Forbes Kennedy

Forbes Taylor Kennedy (August 18, 1935 – May 26, 2026) was a Canadian professional ice hockey player. He played 603 games in the National Hockey League (NHL) with five teams between 1956 and 1969, recording 70 goals and 108 assists for 178 points and 888 penalty minutes. Kennedy led the NHL in penalty minutes during the 1968–69 season. After his playing career ended Kennedy became a coach for several seasons.

Playing career Kennedy was born in Dorchester, New Brunswick, and raised in Prince Edward Island. Despite his small frame (5 , 150 lbs.), he was often the most penalized player on the ice.

He spent the following season with the WHL's San Francisco Seals before the team was relocated and renamed for absorption into the NHL, becoming the California Seals.

Kennedy's most infamous game was marked by a violent incident in the 1969 Stanley Cup playoffs in Boston, as teammate Pat Quinn delivered a massive hit to Bruins star Bobby Orr, knocking him unconscious. Kennedy responded to the incident by partaking in four fights before punching a linesman and getting ejected from the game. He received a lengthy suspension and his tenure with the Toronto Maple Leafs ended.

Post-playing career After retiring, Kennedy began a long coaching career when he coached the Cape Breton Metros of the Maritime Junior A Hockey League in their first year of existence from 1969 to 1970, and then coached the Halifax Junior Canadians from 1970 to 1971. He was brought in to coach the Summerside Crystals of the PEI Junior Hockey League from 1971 to 1972 and 1972 to 1973 before leaving for the Los Angeles Sharks of the WHA to try to resume his playing career. That did not work out for Kennedy due to injuries so he ended his playing career and went back to coaching with the Winston-Salem Polar Twins of the Southern Hockey League. Kennedy returned home a few years later to PEI and coached junior hockey for many years.

On January 16, 2012, Kennedy was honoured by the Summerside Western Capitals of the Maritime Junior Hockey League with a "Forbes Kennedy Night" and he was presented with a plaque in recognition of his service to the team that he coached from 2004 to 2007.

Kennedy died on May 26, 2026, at the age of 90.

Career statistics Regular season and playoffs Regular seasonPlayoffs Season Team League GP G A Pts PIM GP G A Pts PIM 1951–52 Charlottetown Abbies PEIHA 6 16 8 24 20 6 23 14 37 21 1952–53 Halifax St. Mary's MMHL 11 16 11 27 24 — — — — — 1952–53 Halifax St. Mary's M-Cup — — — — — 12 12 7 19 25 1953–54 Montreal Junior Canadiens QJHL 54 19 19 38 43 8 1 8 9 6 1954–55 Montreal Junior Canadiens QJHL 46 7 14 21 118 4 0 2 2 4 1955–56 Montreal Junior Canadiens QJHL — — — — — — — — — — 1955–56 Montreal Junior Canadiens M-Cup — — — — — 10 3 5 8 19 1955–56 Montreal-Shawinigan QHL 3 0 3 3 2 — — — — — 1956–57 Chicago Black Hawks NHL 69 8 13 21 102 — — — — — 1957–58 Detroit Red Wings NHL 70 11 16 27 135 4 1 0 1 12 1958–59 Detroit Red Wings NHL 67 1 4 5 149 — — — — — 1959–60 Detroit Red Wings NHL 17 1 2 3 8 — — — — — 1959–60 Edmonton Flyers WHL 30 6 10 16 39 — — — — — 1959–60 Hershey Bears AHL 21 3 11 14 50 — — — — — 1960–61 Spokane Comets WHL 70 23 38 61 165 4 2 1 3 0 1961–62 Detroit Red Wings NHL 14 1 0 1 8 — — — — — 1961–62 Edmonton Flyers WHL 58 23 31 54 124 — — — — — 1962–63 Edmonton Flyers WHL 23 7 15 22 38 — — — — — 1962–63 Boston Bruins NHL 49 12 18 30 46 — — — — — 1963–64 Boston Bruins NHL 70 8 17 25 95 — — — — — 1964–65 Boston Bruins NHL 52 6 4 10 41 — — — — — 1965–66 Boston Bruins NHL 50 4 6 10 55 — — — — — 1965–66 San Francisco Seals WHL 6 3 3 6 48 — — — — — 1966–67 California Seals WHL 71 25 41 66 91 6 2 0 2 4 1967–68 Philadelphia Flyers NHL 73 10 18 28 130 7 1 4 5 14 1968–69 Philadelphia Flyers NHL 59 8 7 15 195 — — — — — 1968–69 Toronto Maple Leafs NHL 13 0 3 3 24 1 0 0 0 38 1969–70 Buffalo Bisons AHL 19 2 1 3 42 4 0 0 0 0 1969–70 Omaha Knights CHL — — — — — 6 0 1 1 7 NHL totals 603 70 108 178 988 12 2 4 6 64