Kevin Kaminski is a former National Hockey Association player who retired in 1999. Born in Churchbridge, Saskatchewan in Canada in 1969, Kaminski played at center and was nicknamed "Killer Kaminski" for his uncompromising enforcer-style play. His defensive tenacity was particularly noticeable because he was on the small side for a professional hockey player in both stature and weight.
Early Professional Career
Kaminski was a third-round draft pick of the Minnesota NorthStars in 1987. He played only one game with the NorthStars in 1998, however, and instead spent several years with their minor-league affiliate the Saskatoon Blades. He moved on to the Halifax Citadels, where he was awarded team Player of the Year in 1992 and 1993.
Washington Capitals and Portland Pirates
As an NHL player, Kaminski is best known for his time with the Washington Capitals from 1993 to 1997. He was a fan favorite and accompanied the team to the playoffs three times. During the first few seasons he split his time between the Capitals and the minor league Portland Pirates, who in 1994 won the Calder Cup with Kaminski on the squad. Kaminski would return to the Pirates for a season after leaving the NHL and would eventually be inducted into that team's Hall of Fame.
Retirement and Post-Retirement
After the end of the 1997 season, Kaminski played two and a half more seasons in the minor leagues before retiring at the end of 1999. He confessed to fan site On Frozen Blog, "My body was getting pretty darned beat up there toward the end. I had to retire due to concussions -- I was on medication for two years." After his retirement he secured a position as assistant coach for the Cleveland Mighty Ducks and soon moved up to head coach of the Long Island Riverdogs. In 2009, as coach of the Mississippi RiverKings, he was named Central Hockey League Coach of the Year. As of 2011 Kaminski was head coach of the Louisiana IceGators.
Personal Life
Kevin Kaminski was the father of three daughters as of 2011. When On Frozen Blog asked if his children had seen any footage of his more famous brawls, he replied, "there's no doubt about it -- the girls, they've seen plenty of my rough stuff."
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