SUDBURY, Ont. (CP) - In his hard-nosed, uncompromising style, Bert Templeton produced winning junior hockey teams and NHL players during a coaching career that spanned over a quarter-century.
Templeton, who was a coach in the Ontario Hockey League for 26 years, died of cancer Friday morning at the age of 63. He was diagnosed with metastatic renal cell carcinoma in June.
Templeton suffered a serious fall in hospital in Sudbury, Ont., last Saturday. His back was broken in three places and he was left paralysed from the chest down.
News broke of Templeton's kidney cancer in July. In October, he had a kidney removed in an operation at the Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute in Detroit. The Karmanos Institute was founded through the financing of Peter Karmanos, owner of the NHL's Carolina Hurricanes, whose wife, Barbara Ann, died of cancer.
Templeton's prognosis worsened when CAT scan results came back Nov. 24. Templeton was told the cancer was spreading from his lower back into other areas, including his lungs and spine. A large tumour had developed in the middle of Templeton's back.
Templeton coached the Hamilton Fincups to a Memorial Cup title in 1976 and also to a silver medal in 1977 at the world junior championship in the days before Canada sent a national team.
Templeton was also behind the bench for the North Bay Centennials when they won an OHL title in 1994.
The native of Irvine, Scotland, was named the Canadian Hockey League's coach of the year in 1994 and the executive of the year in 1992. He was also the OHL's coach of the year in 1975 and `94 and executive of the year in 1992 and 1996.
His career junior coaching record of 907-678-148 was exemplary, but overshadowed by that of Ottawa 67's coach Brian Kilrea, who won his 1,000th career game against Templeton's Sudbury Wolves on March 9 of this year. Templeton was gracious about his colleague's accomplishment.
Templeton, who was a coach in the Ontario Hockey League for 26 years, died of cancer Friday morning at the age of 63. He was diagnosed with metastatic renal cell carcinoma in June.
Templeton suffered a serious fall in hospital in Sudbury, Ont., last Saturday. His back was broken in three places and he was left paralysed from the chest down.
News broke of Templeton's kidney cancer in July. In October, he had a kidney removed in an operation at the Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute in Detroit. The Karmanos Institute was founded through the financing of Peter Karmanos, owner of the NHL's Carolina Hurricanes, whose wife, Barbara Ann, died of cancer.
Templeton's prognosis worsened when CAT scan results came back Nov. 24. Templeton was told the cancer was spreading from his lower back into other areas, including his lungs and spine. A large tumour had developed in the middle of Templeton's back.
Templeton coached the Hamilton Fincups to a Memorial Cup title in 1976 and also to a silver medal in 1977 at the world junior championship in the days before Canada sent a national team.
Templeton was also behind the bench for the North Bay Centennials when they won an OHL title in 1994.
The native of Irvine, Scotland, was named the Canadian Hockey League's coach of the year in 1994 and the executive of the year in 1992. He was also the OHL's coach of the year in 1975 and `94 and executive of the year in 1992 and 1996.
His career junior coaching record of 907-678-148 was exemplary, but overshadowed by that of Ottawa 67's coach Brian Kilrea, who won his 1,000th career game against Templeton's Sudbury Wolves on March 9 of this year. Templeton was gracious about his colleague's accomplishment.
