Bernie McKinnon

Bernie McKinnon was a Canadian ice hockey, lacrosse, soccer and tennis coach for St. Lawrence for over 30 years. He was the head coach both men's and women's teams for most sports as well as for freshman teams when varsity status was limited to three years.[1]

Bernie McKinnon

Biographical details
Born	Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, Canada
Died	(2000-10-22)October 22, 2000
Alma mater	St. Lawrence University
Playing career
Ice hockey
1954–1957	St. Lawrence
Position(s)	Forward
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
Ice hockey (men's)
1965–1971	St. Lawrence (Freshman)
1967–1968	St. Lawrence (Interim)
1971–1976	St. Lawrence
Ice hockey (women's)
1979–1996	St. Lawrence
Lacrosse (men's)
Soccer (women's)
1980–1995	St. Lawrence
Tennis (men's)
Tennis (women's)
Head coaching record
Overall	72–84–6 (M ice hockey) 160–159–14 (W ice hockey) 126–80–24 (W soccer)
Accomplishments and honors
Awards
1992 Coach of the Year (W Soccer) 1993 Coach of the Year (W Soccer) 1996 Joe Burke Award 2000 St. Lawrence Athletic Hall of Fame

Career

Bernie McKinnon arrived at Canton in 1953, playing for the freshman ice hockey team before joining the elite varsity squad for the 1954–55 season. McKinnon helps the Saints to a 19-win season and their second NCAA tournament appearance.[2] After a disappointing 4th place finish McKinnon's Saints found themselves back in the tournament in 1956, narrowly losing in overtime to eventual champion Michigan before soundly defeating Boston College in the consolation game. In his senior season McKinnon was one of three team captains but the squad slumped just enough to be left out of the NCAA tournament. McKinnon returned to St. Lawrence in 1965 as a graduate assistant and was tasked with coaching the freshman ice hockey squad. He eventually added the responsibility of freshman lacrosse coach to his resume before taking over the varsity ice hockey team on an interim basis while head coach George Menard earned an MBA.

When Menard retired in 1971 McKinnon was the natural choice to replace him and while his results weren't poor, McKinnon could not arrest the slide of the men's team that had started in the late 60s. Over five seasons McKinnon could only get the program to post one winning season and resigned as the ice hockey coach in 1976 to focus on the other sports he was tasked with heading. That summer, his women's tennis team recorded an undefeated season, going 33–0.[1] In 1978 coach-of-all-trades McKinnon accepted the head coaching duties of the women's ice hockey team which began sponsoring the varsity program the following year. In 1980 he took over the women's soccer team (promoted to varsity in 1982) and led both until his retirement in 1996. while his ice hockey squads only had moderate success, he was able to get the soccer team to two NCAA tournaments, amassing a record of 138–92–24 in the process.

After his retirement McKinnon received the Joe Burke Award for his contributions to women's ice hockey.[3] and was inducted into the St. Lawrence Athletic Hall of Fame in the same year that he lost his battle with bone cancer.[4]

Career statistics[5]

				Regular season						Playoffs
Season	Team	League		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
1954–55	St. Lawrence	NCAA		–	–	–	–	–		–	–	–	–	–
1955–56	St. Lawrence	NCAA		–	–	–	–	–		–	–	–	–	–
1956–57	St. Lawrence	NCAA		–	–	–	–	–		–	–	–	–	–
NCAA totals				68	16	28	44	–		–	–	–	–	–

Head coaching record

Ice hockey

Men's[6] Statistics overview Season Team Overall Conference Standing Postseason St. Lawrence Saints (ECAC Hockey / ICAC) (1967–1968) 1967–68 St. Lawrence 14–8–1 11–5–1 / 2–2–0 3rd / 2nd ECAC Quarterfinals St. Lawrence: 14–8–1 11–5–1 / 2–2–0 St. Lawrence Saints (ECAC Hockey / ICAC) (1971–1972) 1971–72 St. Lawrence 10–14–2 5–12–1 / 1–2–1 12th / 3rd St. Lawrence: 10–14–2 5–12–1 / 1–2–1 St. Lawrence Saints (ECAC Hockey) (1972–1976) 1972–73 St. Lawrence 15–13–0 8–10–0 11th 1973–74 St. Lawrence 12–15–1 9–7–1 5th ECAC Quarterfinals 1974–75 St. Lawrence 10–17–1 7–14–1 13th 1975–76 St. Lawrence 11–17–1 7–11–1 12th St. Lawrence: 48–62–3 31–42–3 Total: 72–84–6       National champion         Postseason invitational champion         Conference regular season champion         Conference regular season and conference tournament champion       Division regular season champion       Division regular season and conference tournament champion       Conference tournament champion

