Hockey is more than a passion for Kevin…it’s his life. He joined the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2001 and serves as the Editorial and Education Facilitator. Shea has taught a hockey course for Seneca Polytechnic and associated Ontario colleges since 2003 and in 2021, he created and continues to teach a leadership course based in hockey for Indigenous students in Canada’s remote north. He is the editor of the Society for International Hockey Research’s Research Journal, has contributed a bi-weekly column for the Toronto Star through the Toronto Maple Leafs’ centennial season, has been a consultant on hockey projects for the Royal Canadian Mint, United States Postal Service, the National Hockey League, CIBC and Hockey Helps the Homeless, and has writing credits that span North America. As one of the principals with Road Hockey to Conquer Cancer for ten years, Shea has contributed to raising over $27 million for cancer research through the annual event’s history. He also sits on the Toronto Maple Leafs Historical Committee with members from MLSE.
Kevin is also the award-winning author of 21 books, including: ‘The Toronto Maple Leaf Hockey Club: Official Centennial Publication, 1917-2017,’ ‘The Hall: Celebrating Hockey’s Heritage, Heroes and Home,’ ‘Derek Sanderson: Crossing the Line – The Outrageous Story of a Hockey Original,’ ‘Barilko: Without A Trace’ and ‘Jack and the Box: My Search for Stanley Cup Champion Jack McLean.’
As a member of the Society for International Hockey Research (SIHR), in 2012, Kevin was awarded that organization’s Brian McFarlane Award for “excellence in research and writing,” in 2017, he was the recipient of the President’s Award for “outstanding contributions to advancing hockey research” and his book ‘Jack and the Box’ was named the 2025 Paul Kitchen Award winner as the “best research project produced during the previous calendar year.” In 2007, the Society of North American Hockey Historians and Researchers presented Kevin with the SONAHHR Award for excellence in research and writing for his historical book, ‘Lord Stanley: The Man Behind the Cup.’ His book on the history of the Hockey Hall of Fame, ‘The Hall,’ was a finalist for a Heritage Toronto Award in 2019.
