Ray Kinasewich
Encyclopedia
Ray Kinasewich is a retired Canadian ice hockey
player and coach. He was the head coach of the Edmonton Oil Kings team that won the 1966 Memorial Cup
and he was the first coach for the Edmonton Oilers
in the inaugural 1972–73 season of the World Hockey Association
(WHA).
(WHL) and American Hockey League
(AHL).
He started with the Edmonton Flyers
of the WHL before spending two seasons (1956–58) with the Seattle Americans. These would be the two most productive seasons of his career. Playing right wing
on a line with Guyle Fielder
and Val Fonteyne
, he scored 44 goals in 1956–57 and 42 goals in 1957–58, leading the Americans in goal scoring for both seasons. Kinasewich returned to the Flyers for one season before playing for the Hershey Bears
of the AHL from 1959–62. The final three years of his playing career were spent playing for Edmonton (for a third time), for the Cleveland Barons (AHL), and for the Seattle Totems
(WHL) before retiring in 1965.
Kinasewich turned to coaching for the next season. He led the Edmonton Oil Kings to their second Memorial Cup
victory in 1966. He also spent time with the Houston Apollos
and was the first coach of the Salt Lake Golden Eagles
in 1969–70, but is best known as the first coach of the Edmonton Oilers
in the first season of the WHA.
He was hired by Oilers owner Bill Hunter, who had also been the owner of the Oil Kings when Kinasewich coached for them. However, Hunter was dissatisfied with the Oilers 20–23–2 record to start the 1972–73 WHA season, and he replaced Kinasewich with himself as head coach.
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...
player and coach. He was the head coach of the Edmonton Oil Kings team that won the 1966 Memorial Cup
1966 Memorial Cup
The 1966 Memorial Cup final was the 48th junior ice hockey championship of the Canadian Amateur Hockey Association. The George Richardson Memorial Trophy champions Oshawa Generals of the Ontario Hockey Association in Eastern Canada competed against the Abbott Cup champions Edmonton Oil Kings of the...
and he was the first coach for the Edmonton Oilers
Edmonton Oilers
The Edmonton Oilers are a professional ice hockey team based in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division in the Western Conference of the National Hockey League ....
in the inaugural 1972–73 season of the World Hockey Association
World Hockey Association
The World Hockey Association was a professional ice hockey league that operated in North America from 1972 to 1979. It was the first major competition for the National Hockey League since the collapse of the Western Hockey League in 1926...
(WHA).
Playing career
Kinasewich played minor professional hockey from 1953 to 1965, with teams in the Western Hockey LeagueWestern Hockey League (minor pro)
The Western Hockey League was a minor pro ice hockey league that operated from 1952 to 1974. Managed for most of its history by Hockey Hall of Fame member Al Leader, it was created out of the merger of the Pacific Coast Hockey League and the Western Canada Senior Hockey League...
(WHL) and 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...
(AHL).
He started with the Edmonton Flyers
Edmonton Flyers
The Edmonton Flyers are a defunct ice hockey team that was based in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. The team existed from 1940 until 1963, playing in various senior and minor professional leagues during that time...
of the WHL before spending two seasons (1956–58) with the Seattle Americans. These would be the two most productive seasons of his career. Playing right wing
Winger (ice hockey)
Winger, in the game of hockey, is a forward position of a player whose primary zone of play on the ice is along the outer playing area. They typically work by flanking the centre forward. Originally the name was given to forward players who went up and down the sides of the rink...
on a line with Guyle Fielder
Guyle Fielder
Guyle Abner Fielder is a retired American professional ice hockey center. He is the third-leading scorer in professional hockey history, behind only Wayne Gretzky and Gordie Howe, and holds the records as the leading games played, career assists and career points in minor league hockey...
and Val Fonteyne
Val Fonteyne
Valere Ronald Fonteyne is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey left winger. He played in the NHL from 1959 to 1972 serving the Detroit Red Wings , New York Rangers and Pittsburgh Penguins, and in the WHA from 1972 to 1974 with the Alberta Oilers and later the Edmonton Oilers.He wasn't an...
