Clare Drake

About

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. In 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. The “dean of coaching,” Clare developed the game for more than 40 years, coaching at the high school, university, Olympic, and WHA levels. The only university coach to win a national championship in both hockey and football in the same year (1967-1968), he was instrumental in the development of the National Coaching Certification and Coach Mentorship Programs. He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2017.

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. He then went 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…