# Ernie Wakely

Ernest Alfred Linton Wakely (born November 27, 1940) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey goaltender. He played 113 games in the National Hockey League from 1962 to 1972, and 334 games in the World Hockey Association from 1972 to 1979.

## Career

Wakely was a goaltender in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Montreal Canadiens and St. Louis Blues. He also played for the Quebec Aces, the Cleveland Barons (AHL), Winnipeg Jets, San Diego Mariners, Cincinnati Stingers, Houston Aeros, Houston Apollos, and Birmingham Bulls of the World Hockey Association. Wakely was goaltender for the 1958–59 Memorial Cup-winning Winnipeg Braves of the MJHL.
In the 1969–70 NHL season Wakely took over in St. Louis for Glenn Hall. Wakely appeared in 30 games, won 12, and recorded an NHL league-leading goals against average of 2.11 in leading the Blues to the Stanley Cup Finals against the Boston Bruins. Although Wakely did not start the first game of the finals, he replaced Jacques Plante early in the game after Plante was injured. Wakely played well through the second period, but Boston prevailed in that game 6–1 and swept the Blues in four straight games to win the Stanley Cup.
The following season, Wakely played in 51 games, won 20, and posted a 2.79 GAA. Two years later, he played with the Winnipeg Jets and former Chicago Black Hawks star Bobby Hull in the World Hockey Association. No other goalie played more games in the WHA and his 16 shutouts are also a WHA career record.