, he scored 44 goals in 1956–57 and 42 goals in 1957–58, leading the Americans in goal scoring for both seasons. Kinasewich returned to the Flyers for one season before playing for the Hershey Bears
Hershey Bears
The Hershey Bears Hockey Club is a professional ice hockey team playing in the American Hockey League, and is currently the top affiliate of the NHL Washington Capitals. The hockey club is based in the unincorporated town of Hershey, Pennsylvania, located within Derry Township some 14 miles east of...
of the AHL from 1959–62. The final three years of his playing career were spent playing for Edmonton (for a third time), for the Cleveland Barons (AHL), and for the Seattle Totems
Seattle Totems
The Seattle Totems were a professional ice hockey franchise in Seattle, Washington. They were a member of various minor professional and semi-professional leagues between 1945 and 1975. They played their home games in the Mercer Arena and later at the Seattle Center Coliseum...
(WHL) before retiring in 1965.
Kinasewich turned to coaching for the next season. He led the Edmonton Oil Kings to their second Memorial Cup
Memorial Cup
The Memorial Cup is a junior ice hockey club championship trophy awarded annually to the Canadian Hockey League champion. It is awarded following a four-team, round robin tournament between a host team and the champions of the CHL's three member leagues: the Ontario Hockey League , Quebec Major...
victory in 1966. He also spent time with the Houston Apollos
Houston Apollos
The Houston Apollos were a minor professional ice hockey team based in Houston, Texas. They played in the Central Hockey League from 1965 to 1969, and then from 1979 to 1981....
and was the first coach of the Salt Lake Golden Eagles
Salt Lake Golden Eagles
The Salt Lake Golden Eagles were a minor professional hockey team based in Salt Lake City, Utah from 1969 to 1994.They played in the Western Hockey League from 1969 to 1974, the Central Hockey League from 1974 to 1984 and the International Hockey League from 1984 to 1994...
in 1969–70, but is best known as the first coach of the Edmonton Oilers
Edmonton Oilers
The Edmonton Oilers are a professional ice hockey team based in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division in the Western Conference of the National Hockey League ....
in the first season of the WHA.
He was hired by Oilers owner Bill Hunter, who had also been the owner of the Oil Kings when Kinasewich coached for them. However, Hunter was dissatisfied with the Oilers 20–23–2 record to start the 1972–73 WHA season, and he replaced Kinasewich with himself as head coach.
Career statistics
--- Regular Season --- ---- Playoffs ----
Season Team Lge GP G A Pts PIM GP G A Pts PIM
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1950-51 Calgary Buffaloes WCJHL 0 0 0 0 0 -- -- -- -- --
1951-52 Calgary Buffaloes WCJHL 44 20 23 43 48 -- -- -- -- --
1953-54 Edmonton Flyers WHL 1 0 0 0 0 -- -- -- -- --
1953-54 Edmonton Oil Kings WCJHL 0 0 0 0 0 -- -- -- -- --
1954-55 Edmonton Flyers WHL 3 0 1 1 0 -- -- -- -- --
1954-55 Nelson Maple Leafs WIHL 39 28 40 68 64 -- -- -- -- --
1955-56 Edmonton Flyers WHL 68 16 17 33 41 3 0 0 0 4
1956-57 Seattle Americans WHL 70 44 38 82 62 6 1 2 3 17
1957-58 Seattle Americans WHL 70 42 26 68 40 9 5 5 10 10
1958-59 Edmonton Flyers WHL 63 15 32 47 40 3 0 0 0 2
1959-60 Hershey Bears AHL 72 24 28 52 20 -- -- -- -- --
1960-61 Hershey Bears AHL 67 31 24 55 34 8 4 4 8 0
1961-62 Hershey Bears AHL 69 10 25 35 34 7 2 1 3 0
1962-63 Edmonton Flyers WHL 68 25 32 57 24 3 0 2 2 0
1963-64 Cleveland Barons AHL 72 28 30 58 46 9 5 8 13 10
1964-65 Seattle Totems WHL 61 10 25 35 26 7 1 0 1 6
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Coaching statistics
Season Team Lge Type GP W L T OTL Pct
1967-68 Houston Apollos CPHL Head Coach 70 28 31 11 0 0.479
1969-70 Salt Lake Golden Eagles WHL Head Coach 72 15 43 14 0 0.306