Ken Schinkel
Encyclopedia
Kenneth Calvin "Whitey" Schinkel (born November 27, 1932 in Jansen
, Saskatchewan
) is a retired professional ice hockey
right wing and coach, most notably for the Pittsburgh Penguins
of the National Hockey League
and the Springfield Indians
of the American Hockey League
.
of the Ontario Hockey Association
in 1953, Schinkel signed with the Springfield Indians. He spent the next six years in the minors with the Indians organization, garnering a reputation as a skilled two-way forward and penalty killer. In 1959 he led the AHL in goals with 43 and scored 85 points, earning a place on the league's Second All-Star Team, and his rights were dealt to the New York Rangers
of the NHL.
He played the 1960 season with the Rangers and split the 1961 season between New York and Springfield - returning to the AHL just in time to be part of the Indians' second consecutive Calder Cup
championship - before playing as a third-liner with the Rangers in 1962 and 1963. By 1964 he was back in the minors, however, and spent the next four years starring for the Rangers' farm team, the AHL Baltimore Clippers
. Despite playing with future Hall of Famers
such as Jean Ratelle
and Doug Harvey, Schinkel led the Clippers in scoring two of those seasons.
Expansion
changed all that, as Schinkel was drafted in 1967 by the Pittsburgh Penguins. Named an assistant captain by the club, he was an immediate impact player and noted penalty killer for the offensively-thin Penguins, finishing first or second in team scoring the franchise's first three seasons and being named to play in the NHL All-Star Game in 1968 and 1969; he was named again in 1971, but did not play due to a broken arm. He played six seasons in all before retiring to become the team's coach.
Schinkel retired as the Penguins' career leader in games and points (both since surpassed), and with 127 goals and 198 assists for 325 points in 636 games.
as coach of the Penguins. The Penguins did not make the playoffs that season, and were 14-31-5 on Feb. 6, 1974, when Schinkel was replaced by Marc Boileau
, who had been coaching in the Penguins' minor league system.
Schinkel was reassigned to a front office position, where he remained until Jan. 17, 1976, when he was tabbed to replace Boileau. The team had been 15-23-5 under Boileau, but rallied for a 20-10-7 record with Schinkel coaching and made the playoffs. The Penguins were eliminated in the first round by the Toronto Maple Leafs
.
Schinkel led the Penguins to a 34-33-13 record in 1976-77, his only full season as coach. The Penguins qualified for the playoffs but were again defeated in the first round by Toronto. Schinkel was replaced by Johnny Wilson
and returned to the front office for good. He held a variety of positions, including assistant general manager and scouting director in overseeing the drafting of Mario Lemieux
in 1984
. He stayed with the Penguins through 1989, then followed Eddie Johnston to the Hartford Whalers
, where he remained in the front office for the rest of his hockey career. Schinkel coached the Penguins for 203 games, with a record of 83-92-28 for a winning percentage of .478.
Schinkel is now retired and lives in Florida, although he has made appearances for Penguins' alumni affairs.
Jansen, Saskatchewan
Children are bussed to Lanigan for Primary and Secondary School.-Notable people:Hockey Players Brian Propp, Byron Briske, and Shannon Briske all lived in Jansen during their childhood.Author and Poet C.M...
, Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan is a prairie province in Canada, which has an area of . Saskatchewan is bordered on the west by Alberta, on the north by the Northwest Territories, on the east by Manitoba, and on the south by the U.S. states of Montana and North Dakota....
) is a retired professional ice hockey
Ice hockey
Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
right wing and coach, most notably for the Pittsburgh Penguins
Pittsburgh Penguins
The Pittsburgh Penguins are a professional ice hockey team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The franchise was founded in 1967 as one of the first expansion teams during the league's original...
of the National Hockey League
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States...
and the Springfield Indians
Springfield Indians
The Springfield Indians were a minor professional ice hockey franchise, originally based in West Springfield, Massachusetts and later Springfield, Massachusetts. The Indians were founding members of the American Hockey League. They were in existence for a total of 60 seasons from 1926 to 1994, with...
of the American Hockey League
American Hockey League
The American Hockey League is a 30-team professional ice hockey league based in the United States and Canada that serves as the primary developmental circuit for the National Hockey League...
.
Playing career
After a junior career ending with the St. Catharines TeepeesSt. Catharines Teepees
The St. Catharines Teepees were a junior ice hockey team in the Ontario Hockey Association from 1947 to 1962. The team was based in St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada.-History:...
of the Ontario Hockey Association
Ontario Hockey Association
The Ontario Hockey Association is the governing body for the majority of Junior and Senior level ice hockey teams in the Province of Ontario. The OHA is sanctioned by the Ontario Hockey Federation along with the Northern Ontario Hockey Association. Other Ontario sanctioning bodies along with the...
in 1953, Schinkel signed with the Springfield Indians. He spent the next six years in the minors with the Indians organization, garnering a reputation as a skilled two-way forward and penalty killer. In 1959 he led the AHL in goals with 43 and scored 85 points, earning a place on the league's Second All-Star Team, and his rights were dealt to the New York Rangers
New York Rangers
The New York Rangers are a professional ice hockey team based in the borough of Manhattan in New York, New York, USA. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . Playing their home games at Madison Square Garden, the Rangers are one of the...
of the NHL.
