By Western Hockey League

CALGARY, Alta. – The Western Hockey League is deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Ernie ‘Punch’ McLean.

McLean passed away Friday at the age of 93, following a single car crash in northern B.C.

Hailing from Estevan, Sask., McLean was the longtime coach of the WHL’s Estevan Bruins and New Westminster Bruins.

He got his start in 1957-58 as an assistant coach in Estevan, when the team was still part of the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League. In 1964-65, ‘Punch’ took over as Head Coach, starting a long journey to five WHL Championship, two Memorial Cup titles, and more than 1,000 games coached in the WHL.

No coach in WHL history has won more League titles than McLean’s five. Longtime Kamloops Blazers coach Don Hay is closest with three.

McLean’s WHL career concluded with 1,067 regular season games coached, and a record of 548-429-90. He was behind the bench for another 148 WHL Playoff games, going 87-52-9 along the way.

In 1967-68, McLean guided the Estevan Bruins to the WHL Championship, defeating the Flin Flon Bombers in five games (4-0-1).

Following the 1970-71 season, the Estevan Bruins relocated to New Westminster, where they kept the Bruins moniker. McLean stayed with the team and guided it to its next championship in 1974-75, as the Bruins edged the Saskatoon Blades in a seven-game series.

In 1975-76, McLean led the Bruins to a second straight WHL crown, once again knocking off the Blades in seven games (4-2-1). With an impressive regular season record of 54-14-4, McLean was named WHL Coach of the Year for the first and only time in his career.

The 1976-77 season saw McLean’s Bruins win a third consecutive WHL Championship, defeating the Brandon Wheat Kings in five games. At the 1977 Memorial Cup, hosted at the Pacific Coliseum in Vancouver, McLean and the Bruins took home the most challenging trophy to win in all of hockey – the Memorial Cup. Fuelled by the likes of Barry Beck and Stan Smyl, the Bruins defeated the Ottawa 67’s by a 6-5 score in the tournament finale.

McLean and the Bruins continued their legendary run in 1977-78, winning a fourth straight WHL Championship and second consecutive Memorial Cup. In the 1978 WHL Championship, McLean’s Bruins swept the Billings Bighorns in four games. From there, they advanced to the 1978 Memorial Cup in Sudbury, Ont., where they knocked off the Peterborough Petes by a 7-4 score to once again hoist the most prized trophy in Canadian Major Junior hockey.

McLean would coach the Bruins for three more seasons – 1979-80, 1985-86, and 1986-87.

Outside the WHL, McLean coached Canada’s National Junior Team to a bronze medal at the 1979 IIHF World Junior Championship.

In his later years, he was a fixture at the Langley Events Centre, taking in Vancouver Giants games right through the end of the 2025-26 WHL regular season.

This past week, the Ernie Punch McLean Foundation launched a campaign to build a permanent statue honouring McLean at Queens Park Arena in New Westminster, B.C. McLean was in attendance at the press conference Wednesday, May 6.

On behalf of the WHL and its 23 member Clubs, we extend our deepest condolences and sympathies to family, friends, and all those who knew Ernie ‘Punch’ McLean.