At the end of the 1953-54 season, Skinner was hired by Adams to serve as the head coach for the Detroit Red Wings.
Skinner is credited with starting the tradition of kissing the Stanley Cup upon victory.
[2] In the 1956-57 season, Skinner guided the Red Wings to a first-place finish in the standings, before being defeated by the Boston Bruins in the 1957 Stanley Cup playoffs.
Skinner resigned as the Red Wings head coach in 1958, due to illness.
Skinner was credited with the implementation of the NHL Entry Draft, which was meant to give teams a chance to select players outside their territorial region.