Name Clare Drake | Role Ice hockey coach | |
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Full Name Clare James Drake Born October 9, 1928 (age 95) ( 1928-10-09 ) Yorkton, Saskatchewan Alma mater University of British Columbia (1951) Occupation Former ice hockey player and coach (Edmonton Oilers (WHA), Alberta Golden Bears) Awards CIAU Hockey Coach of the Year, 1975 & 1988 Education University of British Columbia | ||
University of alberta 1999 distinguished alumni award clare drake 58 bed 95 lld hon
Clare James Drake (born October 9, 1928) is a Canadian retired ice hockey head coach. Drake is the most successful coach in Canadian Interuniversity Sport men’s hockey history. In his 28 years as the head coach of the University of Alberta men's ice hockey team, he coached the Alberta Golden Bears to six University Cup championships and 17 Canada West conference championships.
Contents
- University of alberta 1999 distinguished alumni award clare drake 58 bed 95 lld hon
- Scotiabank hockey day in canada the legend of clare drake
- Awards and honours
- Legacy
- References
The “dean of coaching,” Clare developed the game for more than 40 years, coaching at the high school, university, Olympic and WHA level. The only university coach to win a national championship in both hockey and football in the same year (1967), he was instrumental in the development of the National Coaching Certification and Coach Mentorship Programs. Drake served as the head coach of the Edmonton Oilers during the 1975–76 WHA season.
Drake was born in Yorkton, Saskatchewan on October 9, 1928, the only child of Clarence and Grace Drake. Drake played junior ice hockey in Regina, Saskatchewan and Medicine Hat, Alberta. Drake then moved on to the University of British Columbia, where he played ice hockey for the UBC Thunderbirds and graduated in 1951. In 1953, Drake entered the University of Alberta to earn his teaching credentials, playing ice hockey and graduating in 1954.
After graduating from the University of Alberta, he played one season of professional ice hockey in Dusseldorf, West Germany, before returning to become head of physical education at Strathcona High School in Edmonton. For the next three years, he was the head of the department and also assisted U of A head coach Don Smith. When Smith retired in 1958, Drake became the full-time coach of the U of A Golden Bears.
During Drake's tenure of 28 seasons at Alberta, the team won 17 western conference championships and six Canadian championships. He also served as assistant football coach for most of the 1960s and filled in as head football coach for three of those years. In 1967, Clare became the only coach to win the intercollegiate hockey and football championships in the same year. He retired in 1989 from head coaching with the North American intercollegiate record for career wins.
Besides coaching at Alberta, he coached Team Canada at the 1980 Winter Olympics in Lake Placid and Team Canada International to a gold medal at the Spengler Cup in Davos, Switzerland in 1983. He was an assistant coach for the Winnipeg Jets, consulted for several NHL teams and assisted the Canadian national women's team.
