When Earl Ingarfield was named the first head coach of the Lethbridge Broncos in the spring of 1974, it felt less like an appointment and more like a homecoming. By then, Ingarfield had lived several hockey lives: player, NHL scorer, coach, scout, mentor, and yet the thread tying them all together led back to Lethbridge. His journey from outdoor rinks during the Great Depression to the National Hockey League and, later, to the architect’s table of one of hockey’s great dynasties, is as much a Canadian immigration story as it is a hockey one.
Roots Forged in Hardship
The Ingarfield story begins a generation earlier, with Earl’s father, Henry “Harry” James Ingarfield. Orphaned at 13 after the death of his mother, Harry immigrated to Canada from England with his brother under the care of Dr. Bernardo’s children’s program. The two arrived in Montreal aboard the SS Sicilian and were promptly separated, never to reunite.
Harry was sent to Ontario, where he laboured on farms for four years, saving every dollar. With ambition and self-reliance as his compass, he headed west, training as an electrician in Spokane before moving north to southern Alberta. In Picture Butte, working as a heavy-duty mechanic at the sugar factory, he met Alice Star, who lived on a nearby farm. Together, they would raise a family in Lethbridge.
Earl Ingarfield was born in 1934, at the height of the Great Depression. Lethbridge then was a city of 13,000, driven by coal mining and agriculture, both industries struggling under drought and economic decline. Harry worked as a mechanic with Union Tractor before eventually opening his own business. The hardships of the era instilled in Earl a work ethic and resilience that would define his career.
The Outdoor Rinks of Lethbridge
“There was no TV,” Earl once recalled. “We were always outside.”
Winters were long and cold, and Lethbridge was dotted with outdoor rinks. Growing up at 1216 Fifth Avenue A, Earl gravitated to the Barracks Rink, where daily shinny games replaced public skating for an hour each afternoon. Teams were picked, sticks were shared, and reputations were built shift by shift.
Minor hockey in the 1940s bore little resemblance to today’s system. School teams formed the backbone of development. Earl attended Central School and later Lethbridge Collegiate Institute, playing school hockey on outdoor rinks scattered across the city. The season’s finale, a singular honour, was played indoors at the Lethbridge Arena, built in 1922.
At 13, Earl joined his first organized team, the Lethbridge Sea Cadets. Two seasons with the Native Sons midget program followed, along with brief appearances at the Junior B level. The goal was clear: earn a spot with the Lethbridge Native Sons junior team.
The Mentor Who Made a Difference
Instrumental in that pursuit was Ed Bruchet, general manager of the Native Sons and a scout for the New York Rangers. Bruchet believed in Earl, nurtured his confidence, and guided his development. Bruchet’s reputation was captured best by longtime Lethbridge Herald sports editor Don Pilling: “To state it simply, he cared about people.”
The Native Sons, founded in 1946, were part of the Southern Alberta Junior Hockey League before joining with Alberta and Saskatchewan clubs in 1948 to form the Western Canadian Junior Hockey League (WCJHL). Stars like Vic Stasiuk, Billy Gibson, and Eddie Dorohoy became heroes to younger players such as Ingarfield.
Rejection, Resolve, and Redemption
At 16, Earl tried out for the Native Sons for the 1951–52 season, but was released. Refusing to abandon his dream, he hitchhiked to Medicine Hat with Ed Ferenz to try out for the Tigers. He made the team and thrived, scoring 32 goals in 41 games despite the Tigers’ last-place finish.
The Native Sons soon recognized their mistake, trading three players to bring Earl home for the 1952–53 season. Under coach Byron “Butch” McDonald, the Sons finished third and embarked on a memorable playoff run, culminating in the franchise’s only WCJHL championship after a stunning upset of the Edmonton Oil Kings.
Though the Sons fell short of the Memorial Cup, Earl’s trajectory was clear. By his final junior season in 1954–55, he led the WCJHL in scoring with 76 points and earned a brief professional audition with the WHL's Vancouver Canucks.
Apprenticeship in the Pro Ranks
Owned by the New York Rangers, Earl attended training camp in 1955 before being assigned to the Saskatoon Quakers of the WHL. There, he played under Doug Bentley alongside Max Bentley, Emile Francis, and former junior teammates.
His breakout came with the Winnipeg Warriors. In 1957–58, Earl led the team in scoring with 80 points, earning a long-awaited promotion to the Rangers.
The Frustrations of Broadway
Making the Rangers was a triumph, but not without hardship. Earl dressed for every game in his rookie season but saw limited ice time, appearing in just 35 contests. He scored his first NHL goal on Jan. 25, 1959, in Boston, yet the season ended in disappointment as the Rangers missed the playoffs on the final night.
With an NHL salary of $7,000, Earl supplemented his income in the summers, playing for the Granum White Sox baseball team and delivering beer for Sick’s Brewery in Lethbridge.
A second frustrating season led Earl to confront management and request a move to a team where he could play regularly. That decision briefly landed him with the Springfield Indians, owned by the notorious Eddie Shore, before Earl packed up his family and drove 3,900 kilometres home to Lethbridge.
Salvation in Cleveland
Earl’s career was revived when Cleveland Barons GM Jim Hendy called. Joining the Barons midseason, Earl erupted for 65 points in just 40 games, nearly capturing the AHL scoring title.
