In its 134-year history, the Varsity Blues hockey program has seen standout coaching — its roster of past coaches reads like a Who’s Who of Canadian hockey. The Varsity highlights some of the most notable names from behind the Blues’ bench, including Team Canada legends, NHL regulars, Hockey Hall of Famers, and even a Nobel laureate.
“Ace” Bailey (Men’s, 1935–1940, 1945–1949)
Ace Bailey is a hockey legend in every sense of the word. Inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1975, the U of T alumnus was the leading scorer for the Toronto Maple Leafs in their inaugural season and scored the winning goal to secure the 1932 Stanley Cup for the Leafs. Unfortunately, Bailey’s career was cut short after a near-fatal hit by Boston Bruins defenseman Eddie Shore in 1933.
The 1934 charity benefit game played in his honour is considered the NHL’s first-ever All-Star game. Bailey’s number was retired at the game, making it the first number ever retired by a professional North American sports team.
Bailey served as head coach of the Varsity Blues from 1935 to 1949, although his coaching career was interrupted by WWII from 1940 to 1945. During his tenure, he led the team to three Canadian Interuniversity Athletics Union titles (1940, 1947, 1948). The Ace’s historic legacy endures today, with the Blues’ captain receiving the Ace Bailey Award every year.
Karen Hughes (Women’s, 1993–2011)
Karen Hughes served as head coach of the women’s team for 18 seasons, the longest tenure in program history. Her most significant achievement during this time was leading the team to its only national title in 2001, a feat that earned her both national and provincial Coach of the Year honours. In addition to this historic accomplishment, Hughes won five provincial titles (1994, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2003), and a previous provincial Coach of the Year award in 2000.
Hughes was also a Varsity Blue athlete during her undergraduate years at U of T, excelling in both hockey and soccer. She won five provincial titles with the hockey team and became the first Varsity Blues women’s soccer player to earn All-Canadian status in 1987, adding to her impressive résumé. Beyond the Blues, Hughes found equal success with Team Canada, winning the 2002 Olympic gold medal and three International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) World Championships as an assistant coach. She also served as head coach of the Canadian women’s national team from 2002 to 2004, securing another world championship in 2004.
Mike Keenan (Men’s, 1983)
Mike Keenan is best known as a long-time NHL coach and General Manager, but the former Stanley Cup champion was once a Varsity Blues bench boss. In his lone season with the Blues, Keenan led the team to both the provincial and national titles in dominant fashion, becoming one of just three coaches in U of T hockey history to win a national title.
Keenan went on to coach eight different NHL franchises, winning the NHL Coach of the Year award in 1987 and 1991, the Stanley Cup in 1994, and ranking 15th all-time in coaching wins.
Keenan is quoted in a 2007 recruiting brochure for the men’s ice hockey team, where he said, “The tradition of excellence at the University of Toronto is unsurpassed by any I have seen. Being a part of Blues Hockey is something I hold very close to my heart.”
Lester B. Pearson (Men’s, 1926–1928)
Not many hockey programs can claim to have had a Prime Minister or a Nobel laureate on their bench, but the Blues are fortunate enough to say they’ve had both in the form of the great Lester B. Pearson.
The former U of T student, athlete, and professor coached the Blues in three sports — football, ice hockey, and lacrosse. As hockey head coach, Pearson led the team to back-to-back provincial titles in his two years at the helm. You could argue that Pearson honed his skills in diplomacy, leadership, and team management during his time as a Blues head coach, skills that would prove invaluable 40 years later in his role as Canadian Prime Minister (1963–1968). Pearson became Canada’s first-ever Nobel Peace Prize recipient for his diplomatic efforts during the Suez Crisis in 1957. The U of T legend’s coaching tenure is a trivia fact like no other.
Conn Smythe (Men’s, 1923–1926)
Conn Smythe is best known today as the namesake of the prestigious Conn Smythe Trophy, awarded annually to the NHL’s playoff MVP. He was also the founder of the Toronto Maple Leafs and Maple Leaf Gardens. Interestingly, the Leafs wear blue sweaters because Smythe drew inspiration from the colours of his beloved alumni hockey team. As a student-athlete, Smythe captained the Blues’ Junior Hockey Team to a provincial championship in 1915 and played on the senior team in 1919.
The Hockey Hall of Famer served as head coach of the Blues from 1923 to 1926, leading the team to six intercollegiate and provincial titles. Additionally, Smythe coached ‘The Varsity Grads,’ a team of Blues alumni, to an Olympic gold medal at the 1928 St. Moritz Olympics.
Vicky Sunohara (Women’s, 2011–Present)
Sunohara is a Canadian hockey hero with an overflowing trophy cabinet, including two Olympic golds and one silver, and seven golds and one silver at the IIHF World Championship. Her list of accolades is too long to fully detail. As an active player with the Varsity Blues, Sunohara won two provincial titles and a provincial Rookie of the Year award
As of the end of the 2024 season, Sunohara has an impressive 439 games under her belt with the team — the most by any coach in the program — a number that will continue to grow.
In her 14 years — and counting — behind the Blues’ bench, the Scarborough native has won two Ontario University Athletics (OUA) titles, along with three national and three provincial Coach of the Year awards. She is the only hockey coach at U of T to win multiple national Coach of the Year awards. In the 2019–2020 season, Sunohara earned OUA Female Coach of the Year honours across all sports. Last season, her team fell just short of a national title. Sunohara also serves as the current head coach of the U18 Women’s Canadian National Team and as a Coaching Consultant for the Toronto Sceptres.
On January 12, Sunohara led Team Canada to gold at the U18 Women’s World Championship. The Blues are incredibly fortunate to have a living legend at the helm.
Tom Watt (Men’s, 1965–1979, 1984–1985)
Tom Watt is the greatest ice hockey coach in U of T history. The accolades speak for themselves: Watt led the Blues to nine out of the program’s 10 national titles, along with an impressive 11 provincial titles. With a remarkable record of 410 wins, 35 ties, and 106 losses, Watt’s teams dominated the league during his 15 seasons as head coach. He also won the 1971 national Coach of the Year award, one of the two in Blues men’s history.
Watt’s coaching achievements outside of U of T are just as illustrious. The Blues alumnus coached the Toronto Maple Leafs, Vancouver Canucks, and Winnipeg Jets in the NHL, winning the league’s Coach of the Year award in 1982. He also won a Stanley Cup as an Assistant Coach with the Calgary Flames in 1989. The Varsity Blues hockey program owes much to Watt, and his legacy is on full display in the banners hanging at Varsity Arena.
