BOSTON – Former Northeastern men's ice hockey head coach Don McKenney passed away on Monday at the age of 88. McKenney spent 21 seasons on Huntington Avenue and was inducted into the Northeastern Hall of Fame in 1999.
 
McKenney joined the hockey program in 1970 as an assistant to newly hired head coach Fernie Flaman and served as his right-hand man and chief recruiter for 19 years. With Flaman's retirement in 1989, the Huskies quickly segued to McKenney, who was the obvious choice to take over as the team's new leader. After serving as head coach for the next two seasons, he retired with 21 years of devotion to the University.
 
McKenney was no stranger to Boston hockey fans when he emigrated to Huntington Avenue in 1970. A Smith Falls, Ontario native, McKenney skated 13 years in the professional ranks before ending his playing in 1969. He was a nine-time NHL All-Star and won the 1960 Lady Byng Award, the league's highest honor of sportsmanship. He tallied 237 goals in his pro career, and his seven consecutive 20+ goal seasons with the Bruins are tied for the 10th most in franchise history.
 
McKenney was a teammate of Flaman's with Boston, skating for the Bruins from 1954 to 1962, including serving as captain for his final two seasons. He led the Bruins in scoring several times and won the prestigious Lady Byng while playing in the Hub. When he left Boston in 1962, his 462 points were good for fifth on the Bruins' all-time scoring list. McKenney also played for the Detroit Red Wings, St. Louis Blues and Toronto Maple Leafs, earning a Stanley Cup Ring with Toronto's 1964 championship team.
 
McKenney was an integral part of the most successful decade to that point in Northeastern's hockey history. In the 1980's, the Huskies produced three 20-win seasons, earned a pair of NCAA bids, advanced to the Frozen Four and won an ECAC title, a Hockey East Championship and four Beanpots. However, McKenney may have done his finest work in the 1970's. Crisscrossing Canada year after year, he utilized his NHL connections to slowly build a Northeastern recruiting network.