A press conference held Wednesday morning officially kicked off a campaign to erect a statue of former New Westminster Bruins coach Ernie 'Punch' McLean at or near the historic Queen's Park Arena. McLean, now 93, led the Bruins during hockey's physical 1970s, consistently drawing packed crowds to the arena.
Dominant Bruins Era
The Bruins under McLean captured four consecutive league titles from 1975 to 1978, along with back-to-back Memorial Cup national championships in 1977 and 1978. The roster featured future NHL stars such as Stan Smyl, Barry Beck, Brad Maxwell, John Ogrodnick, and Mark Lofthouse. The team remains one of the most celebrated junior hockey franchises in British Columbia.
Foundation and Fundraising
The Ernie Punch McLean Legacy Foundation has established a website at punchlegacy.com, where supporters can donate toward the statue and sign a petition to demonstrate public backing. The foundation is actively seeking a major corporate partner to expedite the project's timeline.
"Ernie is 93 years old. I'll put it out there — we'd like to get this done as soon as possible," said Patrick Singh, director of the foundation. "Hockey fans of today may not know who Ernie is, but if you talk to their parents, they all know him. I go to games with him every once in a while and he can't go anywhere without people asking for autographs or pictures."
Enduring Legacy
McLean remains a regular presence in the press box at Vancouver Canucks and Vancouver Giants games. TSN's Farhan Lalji, who hosted Wednesday's announcement, recounted a story about Canucks president of hockey operations Jim Rutherford insisting that McLean retain his seat in the Rogers Arena press box despite reductions in reserved spots.
"He told them, 'Don't you dare touch Punch's seat. Punch gets to come to every game Punch wants to.' That tells you how revered Punch is in professional hockey circles," Lalji told the audience.
The 'Punch' Persona
McLean earned his nickname through his fiery coaching style. During his tenure, the game was notably more physical, with frequent line brawls and high penalty minutes. Defenceman Boris Fistric accumulated 414 penalty minutes in 69 games during the 1977-78 season, while Smyl had 211 in just 53 games.
In 1978, McLean was suspended 25 games for punching referee John Fitzgerald during a game in Portland, prompting Vancouver Sun columnist Lyndon Little to remark that McLean "saw any chance of winning the 1978 Nobel Peace Prize disappear" with the incident.
Postmedia's John Mackie wrote in March about a 1980 photo by Craig Hodge showing McLean tossing a garbage can onto the ice at Queen's Park Arena. Singh defended McLean's style, noting that teams like the Philadelphia Flyers and Boston Bruins played similarly and reached the Stanley Cup Finals.
Contributions to Hockey
McLean was one of the founders of the Western Canadian Junior Hockey League, the precursor to today's WHL. He began coaching his hometown Estevan Bruins and helped move the club to New Westminster in 1971. Over 16 seasons, he coached 1,067 regular season games.
He also coached Team Canada at the world juniors twice, notably in 1978 when the squad included a 16-year-old Wayne Gretzky. Lalji read an email from Gretzky congratulating McLean and noting that McLean was initially hesitant about Gretzky's inclusion due to his age, but injuries to other players secured his spot.
Messages from Stan Smyl and others were also read. Former Bruins goalie Bill Ranford and Mark Lofthouse attended the event to speak, and city councillor Daniel Fontaine pledged local government support.
Remarkable Survival Story
In 2009, at age 77, McLean made national headlines when he went missing for four days near Turnagain Lake in northern B.C. without food and only a sweater. He was running a mining company at the time and fell into a crevasse while surveying a gold claim, then became disoriented. Helicopter pilot Jim Reed found him on a trail.
"I didn't think we'd see him walking out of the bush, to be honest, after that period of time," Reed told The Province. "He's two weeks away from 78." He added, "He's obviously a very tough customer."