He played the 1960 season with the Rangers and split the 1961 season between New York and Springfield - returning to the AHL just in time to be part of the Indians' second consecutive Calder Cup
Calder Cup
The Calder Cup is awarded annually to the playoff champion of the American Hockey League. The trophy is the world's second oldest continuous professional ice hockey championship, having first been awarded in 1937 following the 1936-37 AHL season, and continuously being awarded every year.The cup...
championship - before playing as a third-liner with the Rangers in 1962 and 1963. By 1964 he was back in the minors, however, and spent the next four years starring for the Rangers' farm team, the AHL Baltimore Clippers
Baltimore Clippers
The Baltimore Clippers were an American ice hockey team. They were the first of three Baltimore entries into the American Hockey League, who played from 1962–76...
. Despite playing with future Hall of Famers
Hockey Hall of Fame
The Hockey Hall of Fame is located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Dedicated to the history of ice hockey, it is both a museum and a hall of fame. It holds exhibits about players, teams, National Hockey League records, memorabilia and NHL trophies, including the Stanley Cup...
such as Jean Ratelle
Jean Ratelle
Joseph Gilbert Yvon "Jean" Ratelle is a former Canadian ice hockey player and a member of the Hockey Hall of Fame. It has often been said of Jean Ratelle that he was so consistently effective at a high level of play day in and day out that he has been overlooked by some as one of the greatest to...
and Doug Harvey, Schinkel led the Clippers in scoring two of those seasons.
Expansion
1967 NHL expansion
The National Hockey League undertook a major expansion for the 1967–68 season, adding six new franchises to double the size of the league. This marked the first change in the composition of the league since 1942, when the Brooklyn Americans folded. Thus, the expansion ended the era of the Original...
changed all that, as Schinkel was drafted in 1967 by the Pittsburgh Penguins. Named an assistant captain by the club, he was an immediate impact player and noted penalty killer for the offensively-thin Penguins, finishing first or second in team scoring the franchise's first three seasons and being named to play in the NHL All-Star Game in 1968 and 1969; he was named again in 1971, but did not play due to a broken arm. He played six seasons in all before retiring to become the team's coach.
Schinkel retired as the Penguins' career leader in games and points (both since surpassed), and with 127 goals and 198 assists for 325 points in 636 games.
Coaching career
His playing career abruptly ended on Jan. 13, 1973 when he was named to replace Red KellyRed Kelly
Leonard Patrick "Red" Kelly, CM is a retired Canadian ice hockey player in the NHL. He played on more Stanley Cup winning teams than any player who never played for the Montreal Canadiens, and is the only player to be part of two of the nine dynasties recognized by the NHL in its history...
as coach of the Penguins. The Penguins did not make the playoffs that season, and were 14-31-5 on Feb. 6, 1974, when Schinkel was replaced by Marc Boileau
Marc Boileau
Marc Claude Boileau is a former Canadian ice hockey coach and player. Boileau played one season in the National Hockey League with the Detroit Red Wings. He was head coach of the Pittsburgh Penguins from 1973 to 1976...
, who had been coaching in the Penguins' minor league system.
Schinkel was reassigned to a front office position, where he remained until Jan. 17, 1976, when he was tabbed to replace Boileau. The team had been 15-23-5 under Boileau, but rallied for a 20-10-7 record with Schinkel coaching and made the playoffs. The Penguins were eliminated in the first round by the Toronto Maple Leafs
Toronto Maple Leafs
The Toronto Maple Leafs are a professional ice hockey team based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
.
Schinkel led the Penguins to a 34-33-13 record in 1976-77, his only full season as coach. The Penguins qualified for the playoffs but were again defeated in the first round by Toronto. Schinkel was replaced by Johnny Wilson
Johnny Wilson (ice hockey)
John Edward Wilson was a professional ice hockey forward and head coach. He played with the Detroit Red Wings, Chicago Black Hawks, Toronto Maple Leafs, and New York Rangers, in the National Hockey League, scoring 332 points in 668 games...
and returned to the front office for good. He held a variety of positions, including assistant general manager and scouting director in overseeing the drafting of Mario Lemieux
Mario Lemieux
Mario Lemieux, OC, CQ is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player. He is acknowledged to be one of the best players of all time. He played 17 seasons as a forward for the Pittsburgh Penguins of the National Hockey League between 1984 and 2006...
in 1984
1984 NHL Entry Draft
The 1984 NHL Entry Draft took place on June 9, 1984, at the Montreal Forum in Montreal, Quebec.The 1984 Entry Draft was noted for the unusually high number of future Hall of Famers picked, particularly in lower rounds. In addition to Mario Lemieux being taken first overall, Patrick Roy was chosen...
. He stayed with the Penguins through 1989, then followed Eddie Johnston to the Hartford Whalers
Hartford Whalers
The Hartford Whalers were a professional ice hockey team based for most of its existence in Hartford, Connecticut, U.S.A.. The club played in the World Hockey Association from 1972–79 and in the National Hockey League from 1979–97...
, where he remained in the front office for the rest of his hockey career. Schinkel coached the Penguins for 203 games, with a record of 83-92-28 for a winning percentage of .478.
Schinkel is now retired and lives in Florida, although he has made appearances for Penguins' alumni affairs.