Bob MacKinnon wasn’t always dedicated to hockey: as a child playing in Oakville’s minor leagues, he quit abruptly because he felt he wasn’t a “focused athlete.” However, hockey was in his blood, and he became re-involved as an adult by founding the Oakville Blades junior team in 1966.
Following this establishment, MacKinnon embarked on an administrative career in hockey. He was elected to the Board of Directors of the Ontario Hockey Association (OHA) in 1974, and served as Chairman from 1984 to 1986. He was awarded the highest honour of the OHA, the Gold Stick Award, in 1989; this award is given to individuals who have provided outstanding service to the game (other than as a player) for at least 10 years. Further, he served as Chair of the Hockey Development Centre for Ontario, was elected as a Canadian Hockey Association (CHA) Officer in 1991, was Chairman of the CHA from 1997 to 1999, and was Canada’s highest-ranking hockey official at the 1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano, Japan.
At the national level of hockey in Canada, MacKinnon is credited with setting up better communications between the CHA. and all its branches. Known for handling conflicts amiably, having an even temper, and striving for positive results, MacKinnon was admired across the nation.
MacKinnon passed away on April 4, 2002 at the age of 64. He is survived by his children, and remembered by countless individuals in Canada’s hockey industry for his love of the game.
