Clare Drake
Most successful coach in Canadian Interuniversity Sport men's hockey history.
Clare James Drake (October 9, 1928 – May 13, 2018) was a Canadian ice hockey coach. He was the most successful coach in Canadian Interuniversity Sport men's hockey history, coaching the University of Alberta Golden Bears to six University Cup championships and 17 Canada West conference championships over 28 years. Known as the 'dean of coaching,' Drake developed the game for more than 40 years at the high school, university, Olympic, and WHA levels, and was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2017 as a builder.
Quick Facts
- Birth Name
- Clare James Drake
- Birth Date
- 1928-10-09
- Birth Place
- Yorkton, Saskatchewan
- Death Date
- 2018-05-13
- Death Place
- Edmonton, Alberta
- Occupation
- Former ice hockey player and coach (Edmonton Oilers (WHA), Alberta Golden Bears)
- Education
- University of British Columbia (1951) / University of Alberta (1954) / University of Washington / University of Oregon (attended)
- Awards
- CIAU Hockey Coach of the Year, 1975 & 1988, Hockey Hall of Fame
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
Drake was born in Yorkton, Saskatchewan, the only child of Clarence and Grace Drake. He played junior hockey in Regina and Medicine Hat, then attended the University of British Columbia, playing for the UBC Thunderbirds and graduating in 1951. In 1953 he entered the University of Alberta to earn teaching credentials and play hockey, graduating in 1954. He later earned a master's degree from the University of Washington and pursued, but did not finish, a doctorate in education at the University of Oregon. After one season of professional hockey in Düsseldorf, West Germany, he returned to teach physical education at Strathcona High School in Edmonton, then assisted U of A head coach Don Smith. When Smith retired in 1958, Drake became the full-time coach of the Golden Bears. In 1967-68, Drake became the only coach to win the intercollegiate hockey and football championships in the same year. In 1990 the University's Varsity Arena was renamed the Clare Drake Arena in his honour.
Reader's Guide
Drake's significance lies in his unparalleled success at the university level and his broader contributions to coaching. Under his leadership, the Alberta Golden Bears 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 years, becoming the only coach to win intercollegiate hockey and football championships in the same year (1967–68). He retired in 1989 with the North American intercollegiate record for career wins. In 1990 the University's Varsity Arena was renamed Clare Drake Arena in his honour. He took a break in 1975–76 to coach the Edmonton Oilers of the WHA, coached Team Canada at the 1980 Winter Olympics, and led Team Canada International to a gold medal at the Spengler Cup in 1983. He was instrumental in developing the National Coaching Certification and Coach Mentorship Programs. His legacy includes the Clare Drake Award, given to the Canadian Interuniversity Sport Rookie of the Year.
Did You Know?
- Drake was the only university coach to win a national championship in both hockey and football in the same year (1967–68).
- He coached the Edmonton Oilers of the WHA during the 1975–76 season.
- The University of Alberta's Varsity Arena was renamed Clare Drake Arena in 1990.
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