honor of being the coach, boy, that's icing on the cake. It's going to be a terrific time. I can't imagine any way to spend a hockey celebration than being right in it. It's hard not to be excited when hockey has been our lives and all of a sudden, you're at the showcase. It's just terrific."

And he sees his job as being very easy.

"All I have to do," he said, "is show up and open the door."