Legendary Coach Ernie McLean's Garbage Can Toss Remains Iconic at 93
Legendary New Westminster Bruins coach Ernie (Punch) McLean remains as feisty as ever at age 93, still mining for gold up north while reflecting on a career filled with unforgettable moments. The most iconic of these occurred on March 2, 1980, when McLean became incensed after referee Ken Wheler missed a tripping call during a game.
The Infamous Incident That Created a Legend
In protest of the missed call, McLean grabbed a large metal garbage can from behind the bench and hurled it onto the ice at Queen's Park Arena. "I looked around, and there's a garbage can there, right behind me," recalls McLean. "I grabbed it, threw it at the ref, and I told him, 'You're like the garbage in the can.'"
The raucous crowd responded with chants of "One more time! One more time!" according to a Province story by Jack Keating. When Wheler returned the can to the Bruins' bench, McLean obliged the crowd by hurling it back onto the ice.
The Photograph That Made History
Photographer Craig Hodge, who was covering the game against the Portland Winter Hawks for the New Westminster Columbian, missed the initial spontaneous toss but kept his camera focused on McLean. "I figured McLean might do something else," said Hodge. When McLean threw the can a second time, Hodge captured the moment perfectly.
The photograph went out across Canada on The Canadian Press wire, creating a national legend. "The folklore of Ernie was how he used to throw his garbage can out onto the ice whenever he got mad," Hodge explained with a laugh. "It really only happened once, but because I took the picture and it ran nationally across the country, he became known for throwing the garbage can."
A Coaching Legacy Beyond the Antics
While the garbage can toss remains McLean's most famous moment, his coaching legacy extends far beyond that single incident. He was a remarkably successful coach who oversaw rough, physical teams that fought their way to back-to-back Memorial Cup championships in 1977 and 1978.
McLean was also known for other memorable antics, including a 1976 game in Saskatoon where he leaned over the boards and ripped linesman Harry Hildebrandt's toupee off his head. Yet despite these colorful moments, his coaching achievements stand as testament to his skill behind the bench.
A Recent Reunion and Reflection
Hodge, now a Coquitlam city councillor, recently searched through his photo archive and found the original print of the garbage can incident. After discussing the story with Gordy Cartwright of Woody's Pub in Coquitlam, a small gathering was organized at the pub on March 5 to present McLean with a print of the photograph—46 years after the legendary moment.
McLean, who lives in Coquitlam with his wife Fern, doesn't dwell much on the garbage can toss, noting he only did it once. But he has enough stories from his colorful career to fill a miniseries.
Resilience Beyond the Rink
Legend has it that McLean is blind in one eye as a result of a small plane accident in his native Saskatchewan. At the time, McLean had a construction business and was flying solo from The Pas, Manitoba, to Yorkton, Saskatchewan, when he crashed near Kamsack, approximately 300 kilometers northeast of Regina.
"There were over 50 pieces of wood on the side of my face," McLean recalls of the accident that left him badly injured. Despite his injuries, he demonstrated remarkable resilience by walking out of the bush to a farmhouse to get help—a testament to the toughness that characterized both his playing and coaching career.
At 93, Ernie McLean remains a living legend in Canadian hockey, his name forever linked to that moment when a garbage can became an unlikely symbol of protest and passion in the sport he helped shape through decades of dedication.
