Kevin Maxwell was a feisty 5'9" center who could score and wouldn't back down in the face of larger opponents. In addition to a part time career with two NHL franchises, he was a top scorer in college, on the Canadian national team and in the minors.
Born in Edmonton, Alberta, Maxwell scored 31 goals in 42 games at the University of North Dakota in 1978-79. His solid performance earned him a place on the WCHA first all-star team and the NCAA west first all-american squad. Maxwell's year was capped off by his selection 63rd overall by Minnesota at the 1979 Entry Draft.
The young pivot committed to the Canadian national team for the 1979-80 season and registered five assists in six games at the Lake Placid Olympics. He played six games as an NHL rookie the next year but spent the bulk of his time on the CHL's Oklahoma City Stars. In 1981-82, Maxwell played well in 12 games for Minnesota before he was sent to the Colorado Rockies for cash. The North Stars were too deep at centre with the likes of Bobby Smith, Neal Broten, Tim Young and Anders Hakannson.
Maxwell played a solid checking role on the Rockies in the last 34 games of the schedule and remained with the franchise when it relocated to New Jersey. He scored 24 goals for the CHL's Wichita Wind in 1982-83 then dressed for 14 games in Jersey the next year. He was eventually sent down part way through the 1983-84 season and was a gritty two way center in the AHL before retiring in 1988. Highlights of this period including winning a Calder Cup with the Maine Mariners in 1984 and scoring 36 goals during his last pro season with the Hershey Bears in 1987-88.
