Maine Hockey Journal

Kaminski joins Jr. Pirates staff

The Portland Junior Pirates announced the hiring of Kevin Kaminski as the Head Coach of the USPHL Elite Team and as Youth Skills and Development Coach.

Kaminski joins the Junior Pirates after being relieved of his duties as head coach the Louisiana IceGators of the Southern Professional Hockey League (SPHL), where he spent the past four seasons. During that span, Kaminski compiled a record of 102-84-13 in 199 regular season games (0.545 winning percentage).

“We are privileged to have a quality coach such as Kevin Kaminski join our staff,” said Junior Pirates General Manager Brad Church in a statement. “As a long time professional player and coach, Kaminski is a great teacher of the game. He produces not only great hockey players, but great young men. His years of teaching youth hockey clinics will also be a valuable asset for our youth teams. With his playing history here in Portland, we couldn’t be happier to welcome Kaminski back into the Pirates family.”

Kaminski is replacing Doug Friedman, who left the Jr. Pirates to become the athletic director and head coach of the boys’ ice hockey program at Kents Hill School.

Prior to coaching, Kaminski enjoyed a 13-year playing career, including parts of three seasons in Portland with the Pirates of the American Hockey League. He played a total of 113 regular season games for the Pirates during the 1993-94, 1994-95, and 1997-98 seasons. He scored 33 goals, 54 assists, and 87 points over that time and racked up 797 career penalty minutes, still a Pirates all-time record. A member of the 1994 Calder Cup Championship team, Kaminski was inducted into the Portland Pirates Hall of Fame in 2000.

Kaminski spearheaded a reunion of the 1993-94 Calder Cup Championship team with more than a dozen players returning to Portland for the weekend to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Pirates’ lone Calder Cup title.

Selected in 3rd Round of the 1987 NHL Entry Draft by the Minnesota North Stars, Kaminski played a total of 139 NHL games for Minnesota, the Quebec Nordiques, and Washington Capitals, collecting 3-10-13 and 528 career penalty minutes.

The 45 year-old native of Churchbridge, Saskatchewan, has served as a professional head coach for the past 12 seasons. His pro coaching experience includes stints with the Long Beach IceDogs (WCHL/ECHL) from 2002-04, the Missouri River Otters (UHL) from 2004-06, the Youngstown Steelheads (CHL) from 2006-08, the Mississippi RiverKings (CHL) from 2008-11, and Louisiana (2011-14). Kaminski has coached a total of 743 regular season games, posting a record of 361-325-57 (0.524 winning percentage).

Before becoming a head coach, Kaminski served as an Assistant Coach under current Detroit Red Wings coach Mike Babcock with the AHL’s Cincinnati Mighty Ducks from 2000-02.

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