Hugh MacKinnon was one of the best hockey forwards in Canada between 1915 and 1929. He was a star on many teams throughout the Maritimes and Quebec. In 1916, MacKinnon played for the Glace Bay Miners with Hall of Famers Duke McIsaac, Jack MacDonald, and Jimmy Fraser. This team narrowly lost the Nova Scotia Senior Hockey Championship to the Halifax Socials by a score of 5-4 (playing for the Socials were original hall of Famers Hap Hanlon and Hall of Fame Founder Gee Ahern).

In 1917, MacKinnon once again returned to play for the Glace Bay Miners and that same year they claimed the Nova Scotia Senior Hockey Title by defeating the New Glasgow Cubs with a score of 10-8. New Glasgow won the first game 3-2, but Glace Bay came back with a vengeance to take the second game 8-5, winning the title.