John James MacInnes - Born July 1, 1925 in Toronto, Ontario – Died March 6, 1983 in Houghton, Michigan was a Canadian / Naturalized U.S citizen (1952) ice Hockey goaltender, NCAA Hockey head coach, manager and executive.

MacInnes played Hockey at De La Salle High School in Toronto, where he was team captain for 2 seasons before graduating.

He then attended the University of Michigan, playing for the Michigan Wolverines for the 1945-46 season under coach Vic Heyliger. His name was sometimes spelled (McGinnes) while playing for the Wolverines.

MacInnes joined the International Hockey League / IHL Detroit Metal Mouldings for the 1946-47 season. His coach there was the legendary John Ross Roach. MacInnes played 2 seasons with the Metal Mouldings team, appearing in 57 regular season games.

MacInnes then joined the IHL Detroit Bright's Goodyears team for the 1948-9 season.

MacInnes returned to the Michigan Wolverines for the 1949-50 season, helping them to a third-place finish at the 1950 NCAA Championship.

After receiving his degree from the University of Michigan in Education in 1950, MacInnes, who was living in Ann Arbor, started the Ann Arbor Amateur Hockey League with Dr. Tom Gilson, Vic Heyliger, and Karl Litzenberg. He served as League Director of the Ann Arbor Amateur Hockey League. During his time with the league, MacInnes initiated the first Bantam classification for the under-13 age group. After four successful years of building Hockey in Ann Arbor, he left for the Upper Peninsula of Michigan to become the men's ice Hockey coach at Michigan Tech University.

MacInnes, was known as the “winningest coach in college Hockey,” as Michigan Tech’s head Hockey coach and manager from 1956 to 1982. During that period, the Hockey Huskies brought home three NCAA championships (1962, 1965, 1975) and seven Western Collegiate Hockey Association championships (1962, 1965, 1966, 1969, 1971, 1974, and 1976). Twenty-three of his 26 seasons were winning ones. He was named coach of the year (Spencer Penrose Award) by the American Hockey Coaches Association twice, in 1970 and 1976. The WCHA named him coach of the year six times.

MacInnes was interviewed for the position of coach for the 1980 American Olympic Hockey “Dream Team,” but withdrew his name from consideration to continue with the Michigan Tech team.

MacInnes coached 21 All-Americans and his teams posted winning records against every WCHA team. His teams finished in the top four of the WCHA 17 times, more than any team in the league during his tenure. The Huskies never missed the WCHA playoffs under MacInnes.

MacInnes served on the Board of Directors for the Copper Country Junior Hockey League from 1962-67.

MacInnes was also instrumental in starting high school Hockey in the Upper Peninsula in 1969.

In 1965, MacInnes, Lincoln Cavalieri, Jack Paterson and Jack Tompkins founded the Great Lakes Invitational / GLI Hockey tournament. Originating at Detroit’s Olympia Stadium. Michigan Tech, the host for the tournament since its inception, added Michigan as a co-host in 1976 and moved into its then home, the Joe Louis Arena, in 1979. Beginning in 2017, the GLI moved to Little Ceasars Ice Arena. The John MacInnes Trophy (1982) is now awarded at the conclusion of the Great Lakes Invitational to a player for his play in the tournament (GLI MVP).

John MacInnes was inducted into the University of Michigan Dekers Blue Line Club Hall of Fame in 1971.

John MacInnes was a charter member of the Upper Peninsula Hall of Fame in 1972.

In 1980, MacInnes was named as a charter member of the American Hockey Coaches Association's exclusive Pinnacle Club.

John MacInnes received the State of Michigan Declaration in 1982.

Since 1983, the American Hockey Coaches Association announces annually the recipient of "The John MacInnes Award" recognizing those people who have shown a great concern for amateur Hockey and Youth programs.

John J. MacInnes was inducted into the Michigan Tech Sports Hall of Fame in 1985

John MacInnes received the National Hockey League's prestigious Lester Patrick Award in 1986.

The Michigan Tech ice arena, built in 1971 for his winning Hockey teams, was named the John J. MacInnes Student Ice Arena in August 1991 in his honor.

John MacInnes was inducted into the University of Michigan Hall of Honor in 1994.

In 1999, the Hobey Baker Memorial Award Committee bestowed upon MacInnes its Legend of College Hockey Award.

John MacInnes was inducted into the United States Hockey Hall of Fame in 2007.

NOTE - Above image is John MacInnes receiving the 1982 State of Michigan declaration from state Representative Donald Koivisto (left) while MTU president Dale F. Stein is present.