Just a few days after receiving recognition at a press event at Queen’s Park Arena in New Westminster, British Columbia, where a statue was placed to celebrate him, famous hockey coach Ernie “Punch” McLean has passed away.
As reported by several sources, McLean was in a one-car accident near Dease Lake and sadly passed away from it. He was 93 years old.
McLean had an amazing career as a junior hockey coach and is well-known for guiding the New Westminster Bruins to win the President’s Cup four times in a row. He also won the Memorial Cup two times during his coaching time, specifically in 1977 and 1978, achieving back-to-back victories.
He received the honor of being named the WHL’s coach of the year during the 1975-76 season and was inducted into the BC Hockey Hall of Fame in 2006.
Recently, another special recognition for McLean came when Wayne Gretzky wrote a personal letter supporting the initiative to put up a statue in McLean’s name. Gretzky did this because McLean coached him at the 1978 World Junior Championship. Even at just 16 years old, Gretzky has always praised McLean for the guidance he provided during that event.
It’s important to note how McLean got his famous nickname. “Punch” was recognized for his hot temper and would sometimes get into fights with players from other teams, even though he was a coach. He earned his nickname because of his tough image, and there was a time he actually punched a referee as he passed by his team’s bench.
To call McLean a legendary hockey coach might not fully capture how impressive his achievements were, and the many messages of love and remembrance since his death show just how much he meant to people.
NHL analyst Jeff Marek shared his sympathy for the loss:
TSN’s Farhan Lalji expressed sadness about McLean’s passing:
Canucks insider Rick Dhaliwal has shared his supportive thoughts as well:
The Canucks’ Al Murdoch also expressed his feelings about McLean’s sad death today:
There are certainly many more, but this is just a small look at how much McLean meant to the whole hockey community. I truly feel sorry for everyone affected by this heartbreaking news today.
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