Alfred "Dutch" Skinner (January 26, 1894 – April 11, 1961) was a Canadian ice hockey right winger. During his career, which lasted from 1913 to 1930, he played for several teams in the National Hockey Association, National Hockey League, and Pacific Coast Hockey Association. His longest tenure was with the Vancouver Millionaires (later Maroons) of the PCHA. With the Toronto Arenas he won the Stanley Cup in 1918, and played for the Cup a further three times with Vancouver.

Alf Skinner
Skinner with the Toronto Arenas.
Born(1894-01-26)January 26, 1894
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
DiedApril 11, 1961(1961-04-11) (aged 67)
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Height5 ft 10 in (178 cm)
Weight180 lb (82 kg; 12 st 12 lb)
PositionRight wing
ShotRight
Played forNHA
Toronto Shamrocks
Toronto Blueshirts
Montreal Wanderers
NHL
Toronto Arenas
Boston Bruins
Montreal Maroons
Pittsburgh Pirates
PCHA
Vancouver Millionaires
Vancouver Maroons
AHA
Duluth Hornets
CPHL
Kitchener Millionaires
Kitchener Flying Dutchmen
Playing career1913–1930

Playing career edit

Skinner played junior hockey for the Toronto Argonauts (1911–12) and the Parkdale Canoe Club (1912–13) and senior hockey with the Toronto Rowing Club (1913–14). He turned professional in 1914 with the Toronto Shamrocks of the National Hockey Association. After one season, the team evolved into the Toronto Blueshirts. During the 1916–17 season, the league suspended operations of the Blueshirts, and Skinner finished the season with the Montreal Wanderers.

With the creation of the National Hockey League in 1917, Skinner returned to Toronto and played for the Stanley Cup-winning Toronto Arenas club, which consisted mostly of Toronto Blueshirts players. Skinner was the offensive star of the Cup championships, scoring eight goals in five games in the 1918 Stanley Cup Finals.

During the 1917–18 NHL season Skinner was also involved in a violent tussle with Montreal Canadiens defenceman Joe Hall, during a game on January 28, 1918. Both players were arrested for assault and appeared in a Toronto court together on January 29 where both were released after being handed a suspended sentence.[1]

Skinner with the Vancouver Millionaires.

In 1919, Skinner went west to play for Vancouver in the Pacific Coast Hockey Association.[2] The team unsuccessfully challenged for the Stanley Cup in 1921 and 1922. The 1920–21 season was Skinner's best, when he scored 20 goals in 24 games.

When the PCHA merged with the Western Canada Hockey League in 1924, Skinner returned to the NHL to play for the Boston Bruins. He was traded during the season to the Montreal Maroons and finished the year with just one goal in 27 games. He was signed by the Pittsburgh Pirates to start the 1925–26 season, but only played seven games with the team, ending his NHL career.

In 1926–27, Skinner played in the minor professional American Hockey Association for the Duluth Hornets. For the next two seasons, he was player-coach for Kitchener in the Canadian Professional Hockey League. When that league became the International Hockey League in 1929, Skinner became player-coach for the Guelph Maple Leafs in the new Canadian Professional Hockey League. He led the team to the championship in the league's only year of operations. He retired as a player in 1930.

Outside of hockey, Skinner was an employee of the City of Toronto and served a term as president of the Spadina Men's Progressive Conservative Association. He died in April, 1961 at age 67 at his home in Toronto and was buried at Mount Pleasant Cemetery, Toronto.[3]

Career statistics edit

Regular season and playoffs edit

Regular seasonPlayoffs
SeasonTeamLeagueGPGAPtsPIMGPGAPtsPIM
1911–12Toronto ArgonautsOHA Jr
1912–13Toronto Parkdale Canoe ClubOHA Jr
1913–14Toronto Rowing ClubOHA Sr64040
1914–15Toronto ShamrocksNHA1652768
1915–16Toronto BlueshirtsNHA23741166
1916–17Toronto BlueshirtsNHA14671352
1916–17Montreal WanderersNHA650523
1917–18Toronto ArenasNHL20135182820119
1917–18Toronto ArenasSt-Cup5821018
1918–19Toronto ArenasNHL171241626
1919–20Vancouver MillionairesPCHA22152172821010
1920–21Vancouver MillionairesPCHA24204242223146
1920–21Vancouver MillionairesSt-Cup340414
1921–22Vancouver MillionairesPCHA24112132120006
1921–22Vancouver MillionairesSt-Cup501112
1922–23Vancouver MaroonsPCHA23132152820002
1922–23Vancouver MaroonsSt-Cup31126
1923–24Vancouver MaroonsPCHA295273820002
1923–24Vancouver MaroonsWest-PO30000
1923–24Vancouver MaroonsSt-Cup20000
1924–25Boston BruinsNHL1000015
1924–25Montreal MaroonsNHL1711216
1925–26Pittsburgh PiratesNHL70002
1926–27Duluth HornetsAHA2323540
1927–28Kitchener MillionairesCan-Pro1840442
1928–29Kitchener Flying DutchmenCan-Am391451963300010
1929–30Guelph Maple LeafsCan-Pro
NHA totals59231336209
PCHA/WHL totals1226412761371041516
NHL totals712610368720119

References edit

  1. ^ ""Bad Joe" Hall and Alfie Skinner got off on suspended sentence for fracas in Toronto match" Ottawa Citizen. Jan. 30, 1918 (pg. 6). Retrieved 2020-10-30.
  2. ^ "Three Eastern hockey stars who are expected to shine with the Millionaires this season" Vancouver Daily World. Dec. 27, 1919 (pg. 15). Retrieved 2020-10-30.
  3. ^ "Old Hockey Star Alfie Skinner Dies In Toronto" Ottawa Citizen. April 26, 1961 (pg. 32). Retrieved 2020-10-30.

External links edit