Longtime NHL player-turned-coach Kevin Dineen says he has been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer.

Dineen, who is 62, posted a message on social media over the weekend revealing the diagnosis.

"This Thanksgiving feels a bit different," the Quebec City native wrote on social media. "It has put a lot into perspective, most of all how lucky I am to be surrounded by so many supportive family and friends."

A feisty winger during his playing days, Dineen appeared in over 1,200 regular-season and playoff games with the Hartford Whalers/Carolina Hurricanes, Philadelphia Flyers, Ottawa Senators and Columbus Blue Jackets during an eras-spanning career from 1984-2002.

After a short stint scouting and working in management, he spent the next two decades behind hockey benches, including two-plus seas

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