## Career statistics
### Regular season and playoffs

| | | | Regular season | Regular season | Regular season | Regular season | Regular season | Regular season | Regular season | Regular season | Regular season | Playoffs | Playoffs | Playoffs | Playoffs | Playoffs | Playoffs | Playoffs | Playoffs |
| Season | Team | League | GP | W | L | T | MIN | GA | SO | GAA | SV% | GP | W | L | MIN | GA | SO | GAA | SV% |
| 1957–58 | Winnipeg Braves | MJHL | 27 | 12 | 14 | 1 | 1640 | 121 | 1 | 4.48 | — | 5 | 2 | 3 | 300 | 20 | 0 | 4.00 | — |
| 1958–59 | Winnipeg Braves | MJHL | 30 | 22 | 7 | 1 | 1810 | 107 | 1 | 3.54 | — | 8 | 7 | 1 | 490 | 22 | 1 | 2.69 | — |
| 1958–59 | Winnipeg Braves | M-Cup | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 16 | 12 | 4 | 960 | 45 | 1 | 2.81 | — |
| 1959–60 | Winnipeg Braves | MJHL | 27 | 15 | 11 | 1 | 1640 | 99 | 1 | 3.62 | — | 4 | 1 | 3 | 250 | 15 | 0 | 3.50 | — |
| 1959–60 | Winnipeg Warriors | WHL | 4 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 240 | 16 | 0 | 4.00 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1960–61 | Winnipeg Braves | MJHL | 31 | 18 | 13 | 0 | 1860 | 111 | 2 | 3.57 | — | 3 | 0 | 3 | 210 | 14 | 0 | 4.00 | — |
| 1960–61 | Winnipeg Warriors | WHL | 9 | 4 | 5 | 0 | 540 | 43 | 0 | 4.77 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1961–62 | Hull-Ottawa Canadiens | EPHL | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 120 | 4 | 0 | 2.00 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1961–62 | Kingston Frontenacs | EPHL | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 180 | 10 | 0 | 3.33 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1961–62 | North Bay Trappers | EPHL | 6 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 360 | 18 | 0 | 3.00 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1962–63 | Montreal Canadiens | NHL | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 60 | 3 | 0 | 3.00 | .897 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1962–63 | Hull-Ottawa Canadiens | EPHL | 41 | 26 | 12 | 3 | 2460 | 122 | 2 | 2.97 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1962–63 | Spokane Comets | WHL | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 180 | 16 | 0 | 5.33 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1963–64 | Quebec Aces | AHL | 8 | 3 | 5 | 0 | 480 | 33 | 0 | 4.12 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1963–64 | Omaha Knights | CPHL | 59 | 38 | 16 | 5 | 3540 | 173 | 2 | 2.93 | — | 10 | 8 | 2 | 600 | 19 | 3 | 1.90 | — |
| 1964–65 | Omaha Knights | CPHL | 15 | 11 | 3 | 1 | 900 | 40 | 0 | 2.67 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1964–65 | Cleveland Barons | AHL | 10 | 2 | 8 | 0 | 600 | 49 | 0 | 4.90 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1964–65 | Quebec Aces | AHL | 20 | 9 | 10 | 1 | 1228 | 77 | 1 | 3.76 | — | 4 | 1 | 3 | 240 | 17 | 0 | 4.25 | — |
| 1965–66 | Cleveland Barons | AHL | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 20 | 1 | 0 | 3.00 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1965–66 | Quebec Aces | AHL | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 60 | 6 | 0 | 6.00 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1965–66 | Seattle Totems | AHL | 27 | 12 | 14 | 1 | 1617 | 83 | 2 | 3.08 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1966–67 | Cleveland Barons | AHL | 70 | 36 | 25 | 9 | 4187 | 216 | 0 | 3.10 | — | 5 | 2 | 3 | 301 | 10 | 0 | 1.99 | — |
| 1967–68 | Houston Apollos | CPHL | 57 | 24 | 21 | 10 | 3312 | 163 | 1 | 2.95 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1968–69 | Montreal Canadiens | NHL | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 60 | 4 | 0 | 4.00 | .852 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1968–69 | Cleveland Barons | AHL | 65 | 25 | 28 | 11 | 3852 | | 1 | 3.27 | — | 5 | 2 | 3 | 304 | 20 | 0 | 3.95 | — |
| 1969–70 | St. Louis Blues | NHL | 30 | 12 | 9 | 4 | 1650 | 58 | 4 | 2.11 | .930 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 215 | 17 | 0 | 4.74 | .877 |
| 1970–71 | St. Louis Blues | NHL | 51 | 20 | 14 | 11 | 2858 | 133 | 3 | 2.79 | .902 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 178 | 7 | 1 | 2.36 | .919 |
| 1971–72 | St. Louis Blues | NHL | 30 | 8 | 18 | 2 | 1605 | 91 | 1 | 3.40 | .894 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 113 | 13 | 0 | 6.93 | .800 |
| 1972–73 | Winnipeg Jets | WHA | 49 | 26 | 19 | 3 | 2889 | 152 | 2 | 3.16 | .892 | 7 | 4 | 3 | 420 | 22 | 2 | 3.14 | .895 |
| 1973–74 | Winnipeg Jets | WHA | 37 | 15 | 18 | 4 | 2254 | 123 | 3 | 3.27 | .896 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1974–75 | Winnipeg Jets | WHA | 6 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 355 | 16 | 1 | 2.70 | .925 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1974–75 | San Diego Mariners | WHA | 35 | 20 | 12 | 2 | 2062 | 115 | 2 | 3.35 | .895 | 10 | 4 | 6 | 520 | 39 | 0 | 4.50 | — |
| 1975–76 | San Diego Mariners | WHA | 67 | 35 | 27 | 4 | 3824 | 208 | 3 | 3.26 | .895 | 11 | 5 | 6 | 640 | 39 | 0 | 3.66 | — |
| 1976–77 | San Diego Mariners | WHA | 46 | 22 | 18 | 3 | 2506 | 129 | 3 | 3.09 | .896 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 160 | 9 | 0 | 3.38 | .880 |
| 1977–78 | Cincinnati Stingers | WHA | 6 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 311 | 26 | 0 | 5.02 | .822 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1977–78 | Houston Aeros | WHA | 51 | 28 | 18 | 4 | 3070 | 166 | 2 | 3.24 | .897 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1978–79 | Birmingham Bulls | WHA | 37 | 15 | 17 | 1 | 2060 | 129 | 0 | 3.76 | .880 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1978–79 | Phoenix Roadrunners | PHL | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 60 | 4 | 0 | 4.00 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| WHA totals | WHA totals | WHA totals | 334 | 164 | 137 | 21 | 19,335 | 1064 | 16 | 3.30 | .893 | 31 | 15 | 16 | 1740 | 109 | 2 | 3.76 | — |
| NHL totals | NHL totals | NHL totals | 113 | 41 | 42 | 17 | 6234 | 289 | 8 | 2.78 | .907 | 10 | 2 | 6 | 509 | 37 | 1 | 4.36 | .872 |

## Awards and achievements

* Turnbull Cup (MJHL) Championship (1959)
* Memorial Cup Championship (1959)
* MJHL Top Goaltender (1961)
* CPHL Championship (1964)
* Engraved on the Stanley Cup in 1965, and 1968 with Montreal (he only dressed for two games in playoffs and did not play)
* Played in 1971 NHL All-Star Game
* Played in 1972–73 WHA All-Star Game and 1973–74 WHA All-Star Game
* Honoured Member of the Manitoba Hockey Hall of Fame
* Inaugural member of the World Hockey Association Hall of Fame (2010)