Edgar "Chirp" Brenchley, coached Philadelphia Ramblers and New Haven Blades

Here's a link to something called buyroadwarrior, which cranks out seemingly totally random blogs for no particular stated reason: http://buyroadwarrior.com/?p=2176 . This blog is on Edgar "Chirp" Brenchley. Here's an excerpt:

Coaching career

In 1955, Brenchley became the head coach of the Philadelphia Ramblers in the EHL. He stayed with the Ramblers for three seasons — also having iced for them once in the 1955–56 season. He became the head coach for the Sudbury Wolves for the 1962–63 season. The following season, 1963–64, he joined the Port Huron Flags as head coach before joining the St. Catharines Black Hawks for the 1964–65 season. Brenchley retired from coaching after the 1965–66 season which he had spent with the Toledo Blades

Retirement and after

Between 1967 and 1974 Brenchley served as a professional scout for both the Washington Capitals and the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Brenchley was posthumously inducted into Niagara Falls Sports Wall of Fame in 1990 and the British Ice Hockey Hall of Fame in 1993.

Awards and honours

• Olympic gold medalist in 1936.
• World Championship silver medalist in 1937.
• European Championship gold medalist in 1937.
• Inducted to the Niagara Falls Sports Wall of Fame in 1990.
• Inducted to the British Ice Hockey Hall of Fame in 1993.

Not only was Brenchley a gold medalist with Great Britain in 1936, but he also scored the game winning gold medal goal. http://ezinearticles.com/?Olympic-Hockey---The-Early-Years-Trivia&id=2132928

Brenchley played for the Hershey B'ars, Atlantic City Seagulls, Washington Lions, New York Rovers, Baltimore Blades, Johnstown Jets and Philadelphia Falcons of the old EAHL (which preceded the EHL). According to hockeydb.com, he also suited up for one game while coaching the Philadelphia Ramblers in the EHL.

Brenchley probably received the most EHL publicity being fired as coach (reassigned to scouting) of the New Haven Blades early in his first year of coaching them in 1959. The Blades were 7-16-3 and in last place at the time.

From the December 18-27, 1959 Bridgeport Post, the Blades players went on strike for their coach over the manner of his firing. Brenchley learned of the firing from some players via radio report. Owner and new GM Nathan Podoloff, who did the firing, was in Washington hiring new coach Wally Kullman away from the Washington Presidents. (This appears to be a standard practice during the whole length of the EHL. You could sign a player away from another team, if you made him your coach.) Even the six shareholders of Elm City Hockey, the group that owned the Blades, did not know that Podoloff had fired Brenchley. After several meetings, the players ended up playing all of the scheduled games.

In 1966 Brenchley was signed as a scout for southern Canada by the Pittsburgh Penguins, and later became their head scout.

From the 03-14-75 Winnipeg Free Press:

Edgar (Chirp) Brenchley, a scout for Washington Capitals of the NHL, died Thursday morning at the age of 63 ... He had been with the Capitals for a little over one year.

Brenchley moved to Niagara Falls from England when he was 12, and as an adult actually ran a tourist boat at the falls. So, if you're old enough to have been at the Niagra Falls back in the 50s and had a guide with a British accent, maybe it was Chirp Brenchley.

Chirp Brenchly Links:
Niagara Falls Sports Wall of Fame: http://www.nflibrary.ca/swof/default.asp?pg=results&Query=brenchley&Submit=Search
Hockeydb.com: http://www.hockeydb.com/ihdb/stats/pdisplay.php?pid=13389
British Ice Hockey Hall of Fame: http://www.ihjuk.co.uk/hall_of_fame/brenchley.htm