Brian Wakelin rose through the hockey structure from a local minor hockey volunteer to the chairmanship of the Board of Directors of the Canadian Amateur Hockey Association. This impressive and dramatic achievement is a tribute to the manner in which he handled all the responsibilities that came his way, and to the success that was a major ingredient of his overall hockey involvement. The ability to accomplish things and to work extremely well with other people were part of his contributions to hockey at the local, provincial, national and international levels. He got things done.

Wakelin moved to Newfoundland and Labrador when his father, Lorne, assumed the management position at the new St. John’s Memorial Stadium in 1954. While his father was introducing minor hockey to the St. John’s, his son began his hockey career. As a minor, school, junior and eventually senior player, Wakelin was a scoring asset to any team with which he played. He had great success as a coach, winning the provincial and Atlantic junior championships.

It was while living in Grand Falls that he moved into minor hockey, serving in several positions including provincial minor chair for 10 years. He moved to the Canadian Amateur Hockey Association in 1975, filling a series of important positions until his election as CAHA board chair in 1985.

Wakelin was especially effective within international hockey as Canada’s representative. As a result of his service, he has received the CAHA Outstanding Service award and the NAHA Gold Stick award. A minor hockey trophy and a minor hockey award have been named in his honor by the NAHA.

Wakelin, who is deeply involved as an executive member and team leader with the Canadian Olympic Association, was inducted into the Newfoundland and Labrador Sports Hall of Fame in 1994.