Kevin Kaminski

Head Coach/Director of Hockey Operations



Kevin Kaminski enters his third season on the bench of the Mississippi RiverKings and is determined to bring the RiverKings back into a dominating role among the Central Hockey League's elite teams.

Last year, the Kaminski-led RiverKings completed a 33-24-7 regular season mark that resulted in the team taking fourth place in the CHL Northern Conference regular season standings.

While guiding the RiverKings to his personal fourth straight playoff appearance, Kaminski saw the season end much too soon with the team falling in the Northern Conference's first round to Missouri in three games.

The early out steeled the resolve of the Mississippi bench boss to improve on that result as he gets ready for his fifth season as a CHL head coach.

Despite the disappointing finish, Kaminski last season continued to etch highlights into a resume that has seen him successfully contribute as a coach in nearly a decade at the professional level.

The Churchbridge, Saskatchewan native coached in his 500th career professional contest on April 2nd, 2010 against the expansion Allen Americans. He also coached in his 100th career RiverKings' contest on January 16th in Missouri. Earlier in the year, Kaminski coached his 200th career CHL game against Bossier-Shreverport on October 31st.

The 33 victories last season also moved him into second place all-time in RiverKings' career winning percentage at .641 (77-41-10).

In his first season with the RiverKings, Kaminski guided his team to a 44-17-3 regular season record. The RiverKings followed that with a six-game victory over the Oklahoma City Blazers in the Northern Conference semi-finals, before being eliminated by Colorado in the Northern Conference finals.

Kaminski was named CHL Coach of the Year after the season to recognize his efforts. The 44 victories immediately put Kaminski into sixth place all-time for RiverKings coaching victories and his .711 winning percentage has him tops all-time in the RiverKings organization.

Kaminski won his 200th career coaching victory in a 5-1 conquest of Rocky Mountain on February 8th, 2009.

Kaminski arrived in the Mid-South after two years as the head coach of the CHL’s Youngstown SteelHounds, leading them to the Ray Miron President’s Cup playoffs in both seasons.

He amassed an impressive 73-40-15 overall regular season record at Youngstown, including a 39-20-5 mark in his last season there. The SteelHounds finished second in the Northeast Division regular season standings in 2007-2008, one point ahead of the RiverKings and the Texas Brahmas. Youngstown was ousted in the quarterfinals of the playoffs by eventual league runner-up Colorado in five games of a best-of-seven series.

In Kaminski’s first season with the SteelHounds in 2006-07, he coached the franchise to a 34-20-10 ledger, which was good for third place in the Northeast Division’s regular season. Youngstown met Colorado in the Northern Conference quarterfinal playoffs that year, falling to the Eagles in six games of a best-of-seven series.

Prior to his tenure in Youngstown, Kaminski was head coach of the Missouri River Otters of the United Hockey League for two seasons. He began his head coaching career with the Long Beach Ice Dogs of the West Coast Hockey League. The Ice Dogs became a member of the East Coast Hockey League, now known as the ECHL, during Kaminski’s second year there.

Kaminski served as an assistant coach in 2000 with the Cincinnati Mighty Ducks of the American Hockey League under head coach Mike Babcock, who went on to lead the Detroit Red Wings to their latest Stanley Cup championship. Kaminski worked under Babcock in Cincinnati for two seasons before his move to California and the start of his head coaching career.

Kaminski began his NHL playing career as a third-round selection of the Minnesota North Stars in 1987, but played only one game with Minnesota before a trade sent him to the Quebec Nordiques in 1989. Kaminski played six games with Quebec and spent time with the Nordiques’ AHL affiliates in Halifax and Fort Wayne before being sent to the Washington Capitals prior to the 1993-94 season. He played the rest of his NHL career with the Capitals, seeing time in all or parts of four seasons, finishing his NHL career with three goals and 13 points in 139 games played.

Kaminski probably made his biggest impact during his playing career as a member of the Portland Pirates of the AHL. In 113 career games with Portland, he scored 33 goals for 87 points and a franchise all-time high of 797 penalty minutes. Aided by Kaminski’s four goals and nine points in the playoffs, the Pirates won the Calder Cup playoff title in 1994. Three years later in 1997, Kaminski won the Most Popular Player award voted on by Portland fans and in 2000 was named to the franchise’s Hall of Fame.