Transcript of President’s Award to Gene Kinasewich by New York International Hockey Cup, January 8, 2005, over Harvard Radio during Harvard-Cornell game. In attendance, Craig Jenkins, President of NYIHC, Gene Kinasewich and Ivan Pravilov, Head Coach of Hockey Club Druzhba-78 of Ukraine:
Announcer:
Ladies and gentlemen, at this time please direct your attention to ice level where Craig Jenkins, president on the New York International Hockey Cup, will make a special presentation to one of Harvard's all-time greats, Gene Kinasewich '64. Please welcome Craig Jenkins.
Craig Jenkins:
Thank you very much. It’s a real pleasure to be here at the Bright Center of Harvard University, such a great institution! And let’s not forget our friends from Cornell! Each year, the New York International Hockey Cup, the largest international youth hockey tournament in the United States, presents an award to an individual that makes a significant contribution to youth hockey on the community, national or international level. Past recipients include such people as Larry Piatelli, Harvard, Class of 1975. Larry was a wonderful hockey player, an educator and former Headmaster of The Albany Academy in Albany, New York, the host of our Christmas tournament.
This year’s recipient is another Harvard graduate, Class of 1964, #13, Gene Kinasewich. Gene graduated in 1964, magna cum laude, Captain of his hockey team and 2-time All American. He was an elite player, that rare blend of intelligence and athleticism. Gene was a prolific point-getter, averaging more than 1 goal per game at Harvard with as many assists. As one parent who grew up in Boston and participated in our Christmas tourney said to me last week, Gene was “an elite player, one of the greatest to ever play in Boston. He had a certain hop to his stride. I can see him now. He was magic on ice.”
Upon graduation, Gene played for the Canadian National Team in Europe. And then, unlike his older brothers who played in the NHL, he took a different direction, becoming one of the first North Americans to play professionally in Europe. After a while, he returned home to Boston and earned two graduate degrees and a PhD at Harvard. In his 20’s, Gene became a Dean at Harvard and Assistant Hockey Coach. He went on to become Commissioner of the Western Hockey League. Eventually, he joined the family business based in Alberta for the balance of his business career.
Yet, throughout this entire period, Gene Kinasewich always kept a hand in youth hockey. He was a pioneer. Gene took the first U.S. youth hockey team to the Soviet Union in 1969, along with Tim Taylor, long-time Head Coach of Yale Hockey and former Harvard teammate. Next, they took the first youth hockey team to Czechoslovakia in 1973. This was during the time of the Cold War, when relations between the U.S. and U.S.S.R. were chilly at best. Both Gene and Tim knew the importance of keeping communications alive between people in spite of, if not because of, these strained governmental relations.
I first met Gene in 2000. He called, asking if a Czech pee wee hockey team might compete in our tournament. Of course, we welcomed the boys to our tourney. We then began to learn more about Gene Kinasewich, the person and his willingness to help any and all youth hockey teams interested in traveling to the U.S. or Europe to make friends and exchange ideas, even helping with fundraising.
In many respects, Gene embodies the values and attributes to which we all aspire as people, that is, intelligence, athleticism, character and wisdom. As the 13th child of a Ukrainian immigrant family to Canada, Gene has always treated others with great dignity and respect. Here today, we stand at Harvard University with Gene and Ivan Pravilov, Head Coach of H.C. Druzhba-78 of Ukraine. Gene has a long-standing relationship with Ivan whose midget team just competed in our Christmas tourney, winning their division and now on tour in the Boston area.
Gene, since you weren’t able to attend our Opening Ceremonies last week, we decided to bring this award to you and present it to you on Harvard ice. I read to you the inscription on this year’s award. It says: 2004 New York International Hockey Cup, President’s Award, Gene Kinasewich #13, In recognition of your contributions over five decades to International Youth Hockey Exchange & Goodwill. Gene, thanks for everything. Thanks for showing the way.
Gene Kinasewich:
Thank you Craig, for honoring me with your Annual "President's Award" for contributions you feel I have made to the promotion of cultural/athletic exchanges for American youth over the past 40 years. I personally feel that youth can bring people together through their genuine warmth and dedication to working and playing together.
I am also honored to be included amoung others you have recognized in the past for their contributions to international exchanges and especially Larry Piatelli who recently passed away. Larry was a profound and gifted educator, who contributed so much to the growth and development of young people.
This year I have been particularly supportive of a young Ukrainian team who are visiting America and recently were crowned champions of your "2004 New York International Hockey Cup" held in Albany, New York. I have worked with this Ukrainian team for over 15 years and it is particularly fitting that with the political challenges facing Ukraine at present, they have traveled to America and represented their country, themselves and the sport of ice hockey at the highest level.
My parents were born in Ukraine and immigrated to Canada in 1911. I was one of 14 children and am so grateful to have had the opportunity to help my parents' homeland in a small way by coming to school at Harvard, playing hockey and contributing some knowledge of Ukraine to those with whom I have lived and studied and through the arrangement of cutural/athletic exchanges noted. Craig, you are to be commended for your efforts in this regard by bringing together, over the past six years, teams from around the world to take part in healthy athletic endeavors and thank you once again for including me in your circle.
