Former Penguins forward, coach, executive Ken Schinkel dies at 87
Ken Schinkel, an original member of the Penguins franchise, has died at age 87.
The Penguins announced his death. A cause of death was not reported.
A native of Jansen, Saskatchewan, Schinkel joined the newly formed Penguins at age 35 through the 1967 expansion draft when the NHL doubled in size. The first player in franchise history to be selected for an All-Star Game in 1968 and 1969, Schinkel spent six seasons with the Penguins in the late 1960s and early 1970s. By the time he retired as a player in 1973, Schinkel was the franchise’s career leader in games (371) and points (236).
Schinkel recorded the first postseason hat trick in franchise history when he scored three times during a 5-2 win against the Oakland Seals in Game 3 of a quarterfinal series on April 11, 1970.
During his penultimate season of 1971-72, Schinkel was grouped with Ron Schock and Eddie Shack, forming the popular and phonetic-friendly “Schink-Schock-Shack Line.”
Midway through his final season of 1972-73, Schinkel retired as a player at age 40 and was named head coach of the team on Jan. 13, 1973. He held that position for parts of four seasons over two stints. In 203 regular season games as the Penguins’ head coach, Schinkel had a record of 83-92-28.
After stepping down as coach for good in May of 1977, Schinkel held a variety of front office positions with the franchise, including as assistant general manager and scouting director before joining the Hartford Whalers in 1989.
Schinkel also played for the New York Rangers earlier in his NHL career.
Seth Rorabaugh is a TribLive reporter covering the Pittsburgh Penguins. A North Huntingdon native, he joined the Trib in 2019 and has covered the Penguins since 2007. He can be reached at srorabaugh@triblive.com.
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