Bernie Wolfe (ice hockey)

Bernard Ronald Wolfe (born December 18, 1951) is a Canadian businessman and former professional ice hockey player. Wolfe played 120 games over four seasons in the National Hockey League.

Early life[]

Wolfe was born in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, and is Jewish.^[1][2][3] His mother, Fay Wolfe, observed upon his becoming a NHL hockey player: "Of course I would have preferred him to be a doctor, or some kind of professional man. But if Bernie is happy, then we're happy."^[4][2] His father, Mickey, had played goaltender for the Canadian Army team.^[4] He attended, majored in financial management, and played hockey at Sir George Williams University in Montreal, where he was named the school's top male athlete.^[5][2] Playing for Sir George Williams, he was a Quebec University Athletic Association First Team All-Star goaltender in 1972 and 1974, and a CIAU First Team All-Star in 1974.^[6] Later, while he was playing in the NHL, he took courses at George Washington University.^[5]

Biography[]

Signed as a free agent in 1975 by the Washington Capitals, Wolfe played for four seasons before retiring in November 1979 at age 27.^[2] Playing in 40 games for the Capitals during the 1975-76 season, he set club records for seasonal goals against average (4.16) and consecutive scoreless minutes (80:43).^[6] He showed flashes of brilliance and was a solid performer on a team that struggled in those early years.^[7] A former all-Canadian goalie in college, Wolfe was cool under pressure with a poor team in hockey's most difficult position. He retired with one year remaining on his guaranteed contract, saying he "just didn't enjoy it anymore".^[2] In 120 games, his record was 20-61-21, with 424 goals against, a 4.17 goals against average, and one shutout.^[3][2]

Wolfe retired from professional hockey in 1979 and began a financial planning practice.^[3] He earned his Certified Financial Planner designation in 1981. Bernard R. Wolfe & Associates Inc., which in 2014 managed $14 billion in assets,^[2] was recognized in 2009 and 2010 by Washingtonian Magazine as one of the Washington, D.C. area's top financial planning firms as voted by its peers.^{[citation needed]}

In 1992 when he was 40 years old, the Capitals attempted to re-sign him in order to make him the goaltender they would expose in the 1992 NHL Expansion Draft. League rules required every team to make a goalie available for the draft who had at least one game of NHL experience.^[8] Wolfe agreed to sign for the league minimum salary of $100,000; he promised to donate his salary to charity if his contract were approved by the league, but it never was.^[8] The attempt was immediately denied by the NHL^[2] for obvious reasons; Wolfe had long retired from the NHL and was well into his career as a financial planner. Phil Esposito, who had recently become part owner of the expansion Tampa Bay Lightning, was quoted as saying about the incident: "I didn't just pay $50 million for Bernie Wolfe. He wasn't any good when I played against him".^[8] Since the Capitals were unwilling to expose any of their current goaltenders, they eventually signed Steve Weeks for that purpose.^[8]

Wolfe also co-wrote a book, How to Watch Ice Hockey, with journalist Mitch Henkin.^[9]

Wolfe was the president of the Washington Capitals Alumni Association from 1992 to 2007.^[8] In 1999, he had both of his hips replaced.^[8]

See also[]

• List of select Jewish ice hockey players

References[]

External links[]

• Bernie Wolfe career statistics at The Internet Hockey Database
• Bernard R. Wolfe & Associates, Inc.
• Washingtonian Magazine 2009