After a junior career ending with the St. Catharines Teepees of the Ontario Hockey Association in 1953, Schinkel signed with the Springfield Indians of the American Hockey League. He spent the next six years in the minors with the Indians organization, garnering a reputation as a skilled two-way forward and penalty killer. In 1959 he led the AHL in goals with 43 and scored 85 points, earning a place on the league's Second All-Star Team, and his rights were dealt to the New York Rangers of the NHL. He played the 1960 season with the Rangers and split the 1961 season between New York and Springfield - returning to the AHL just in time to be part of the Indians' second consecutive Calder Cup championship - before playing as a third-liner with the Rangers in 1962 and 1963. By 1964 he was back in the minors, however, and spent the next four years starring for the Rangers' farm team, the AHL Baltimore Clippers. While playing with future Hall of Famers such as Jean Ratelle and Doug Harvey, Schinkel led the Clippers in scoring two of those seasons. When the NHL doubled in size after the 1967 season, Schinkel was drafted in the expansion draft by the Pittsburgh Penguins. Named an assistant captain by the club, he was an immediate impact player and noted penalty killer for the offensively-thin Penguins, finishing first or second in team scoring the franchise's first three seasons and being named to play in the NHL All-Star Game in 1968 and 1969; he was named again in 1971, but did not play due to a broken arm. He played six seasons in all before retiring to become the team's coach. On April 11, 1970, Schinkel scored three goals for Pittsburgh in a Stanley Cup playoff game versus the Oakland Seals. Pittsburgh won the game 5-2. Schinkel retired as the Penguins' career leader in games and points, and with 127 goals and 198 assists for 325 points in 636 games.
Coaching career
His playing career abruptly ended on Jan. 13, 1973 when he was named to replace Red Kelly as coach of the Penguins. The Penguins did not make the playoffs that season, and were 14-31-5 on Feb. 6, 1974, when Schinkel was replaced by Marc Boileau, who had been coaching in the Penguins' minor league system. Schinkel was reassigned to a front office position, where he remained until Jan. 17, 1976, when he was tabbed to replace Boileau. The team had been 15-23-5 under Boileau, but rallied for a 20-10-7 record with Schinkel coaching and made the playoffs. The Penguins were eliminated in the first round by the Toronto Maple Leafs. Schinkel led the Penguins to a 34-33-13 record in 1976-77, his only full season as coach. The Penguins qualified for the playoffs but were again defeated in the first round by Toronto. Schinkel was replaced by Johnny Wilson and returned to the front office for good. He held a variety of positions, including assistant general manager and scouting director in overseeing the drafting of Mario Lemieux in 1984. He stayed with the Penguins through 1989, then followed Eddie Johnston to the Hartford Whalers, where he remained in the front office for the rest of his hockey career. Schinkel coached the Penguins for 203 games, with a record of 83-92-28 for a winning percentage of.478. Schinkel is now retired and lives in Florida, although he has made appearances for Penguins' alumni affairs.
