Ray Kinasewich

Ray Kinasewich (born September 12, 1933 in Smoky Lake, Alberta) 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).

Playing career

Kinasewich played minor professional hockey from 1953 to 1965, with teams in the Western Hockey League (WHL) and American Hockey League (AHL). [cite web |title=Ray Kinasewich's profile |work=The Internet Hockey Database |url=http://www.hockeydb.com/ihdb/stats/pdisplay.php3?pid=12371 |accessdate=2008-05-23] 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. [cite web |title=Ray Kinasewich—The Oilers' First Coach |work=Edmonton Oilers Heritage |url=http://www.oilersheritage.com/legacy/contributions_coaches_raykinasewich.html |accessdate=2008-05-23] 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. [cite web |title=WHA Oilers Page - Coaches |work="The Home of the Oilers" |url=http://homeoftheoilers.orgfree.com/coaches.html |accessdate=2008-05-23]

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 41956-57 Seattle Americans WHL 70 44 38 82 62 6 1 2 3 171957-58 Seattle Americans WHL 70 42 26 68 40 9 5 5 10 101958-59 Edmonton Flyers WHL 63 15 32 47 40 3 0 0 0 21959-60 Hershey Bears AHL 72 24 28 52 20 -- -- -- -- --1960-61 Hershey Bears AHL 67 31 24 55 34 8 4 4 8 01961-62 Hershey Bears AHL 69 10 25 35 34 7 2 1 3 01962-63 Edmonton Flyers WHL 68 25 32 57 24 3 0 2 2 01963-64 Cleveland Barons AHL 72 28 30 58 46 9 5 8 13 101964-65 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

ee also

*List of WHL seasons
*List of AHL seasons

References