John Kubinec (sports builder)
| John Kubinec | |
|---|---|
| Died | 1995 |
| Years in Thunder Bay | by 1940–1954; 1956–1995 |
John Kubinec was a Northwestern Ontario hockey official and player who represented Canada as a referee at the 1968 Winter Olympics. John Kubinec was inducted into the Northwestern Ontario Sports Hall of Fame in 2000 as a builder.[1]
Northwestern Ontario Sports Hall of Fame
John Kubinec was inducted into the Northwestern Ontario Sports Hall of Fame on 30 September 2000 in the builder category for hockey.[1]
Career and service
Beginning his involvement with Hockey in the 1940s, he first played for the East End Athletic Bantam Club. Between 1949 and 1953, he served as a forward for the Fort William Canadiens in junior competition. During the 1950s, he attended a training camp hosted by the Montreal Canadiens. He entered the semi-professional ranks in 1954 as a member of the Sydney Millionaires in the Maritime Major Hockey League. By 1956, he had returned to the region to play for the Port Arthur Bearcats at the intermediate level.[1]
In 1956, he transitioned into officiating by joining the Thunder Bay Amateur Hockey Association as a referee. Over a career spanning nearly four decades, he became known for his composed and instinctive officiating style, which allowed him to maintain control on the ice without causing player friction. He shared these techniques as an instructor at Referee clinics and Hockey schools throughout Northwestern Ontario. In 1969, the Thunder Bay Amateur Hockey Association recognized him as their highest-rated official. In addition to working hundreds of local contests annually, he officiated playoff games in Western Canada, Central Canada, and the USHL, as well as various exhibition matches.[1]
His officiating expertise led to assignments at major national and international tournaments. He worked the Allan Cup championships in 1964, 1967, 1973, and 1975, and the Memorial Cup in 1969. In 1971, he officiated at the Hockey Canada Nationals Invitational College Tournament and an international tournament held in St. Louis. His reputation as one of the premier officials in Canada resulted in his selection by the International Ice Hockey Federation to represent the country at the 1968 Winter Olympics in Grenoble, France. During the Olympics, he was assigned more games than any other official and was named the top referee of the tournament by a unanimous vote.[1]
Later in his career, he remained active in the sport as a player with the Thunder Bay Oldtimers. From 1985 until 1994, he held the position of Referee-in-Chief for the Thunder Bay No-Body Contact League. Following his death, that organization established the John Kubinec Memorial Sportsmanship Award to honor his long-term dedication to the sport as a builder.[1]
Residence in the Thunder Bay area (by 1940–1954; 1956–1995) rests on the following dated evidence. Played for Fort William clubs from 1940 until turning semi-pro in 1954, then returned to Port Arthur in 1956 and officiated in Thunder Bay until his death in 1995.[1]
Honours and achievements
- Voted the Best Hockey Official at the 1968 Winter Olympics in Grenoble, France
- Selected as one of two Canadian officials for the 1968 Olympic Winter Games
- Officiated four Allan Cup championships in 1964, 1967, 1973, and 1975
- Served as a referee for the 1969 Memorial Cup
- Named the top employee of the Thunder Bay Amateur Hockey Association in 1969
- Served as Referee-in-Chief for the Thunder Bay No-Body Contact League from 1985-94[1]
- Probably not the same as John Kubinec: the name is similar, but the person in that record died in 1981, while this person died in 1995.
- Possibly the same as John Peter Kubinec; the name matches, but too little is shared to merge the pages.
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 "John Kubinec", builder profile, Northwestern Ontario Sports Hall of Fame, https://www.nwosportshalloffame.com/builder-profile/7f95cc57-614f-4910-8d67-fd185a4e4af7 (accessed 31 October 2026). Archived copy on datum.locker.