“Jim saved me,” Earl would later say.
A Ranger Reborn
That season included a defining family moment: Harry Ingarfield’s first trip to Madison Square Garden, where he watched his son score a hat trick against Toronto. The memory of popcorn spilled in celebration became family lore.
Though team success was limited in the years that followed, Earl remained a leader. He won the Rangers’ Players’ Player Award in 1962 and etched his name into NHL history in 1965 when he, Dave Keon, and Bob Pulford each recorded hat tricks in the same game.
Expansion and Reinvention
Left unprotected in the 1967 expansion draft, Earl became the first player selected by the Pittsburgh Penguins. Injuries slowed him, but a late-career resurgence with the Oakland Seals showcased his enduring skill and leadership.
By 1970, at 36, injuries had taken their toll. Earl retired from playing and prepared for a new chapter.
Behind the Bench—and Beyond
Coaching opportunities followed quickly. Earl led the Regina Pats to first place in 1971–72, earning WCHL Coach of the Year honours. Yet family considerations drew him back to Lethbridge.
A call from Islanders GM Bill Torrey changed everything. Earl joined the expansion New York Islanders as a scout, later briefly serving as head coach during a turbulent inaugural season.
Building a Dynasty
Returning to scouting, Earl played a pivotal role in shaping the Islanders’ future. His advocacy for Bryan Trottier at the 1974 NHL Draft, amid intense internal debate, proved franchise-defining. Alongside Clark Gillies' selection, the Islanders laid the foundation for four consecutive Stanley Cups.
As the 1974 NHL Draft unfolded in June, Islanders scouts gathered on Long Island with senior management, knowing the decisions made that day would shape the franchise for years to come. The Islanders held the fourth overall pick, a selection viewed internally as pivotal to the club’s long-term success. Complicating matters further was the draft’s underage rule: 17-year-old players could be selected only in the first two rounds. Miss the window, and a prized prospect could be lost entirely.
Selections were relayed by telephone, and each team was allotted only minutes to inform the NHL office in Montreal of its choice. In advance of the draft, Earl and the Islanders’ scouting staff presented their evaluations to management. Within the department, Earl and Jimmy Devellano carried much of the discussion.
When the Islanders went on the clock with the fourth pick, consensus came easily. The choice was Clark Gillies, a six-foot-three power forward from the Regina Pats. Gillies checked every box —size, strength, leadership—and his selection passed without controversy.
It was the Islanders’ second pick that would define the draft, and perhaps the franchise itself.
As the 22nd overall selection approached, debate around the table grew intense. Devellano believed that if Dave “Tiger” Williams was still available, the Islanders had to take him. Williams was a proven scorer with a rugged edge, exactly the type of player expansion teams believed they needed to survive. Bill Torrey agreed. From their perspective, Williams represented the safer choice.
Earl disagreed.
Having watched both players extensively, Earl was convinced that Bryan Trottier, a 17-year-old centre from the Swift Current Broncos, was the superior hockey player. Trottier was not big, but he was powerful, intelligent, and instinctive. More importantly, Earl believed he possessed star potential. The underage rule loomed large: if Trottier was not taken in this round, he could not be drafted later.
As the Islanders’ allotted time ticked away, no consensus emerged. Williams remained available. The room was divided.
Amid the tension, head coach Al Arbour quietly asked a single question: “Who is the best hockey player?”
Earl answered without hesitation. “Trottier.”
With Clarence Campbell on the phone from Montreal demanding the Islanders’ selection, assistant general manager Aut Erickson reached for the receiver and delivered the pick: the Islanders were selecting 17-year-old centre Bryan Trottier.
Torrey, believing the team had made a costly mistake, left the room in silence.
History would tell a different story.
Years later, Earl would jokingly remind Torrey how well that second selection turned out. Of all the players chosen in the 1974 draft, none surpassed Trottier, who would go on to lead the class in games played, goals, assists, points, and Stanley Cups during a Hall of Fame career that became the cornerstone of the Islanders’ dynasty.
The Broncos Come Home
That same year, Earl became part-owner and head coach of the relocated Lethbridge Broncos. Coaching Trottier one final junior season, Earl emphasized accountability, development, and respect, principles that resonated deeply with his players.
The 1974–75 Broncos led the league in attendance and reignited major junior hockey in Lethbridge. Though playoff heartbreak followed, the bond among the city, the team, and the coach was undeniable.
Legacy and Reflection
Earl eventually stepped away from the Broncos amid philosophical differences with ownership, later returning to the Islanders organization, where he served in scouting, player development, and advisory roles until retiring in 2006.
The honours followed in recognition of a career that spanned eras and roles. In 1985, Earl was inducted into the Lethbridge and Southern Alberta Hockey Hall of Fame. He was honoured again in 2002 with induction into the New York Rangers Alumni Hall of Fame. Two years later, in 2007, he was enshrined in the Alberta Sports Hall of Fame, and in 2009, he was ranked No. 79 among the greatest players in New York Rangers history. In 2023, his legacy was further cemented with induction into the Alberta Hockey Hall of Fame.
For Earl, however, the accolades were never the point.
“The game of hockey has treated me well,” he said. “I’m happy I played. It opened so many doors for me, and it provided a great life for my family.”
For Lethbridge—and for hockey—Earl Ingarfield opened a few doors of his own.