Women's[7] Statistics overview Season Team Overall Conference Standing Postseason St. Lawrence Saints (Independent) (1978–1984) 1979–80 St. Lawrence 12–4–0 1980–81 St. Lawrence 8–10–1 1981–82 St. Lawrence 12–5–1 1982–83 St. Lawrence 12–7–1 1983–84 St. Lawrence 14–5–0 St. Lawrence: 58–31–3 St. Lawrence Saints (ECAC Hockey) (1984–1996) 1984–85 St. Lawrence 12–7–0 1985–86 St. Lawrence 9–10–1 1986–87 St. Lawrence 14–9–0 ECAC First Round 1987–88 St. Lawrence 7–11–0 1988–89 St. Lawrence 7–16–0 4–14–0 13th 1989–90 St. Lawrence 5–13–1 5–11–1 10th 1990–91 St. Lawrence 5–11–3 1991–92 St. Lawrence 8–9–1 1992–93 St. Lawrence 10–8–2 6–6–0 9th ECAC Quarterfinals 1993–94 St. Lawrence 10–9–1 6–4–1 6th ECAC Quarterfinals 1994–95 St. Lawrence 9–10–0 8–6–0 8th ECAC Semifinals 1995–96 St. Lawrence 6–15–2 2–12–2 11th St. Lawrence: 102–128–11 31–53–4 Total: 160–159–14       National champion         Postseason invitational champion         Conference regular season champion         Conference regular season and conference tournament champion       Division regular season champion       Division regular season and conference tournament champion       Conference tournament champion

Women's Soccer[8]

Statistics overview

Season	Team	Overall	Conference	Standing	Postseason
St. Lawrence Saints (Independent) (1982–1995)
1982	St. Lawrence	7–6–1
1983	St. Lawrence	4–6–1
1984	St. Lawrence	7–4–2
1985	St. Lawrence	11–3–0
1986	St. Lawrence	12–4–0			NCAA tournament
1987	St. Lawrence	10–6–0
1988	St. Lawrence	7–6–2
1989	St. Lawrence	10–3–5			NCAA tournament
1990	St. Lawrence	11–6–3
1991	St. Lawrence	9–9–3
1992	St. Lawrence	12–7–0
1993	St. Lawrence	12–5–1
1994	St. Lawrence	9–7–2
1995	St. Lawrence	5–8–4
St. Lawrence:		126–80–24
Total:		126–80–24
National champion         Postseason invitational champion         Conference regular season champion         Conference regular season and conference tournament champion       Division regular season champion       Division regular season and conference tournament champion       Conference tournament champion

References

1. "Bernie McKinnon". St. Lawrence Saints. Retrieved 2018-10-02.
2. "St. Lawrence Men's Hockey Team History". USCHO.com. Retrieved 2018-10-02.
3. "AHCA Awards". ACHA.com. Retrieved 2018-10-02.
4. "Former St. Lawrence Coach McKinnon Dead from Cancer". USCHO.com. 2000-10-23. Retrieved 2018-10-02.
5. "St. Lawrence men's hockey 2014-15 Record Book" (PDF). St. Lawrence Saints. Retrieved 2018-10-02.
6. "2008-09 ECAC Hockey Media Guides". ECAC Hockey. Retrieved 2014-04-23.
7. "ECAC Hockey Women's Season Summaries" (PDF). ECAC Hockey. Retrieved 2018-10-02.
8. "St. Lawrence Women's Soccer Record Book" (PDF). St. Lawrence Saints. Retrieved 2018-10-02.

External links

• Biographical information and career statistics from Eliteprospects.com, or The Internet Hockey Database