Jimmy Skinner
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James Donald Skinner (January 12, 1917 – July 11, 2007) was the head coach, chief scout, and farm director, director of player personnel, director of hockey operations, assistant general manager, and general manager for the
Detroit Red Wings The Detroit Red Wings (colloquially referred to as the Wings) are a professional ice hockey team based in Detroit. The Red Wings compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Division (NHL), Atlantic Division in the East ...
of the
National Hockey League The National Hockey League (NHL; , ''LNH'') is a professional ice hockey league in North America composed of 32 teams25 in the United States and 7 in Canada. The NHL is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United States and Cana ...
.


Playing career

Skinner played for the
Selkirk Fishermen The Selkirk Fishermen are a junior "B" ice hockey team based in Selkirk, Manitoba. They are members of the Capital Region Junior Hockey League (CRJHL). The franchise was founded in 1917. The Fishermen won the Abbott Cup in 1920, making them t ...
, Winnipeg Rangers and the
Winnipeg Falcons The Winnipeg Falcons were a senior men's amateur ice hockey team based in Winnipeg, Manitoba. The Winnipeg Falcons won the 1920 Allan Cup. That team went on to represent Canada in the Ice hockey at the 1920 Summer Olympics, 1920 Olympic games h ...
in his teens. He was offered a contract with
New York Rangers The New York Rangers are a professional ice hockey team based in New York City. The Rangers compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference (NHL), Eastern Conference. The team plays ...
but declined the offer and played for the
Flin Flon Bombers The Flin Flon Bombers are a Canadian junior ice hockey team in Flin Flon, a city located on the Manitoba–Saskatchewan provincial border. The Bombers are members of the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League (SJHL), which is a member of the Canadia ...
instead. Skinner was a member of the Bombers team, which won the Sask. Senior Hockey League Championship in 1938. Skinner would later move on to serve as a player/coach for the
Omaha Knights Omaha Knights may refer to: * Omaha Knights (AHA) an ice hockey team that played from (1939–1942) in the American Hockey Association and from (1945–1951) in the United States Hockey League * Omaha Knights (IHL) an ice hockey team that played ...
, followed by a stint with the
Indianapolis Capitals The Indianapolis Capitals were an American Hockey League professional ice hockey team based in Indianapolis, Indiana, from 1939 to 1952. The Capitals were a farm team for the Detroit Red Wings. Indianapolis won the Calder Cup in 1942 and 1950. T ...
playing alongside his brother, Morden Huron Lake "Ducky" Skinner in 1943. Skinner's playing career ended prematurely as a result of injuries. It was at that time, that Skinner opted to enter the coaching ranks.


Coaching career

Skinner was hired to coach the
Windsor Spitfires The Windsor Spitfires are a Canadian junior ice hockey team in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL). The team is based in Windsor, Ontario, Canada. Founded in 1971, the franchise was promoted to the Ontario Major Junior Hockey League for the 1975†...
by
Jack Adams John James "Jolly Jack" Adams (June 14, 1894 – May 1, 1968) was a Canadian professional ice hockey player, coach, and general manager in the National Hockey League and Pacific Coast Hockey Association. He played for the Toronto Arenas, Vancouv ...
in 1947, staying in the position until 1953, when he became the head coach of the
Hamilton Red Wings The Hamilton Red Wings were a junior ice hockey team in the Ontario Hockey Association from 1960 to 1974. The team was based in Hamilton, Ontario, at the Barton Street Arena, also known as the Hamilton Forum. History The Hamilton Tiger Cubs we ...
, where he guided the team to a
Memorial Cup The Memorial Cup () is the national championship of the Canadian Hockey League (CHL), a consortium of three Junior ice hockey, major junior ice hockey leagues operating in Canada and parts of the United States. It is a four-team round-robin tou ...
victory in 1962. At the end of the 1953-54 season, Skinner was hired by Adams to serve as the head coach for the
Detroit Red Wings The Detroit Red Wings (colloquially referred to as the Wings) are a professional ice hockey team based in Detroit. The Red Wings compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Division (NHL), Atlantic Division in the East ...
. As a rookie head coach, Skinner guided the Red Wings to a victory over the
Montreal Canadiens The Montreal Canadiens (), officially ' ( Canadian Hockey Club) and colloquially known as the Habs, are a professional ice hockey team based in Montreal. The Canadiens compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic D ...
in the 1955 Stanley Cup Finals, which wound up being the last time the Red Wings won the trophy until
1997 Events January * January 1 – The Emergency Alert System is introduced in the United States. * January 11 – Turkey threatens Cyprus on account of a deal to buy Russian S-300 missiles, prompting the Cypriot Missile Crisis. * January 1 ...
. Skinner is credited with starting the tradition of kissing the Stanley Cup upon victory.''Windsor Star'' "Skinner started Stanley Cup kiss tradition" July 12, 2007
In the 1956-57 season, Skinner guided the Red Wings to a first-place finish in the standings, before being defeated by the
Boston Bruins The Boston Bruins are a professional ice hockey team based in Boston. The Bruins compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Division (NHL), Atlantic Division in the Eastern Conference (NHL), Eastern Conference. The t ...
in the
1957 Stanley Cup playoffs Events January * January 1 – The Saarland joins West Germany. * January 3 – Hamilton Watch Company introduces the first electric watch. * January 5 – South African player Russell Endean becomes the first batsman to be Dismissal (cricke ...
. Skinner resigned as the Red Wings head coach in 1958, due to illness. Skinner finished his coaching career with a record of 123–78–46, coaching in three
National Hockey League All-Star Game The National Hockey League All-Star Game () is an exhibition ice hockey tournament that is traditionally held during the regular season of the National Hockey League (NHL), with many of the League's star players playing against each other. The ga ...
s from 1954 to 1958. Skinner continued to work for the team in different managerial duties, before his retirement in 1983. Skinner was credited with the implementation of the NHL Entry Draft, which was meant to give teams a chance to select players outside their territorial region. Skinner was inducted into numerous sports hall of fame for his contributions. He was first inducted into the Detroit Red Wings Hall of Fame in 1977 and the Windsor Essex County Sports Hall of Fame as a founder in 2006. Skinner was inducted as a builder into both the Manitoba Hockey Hall of Fame in 1986 and the Manitoba Sports Hall of Fame on May 24, 2014.


Personal life

Skinner had two brothers, Gordon and Morden (Ducky). After their father James Skinner Sr. died, the three of them inherited "Skinner's" restaurant (established in 1929) located in
Lockport, Manitoba Lockport is a small unincorporated community in Manitoba, Canada. It is located north of the city of Winnipeg along the Red River. The community is split between the Rural Municipalities of St. Andrews (west of the river) and St. Clements ...
, Canada. Skinner married Vivian Anna Reynolds in 1943. The couple had four children, Holly, Karen, Tess, and James (Jr). Skinner died in
Windsor, Ontario Windsor ( ) is a city in southwestern Ontario, Canada. It is situated on the south bank of the Detroit River directly across from the U.S city of Detroit, Detroit, Michigan. Geographically located within but administratively independent of Esse ...
on July 11, 2007, six months after his wife's death. Both of Skinner's nicknames, "Jimmy" and "Jimmie", were used in his professional playing and coaching careers.


Coaching record


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Skinner, Jimmy 1917 births 2007 deaths Detroit Red Wings coaches Detroit Red Wings executives Detroit Red Wings general managers Detroit Red Wings scouts Ice hockey people from Manitoba Sportspeople from Selkirk, Manitoba Stanley Cup champions Stanley Cup championship–winning head coaches