Tubby Schmalz | |
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| Born | Clarence Vincent Schmalz December 19, 1916 Breslau, Ontario, Canada |
| Died | December 7, 1981 (aged 64) Walkerton, Ontario, Canada |
| Alma mater | St. Jerome's College |
| Occupation(s) | Hotelier and politician |
| Known for | Ontario Hockey Association president, Ontario Major Junior Hockey League commissioner, Canadian Amateur Hockey Association chairman |
| Awards | OHA life member CAHA Order of Merit |
| Honours | Clarence Schmalz Cup |
Clarence Vincent "Tubby" Schmalz (December 19, 1916 – December 7, 1981) was a Canadian ice hockey administrator. He served as vice-president of the Western Ontario Athletic Association from 1940 to 1950, and coached and managed the senior ice hockey team in Walkerton, Ontario. He was elected to the Ontario Hockey Association executive (OHA) in 1956, and served as its president from 1969 to 1972. He was the first commissioner of the Ontario Major Junior Hockey League (OMJHL), serving from 1974 to 1978. He became vice-chairman of the Canadian Amateur Hockey Association (CAHA) in 1979, and was elected its chairman in 1981. He was a graduate of St. Jerome's College, and operated the Hartley House hotel in Walkerton. He served on the Walkerton Town Council for 17 years, including three years as reeve from 1979 to 1981.
Schmalz began the practice of referee and coach clinics in the OHA, and assisted in development of the National Coaches Certification Program in Canada. He was instrumental during junior ice hockey restructuring that saw Ontario's top tier of hockey evolve into the OHA Major Junior A Series and subsequently into the OMJHL. He implemented a revised player contract to recuperate costs of developing players for professional leagues, and oversaw academic standards which included the league paying tuition for the players' education. His tenure included multiple lawsuits to defend the interests of junior hockey against the World Hockey Association. He brought the OMJHL into the same umbrella organization with junior leagues from Western Canada and Quebec, to establish the Canadian Major Junior Hockey League in 1975. His career was recognized with life membership in the OHA, and the Order of Merit from the CAHA. He was posthumously made the namesake of the Clarence Schmalz Cup by the OHA in 1982.