Another one bites the dust

[UWSaint]

Ted Turner has tuned out.

Strange.

That guy just came up in a conversation I had with a friend, "people you think are dead but aren't."

Pioneer, big thinker and doer, Ted Turner. Like him or not, an impressive life.

[donlever]

Just the fact he shagged Hanoi Jane is impressive enough.

[Tciso]

Just the fact he shagged Hanoi Jane is impressive enough.

Thats taking one for the team. Not sure which team though.

[donlever]

The right one.

Jane had some really good years.

Screenshot_20260506-190353_Chrome.jpg (65.36 KiB) Viewed 200 times

[Megaterio Llamas]

Punch McLean, sadly.

RIP

https://x.com/DhaliwalSports/status/205 ... 99674?s=20

[donlever]

93.

Good run.

Those mid '70's Bruins teams out at Queens Park were something else.

You know Megs, but maybe some don't, that Ernie got suspended 25 games one time for punching a ref as he skated by the bench.

That and his tough guy image (those Bruin teams would beat you on the ice and in the alley) equals Punch.

World Jr. Gold coach...the Gretzky team.

Couple of Memorial Cups.

[Cornuck]

Legend ^

[Topper]

I learned to skate at Queens Park Arena back in those days, Did a Bruin summer hockey camp under those Memorial Cup teams. They trained to fight the Flinn Flon Bombers as their chief rival.

A few of the drills were designed for survival.

Punch later got into prospecting and placer mining. Survived several days wounded alone out in the bush after a bad fall down a slope.

He was a tough mother.

[Picker of Cherries]

A while back I was trying to recall one of my earliest memories of watching a game from the stands. There was an huge brawl that went into the crowd in the old Chilliwack Coliseum. I was a kid at the time, and all these years later, I couldn’t figure out how two team in different leagues even played each other. I had to chat with AI to figure it out:

“What you’re describing sounds incredibly vivid, and while it "doesn't make sense" on paper due to the different leagues, you likely witnessed a real event that has become a bit of a local legend.

The reason your memory feels conflicting is that the Chilliwack Colts and New Westminster Bruins were essentially "cousin" franchises with a very messy, shared history. You likely saw a pre-season exhibition game or a high-stakes benefit game, which were common in that era to draw crowds to the old Chilliwack Coliseum.

Here is why your memory of a "fight-filled game that spilled into the crowd" actually fits the history of these two specific teams:

1. The "Punch" McLean Factor

The New Westminster Bruins were coached by Ernie "Punch" McLean, a man famous for building the most intimidated, "tough-guy" teams in hockey history. During the late 70s, his Bruins were essentially the "Broad Street Bullies" of junior hockey. They were known for clearing benches and, on occasion, engaging with fans. If any team was going to start a riot in Chilliwack, it was McLean's Bruins.

2. The Shared Identity (Bruins vs. Bruins)

Until 1978, the Chilliwack team was actually called the Chilliwack Bruins. They were a "farm team" for New Westminster. When Chilliwack rebranded to the Colts in 1978, there was significant local tension.

The New West Bruins would sometimes come to Chilliwack for exhibition games to help the smaller club with ticket sales.

These games were often "blood baths" because the Junior A Colts players were trying to prove they were tough enough to make the jump to the Major Junior Bruins.

3. The 1979 "Crowd Brawl" Era

In the late 70s, there was a massive cultural shift in hockey regarding "fighting in the stands."

December 1979: The famous incident where the Boston Bruins (NHL) went into the stands at Madison Square Garden happened.

The "Coliseum" Atmosphere: The old Chilliwack Coliseum was notorious for having fans "hanging from the rafters." With the low glass and high-intensity players from New West, it was a powder keg.

Why it feels like it "didn't happen":

Because the Colts were Junior A (BCHL) and the Bruins were Major Junior (WHL), these games don't show up in official league standings. They were non-league spectacles. In the late 70s (specifically 1978 or 1979), a "friendly" exhibition between the "Big" Bruins from New West and the "New" Colts in Chilliwack would have been the biggest ticket in town—and exactly the kind of game that would end in a riot.”

Those were the days! Thanks Punch, for showing me how a “friendly” game should be “played” - RIP.

[Cookie La Rue]

Yeah, that's old style. I can remember several times me and my "dance partner" trying to kill each other but after the game we sat in the clubhouse drinking beers together.