Ernie Wakely worked his way through the minors for a decade before finally getting a full-time job in the National Hockey League. Three years later, Wakely jumped to the WHA and ended up as one of the rebel league’s greatest goaltenders.
Ernie Wakely – Junior and Minors
With the Winnipeg Braves in 1958-59, Wakely led the team to the Memorial Cup finals to decide junior hockey supremacy in Canada. The Braves met up with the Peterborough TPT’s (Petes) and took the series in five games for the championship.
The following year, Ernie was in the pros. Wakely played pro hockey from 1959-60 to 1978-79 in the WHL, EPHL, NHL, AHL, CPHL, WHA and PHL. His first three years saw minimal action but in each season he was backup to some great mentors.
In 1959-60, Ernie played just four games for the Winnipeg Warriors of the WHL, backing up Al Rollins. The following year, his action increased to nine games while watching Harry Lumley play his last year of pro hockey. In 1961-62, Wakely played just two games with the Hull-Ottawa Canadiens of the EPHL, backing up Cesare Maniago.
In 1963-64, Wakely came into his own, leading the Omaha Knights to a CPHL championship. In the final series, Omaha ousted the St. Paul Rangers in five games. Ernie earned two shutouts in the series while allowing just eight goals over the five games.
His final two years before his breakthrough with the Blues in 1969-70 were spent with the Cleveland Barons of the American Hockey League. In 1966-67, Wakely played in 70 of the team’s 72 regular season games and all of Cleveland’s five Calder Cup playoff games.
Ernie Wakely – Major League Goalie
Wakely appeared in the NHL between 1962-63 and 1971-72 with the Montreal Canadiens and St. Louis. His time with Montreal consisted of just one game in 1962-63 and one game in 1968-69.
Ernie Wakely Collection:
In his first year with the Blues, 1969-70, he shared the net on the Scotty Bowman coached team with future Hall of Famers Glenn Hall and Jacques Plante. In 30 regular season games, Wakely tallied four shutouts and recorded a 2.11 goals against average. The numbers put him as runner up for the Vezina Trophy.
When the World Hockey Association opened for business for the 1972-73 season, Ernie jumped ship to play for Bobby Hull’s Winnipeg Jets. Wakely stayed in the WHA for the duration of the rebel league’s existence and retired after the 1978-79 season.
While in the WHA, Wakely played for the Jets, San Diego Mariners, Cincinnati Stingers, Houston Aeros and Birmingham Bulls. He is the goalie with the most career games played in the WHA, as well as the goalie with the most career shutouts (16). His eleven career assists probably ranks him pretty high, as well.
Ernie Wakely – Rookie Card
The Ernie Wakely rookie card appears as number 97 in both the 1970-71 O-Pee-Chee and 1970-71 Topps sets. The first Wakely hockey card is valued as a common. Coincidentally, Ernie was born in Flin Flon, Manitoba. It was another son of Flin Flon that dominated the 1970-71 O-Pee-Chee set in Bobby Clarke of the Philadelphia Flyers. The rookie cards of Clarke, Gilbert Perreault and Darryl Sittler and the highlights of that year’s cardboard.
The only other hockey card featuring Ernie Wakely came the following year in the 1971-72 O-Pee-Chee set.
| Season | Team | Lge | GP | A | PIM | SO | GAA |
| 1962-63 | Montreal Canadiens | NHL | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3.00 |
| 1968-69 | Montreal Canadiens | NHL | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4.00 |
| 1969-70 | St. Louis Blues | NHL | 30 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 2.11 |
| 1970-71 | St. Louis Blues | NHL | 51 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 2.79 |
| 1971-72 | St. Louis Blues | NHL | 30 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 3.42 |
| 1972-73 | Winnipeg Jets | WHA | 49 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 3.15 |
| 1973-74 | Winnipeg Jets | WHA | 37 | 0 | 9 | 3 | 3.27 |
| 1974-75 | Winnipeg Jets | WHA | 6 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2.70 |
| 1974-75 | San Diego Mariners | WHA | 35 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 3.35 |
| 1975-76 | San Diego Mariners | WHA | 67 | 2 | 6 | 3 | 3.25 |
| 1976-77 | San Diego Mariners | WHA | 46 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 3.09 |
| 1977-78 | Cincinnati Stingers | WHA | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5.02 |
| 1977-78 | Houston Aeros | WHA | 51 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 3.24 |
| 1978-79 | Birmingham Bulls | WHA | 37 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3.76 |