Max Kaminsky

Max Kaminsky (April 19, 1912 – May 5, 1961) was a Canadian professional ice hockey player and coach. He played four seasons in the National Hockey League, followed by nine seasons in the American Hockey League where he won two Calder Cup championships. He later coached the Pittsburgh Hornets and Philadelphia Rockets, then led the St. Catharines Teepees to the 1960 Memorial Cup championship. The Max Kaminsky Trophy was established by the Ontario Hockey Association in his honour in 1961, and he was posthumously inducted into the Niagara Falls Sports Wall of Fame in 1992.

Early life Max Kaminsky was born April 19, 1912, in Niagara Falls, Ontario, to parents Harry Kaminsky and Toby Tabacznokov. The family name was spelled Kamensky before his parents immigrated to Canada from Russia. Kaminsky's father worked as a tailor in Canada. Both of his parents had Russian-Jewish heritage.

Kaminsky played minor ice hockey in Niagara Falls. He later played on Niagara Falls Cataracts teams which won an Ontario Hockey Association junior championship in the 1930–31 season, and a senior championship in the 1932–33 season. He also played baseball in Niagara Falls, and was scouted by several Major League Baseball teams.

Playing career Kaminsky played the centre position, and was listed as and . In 1933, he was one of four players from the Cataracts to be signed by the Ottawa Senators in the National Hockey League (NHL).

Kaminsky later played in the American Hockey League (AHL). During the 1939–40 AHL season, he scored 11 goals and 29 assists, and was named a second team AHL all-star. Since 1969, the trophy was awarded to the most outstanding defenceman in the Ontario Hockey League.

Kaminsky was posthumously inducted into the Niagara Falls Sports Wall of Fame in 1992.

Career statistics Regular season and playoffs

Regular seasonPlayoffs Season Team League GP G A Pts PIM GP G A Pts PIM 1929–30 Niagara Falls Cataracts OHA Jr 6 9 4 13 2 2 5 1 6 0 1929–30 Niagara Falls Cataracts Mem-Cup — — — — — 6 7 8 15 2 1930–31 Niagara Falls Cataracts OHA Jr 7 14 15 29 0 2 3 0 3 4 1930–31 Niagara Falls Brights On-Sr. B 1 1 1 2 0 — — — — — 1931–32 Niagara Falls Cataracts OHA Sr 20 12 3 15 18 2 0 0 0 2 1932–33 Niagara Falls Cataracts OHA Sr 21 11 7 18 36 5 2 1 3 13 1932–33 Niagara Falls Cataracts Al-Cup — — — — — 6 3 1 4 2 1933–34 Niagara Falls Cataracts OHA Sr 6 5 3 8 8 — — — — — 1933–34 Ottawa Senators NHL 38 9 17 26 14 — — — — — 1934–35 St. Louis Eagles NHL 12 0 0 0 0 — — — — — 1934–35 Boston Bruins NHL 38 12 15 27 4 4 0 0 0 0 1935–36 Boston Bruins NHL 36 1 2 3 20 — — — — — 1936–37 Montreal Maroons NHL 6 0 0 0 0 — — — — — 1936–37 Providence Reds IAHL 2 0 0 0 0 — — — — — 1936–37 New Haven Eagles IAHL 20 3 5 8 6 — — — — — 1937–38 New Haven Eagles IAHL 15 2 4 6 4 — — — — — 1937–38 Springfield Indians IAHL 31 3 4 7 14 — — — — — 1938–39 Springfield Indians IAHL 46 7 14 21 8 3 0 1 1 2 1939–40 Springfield Indians IAHL 53 11 29 40 20 3 0 2 2 0 1940–41 Springfield Indians AHL 40 13 9 22 9 3 2 0 2 0 1941–42 Springfield Indians AHL 53 18 23 41 9 5 0 2 2 0 1942–43 Buffalo Bisons AHL 42 10 36 46 6 9 2 12 14 4 1943–44 Buffalo Bisons AHL 42 7 29 36 17 9 4 2 6 2 1944–45 Pittsburgh Hornets AHL 54 5 28 33 17 — — — — — IAHL/AHL totals 398 79 181 260 110 32 8 19 27 8 NHL totals 130 22 34 56 38 4 0 0 0 0

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