Clare Drake

Clare Drake coached the Edmonton Oilers for 48 games in the 1975-76 season before being replaced by Bill Hunter.

The Oilers had a record of 18-28-2 when Drake was let go in January, 1976. Edmonton went 9-21-3 under Hunter, whose club was subsequently swept in the playoffs by the Winnipeg Jets.

The highlight of the season came when Norm Ullman scored his 500th professional goal against the Quebec Nordiques on December 11, 1975. Ullman, a native of Provost, Alberta, had played junior hockey for Hunter’s Edmonton Oil Kings before becoming a star in the National Hockey League (NHL) with Detroit and Toronto.

Alberta Icon

Although Drake did not have much of an impact upon the young Oilers club, he did have a significant impact upon varsity hockey--leaving a coaching legacy at the University of Alberta that few coaches have been able to eclipse. The native of Yorkton, Saskatchewan, coached the Golden Bears men’s hockey team for nearly 30 years, compiling a record of 697-296-37 in 1,030 games.

Drake coached the U of A to six Canadian Interuniversity Athletic Union championships and 17 Canada West conference crowns. In 1967-68, Drake coached the U of A hockey and football teams to CIAU championships, marking the only time in history one coach has won national titles in two major sports in the same season. When the Golden Bears defeated the Red Deer College Kings on October 8, 1985, Drake became the highest winning intercollegiate hockey coach in North America.

He was named CIAU Hockey Coach of the Year on two occasions and Canada West Hockey Coach of the Year four times. Drake’s outstanding efforts led to his induction into the Alberta Sports Hall of Fame in 1987 and the Canadian Sports Hall of Fame in 1989. He was also named Edmonton Sports Man of the Year in 1975.

Drake’s accolades were further recognized when the hockey rink at the University of Alberta was named in his honour.  

International Expeditions

In addition to his varsity and professional experience, Drake boasts an impressive international record as well. He coached Team Canada to a gold medal in the 1981 World Student Games in Spain, while his Canadian contingent won the silver medal at the same event in 1972 in Lake Placid, New York, and a bronze in 1987 in Czechoslovakia.

He also coached Team Canada to a gold medal at the 1984 Spengler Cup in Switzerland and was a co-coach of the Canadian Olympic team in 1980 with Tom Watt and Lorne Davis.

Drake spent one full season coaching in the National Hockey League, serving as an assistant with the Winnipeg Jets in 1989-90.

A coaching legend in Canada, Drake continues to be a driving force in the shape of national junior hockey, most recently acting as a mentor and coach with the Canadian women’s national hockey program.

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