The Reminder is making its archives back to 2003 available on our website. Please note that, due to technical limitations, archive articles are presented without the usual formatting.
Jimmy Skinner, a one-time Flin Flon Bomber who went on to coach the Detroit Red Wings to a Stanley Cup, died last Wednesday. He was 90. The Selkirk, Man., native played for the Bombers in the late 1930s, eventually joining the Red Wings organization for what would become a 40-year tenure. Skinner was Detroit's head coach from 1954-55 until 1957-58, when illness forced his retirement, according to a statement on the team's web site. His first season turned out to be his most successful, as he guided the team to its seventh Stanley Cup in 1955 - the last time the trophy would visit the Motor City until 1997. According to the Windsor Star, Skinner was also one of the first people to kiss the Stanley Cup upon winning it - now a firmly etched tradition. In 1980, Skinner began a two-year stint as the Wings' general manager. During his time with the franchise, he also served as chief scout and farm director, and director of player personnel. Skinner's success was not limited to the NHL, as he was manager of the Memorial Cup champion Hamilton Red Wings in 1963. He was a member of both the Detroit Red Wings Hall of Fame and the Windsor Essex County Sports Hall of Fame.
