According to Simon Little of CBC News on Friday, former junior hockey coach Ernie McLean of Estevan, Saskatchewan passed away at the age of 93 in a car accident in Dease Lake, British Columbia. McLean is best known for leading the New Westminster Bruins to back-to-back Memorial Cup titles in 1977 and 1978.
The 1977 Memorial Cup final took place in Vancouver, British Columbia. The Bruins defeated the Ottawa 67’s 6-5 at Pacific Coliseum. The 1978 Memorial Cup final took place in Sudbury, Ontario with the Bruins defeating Peterborough Petes 7-4. Some of the more notable Bruins in this time were defensemen Barry Beck of Vancouver, and Brad Maxwell of Brandon, Manitoba, and forwards Stan Smyl of Glendon, Alberta, Larry Melnyk of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, and John Ogrodnick of Ottawa, Ontario.
In all, McLean won five President’s Cup titles (now known as the Ed Chynoweth Cup), presented to the Western Hockey League playoff champion on an annual basis. He won in 1968 as the head coach of the Estevan Bruins, and then in 1975, 1976, 1977, and 1978, as the head coach of the New Westminster Bruins.
While coaching the Estevan Bruins, McLean lost his left eye in 1971 from being in a plane crash in Saskatchewan. McLean made hockey headlines just a week ago because there were plans to have a statue in McLean’s honour in New Westminster.
