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Petition launched to bulid statue of legendary local junior hockey coach Ernie ‘Punch’ McLean in New Westminster
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Jeff Paterson
May 5, 2026, 09:00 EDTUpdated: May 5, 2026, 00:40 EDT
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Organizers behind a drive to get a statue of a legendary junior hockey coach built have launched a petition to help their efforts.
The Ernie ‘Punch’ McLean Legacy Foundation wants the statue erected at or near Queens Park in New Westminster, where McLean guided the New West Bruins to four consecutive Memorial Cup tournaments fifty years ago.
McLean’s Bruins won the national junior championship in 1977 and successfully defended their title the following season. During his time at the helm of the Bruins, McLean helped more than 100 players reach the National Hockey League. Vancouver Canucks legend Stan Smyl was among those who played under McLean in New Westminster. In a fitting turn of events, both McLean and Smyl were inducted into the BC Hockey Hall of Fame in Penticton in the same class in 2006.
McLean coached the Bruins from 1971 through 1980, then returned as a midseason replacement in 1985 and coached for another season and a half. At the conclusion of his coaching career, McLean was second all-time in games coached in the Western Hockey League with 1067. In 2005, McLean was one of the inaugural recipients of the WHL’s Governors Award — the league’s highest honour bestowed upon individuals who, through their outstanding contributions to the game, have impacted the growth and development of the WHL.
On Wednesday, the Legacy Foundation will hold a press conference at Queen’s Park Arena outlining its fundraising plans. 
“Time is of the essence,” said Patrick Singh, director of the foundation. “Punch has given decades of his life to this community and to hockey in British Columbia. We want him to sand in front of his statue and know the tremendous impact he had.”
Now 93, McLean is still a fixture in the press box at many Vancouver Canucks home games. Always nattily attired in his suit and tie, Punch is also a regular attendee at Vancouver Giants home games in Langley. 
In addition to the statue as a permanent reminder of McLean’s impact on the local hockey community, the foundation also hopes to raise funds for a scholarship in Punch’s honour. The hope is to also one day create a New Westminster hockey hall of fame in an effort to create a lasting gathering spot that will foster conversation, remembrance, and community pride.
Anyone wanting to support the effort can sign a public petition and donate to the cause at punchlegacy.com. The foundation also says it is seeking a major corporate partner to help accelerate the project.
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