Ernie Wakely
Ernest Alfred Linton " Ernie " Wakely ( born November 27, 1940 in Flin Flon, Manitoba ) is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey goalie who from 1962 to 1979 for the Montreal Canadiens and St. Louis Blues in the National Hockey League and the Winnipeg Jets, San Diego Mariners, Cincinnati Stingers, Houston Aeros and Birmingham Bulls played in the World Hockey Association.
Career
As a junior he played with the Winnipeg Braves, with whom he was in 1959 the Memorial Cup win. In the WHL, he made his first experience in the professional field at the Winnipeg Warriors. With Harry Lumley him was an experienced NHL goalie past years aside.
The Montreal Canadiens had his rights for the NHL. They picked him as a promising young goalkeepers in their farm team to the Hull- Ottawa Canadiens in the EPHL. In the NHL the regular place with the legendary goalkeeper Jacques Plante was firmly occupied and as an insert in the season 1962/63 long remained his only NHL experience.
In the following years followed inserts at the Omaha Knights in the CPhl in the AHL with the Quebec Aces and the Cleveland Barons and in the WHL for the Seattle Totems. For his second outing with the Canadiens, he came in the 1968 season / 69th The team was with Rogatien Vachon, Gump Worsley and Tony Esposito on the goalkeeper position, however, so well occupied that he had no real chance to get a place there.
In the season 1969/70 were the St. Louis Blues are looking for a younger goalie. In the first years after the expansion Jacques Plante and Glenn Hall, the team had made to one of the most successful of the new teams. But both were now over 40 years old and so they took the nearly 30 -year-old Wakely. In exchange, among other standard Beaudin went to Montreal. In the three years for the Blues he could make his NHL - road capability and was also honored with a nomination for the NHL All-Star Game.
With the World Hockey Association came to a new league, which sought mainly to strong players in the NHL who are not as been in the spotlight. Wakeley fit exactly in the requested profile and since the offer was not only lucrative, but with the Winnipeg Jets inquired even a team of his home region, the decision was not hard for a change. Here he made in the 1972/73 season with Joe Daley a goalkeeper team. The two were perennial favorites in the league. The Jets had such a good support and attack led Bobby Hull and Norm Beaudin the team.
Shortly after the beginning of the season 1974/75 he moved to the San Diego Mariners, where he set up almost all franchise records in three seasons. After the Mariners were disbanded, he started in the 1977/ 78 for the Cincinnati Stingers, but shortly after the start of the season he moved to the Houston Aeros.
The 1978/79 season was not only the last of the WHA, it was also his last season. The Birmingham Bulls was decided upon youth to ask here but the hopeful Pat Riggin an experienced man to the side, they sought the now 37 years old Wakely. He supported the young keeper and also managed to set up the records for most games and shutouts in the WHA. Only with the victories, his former teammate Joe Daley remained ahead of him at three.
Statistics
Sporting successes
- Memorial Cup: 1959
- Adams Cup ( CPhl ): 1964
Personal Awards
- Terry Sawchuk Trophy ( Fewest goals in the CPhl ): 1964
- CPhl Second All-Star Team: 1968
- AHL Second All-Star Team: 1969
- WHA Second All-Star Team: 1978
- Participate in the NHL All-Star Game: 1971
- Participation in the WHA All-Star Game: 1973 and 1974
Records
- 334 games and 19 331 Minutes played as a goalkeeper in the regular season of the World Hockey Association
- 16 shutouts in the regular season of the World Hockey Association