Ex-Calgary Flames Coach and Exec Al MacNeil Dies at 89

Summary:

• Ex-NHL player and Stanley Cup-winning coach Al MacNeil has passed away at the age of 89. 
• The Calgary Flames confirmed his death on Monday.
• MacNeil played for five NHL teams and later transitioned to coaching, leading the Canadiens to a Stanley Cup victory and serving as the Flames’ first head coach.

Former NHL player and Stanley Cup-winning coach Al MacNeil has passed away at the age of 89. 

The Calgary Flames confirmed his death in a statement on Monday, noting that MacNeil died Sunday in Calgary. The cause of death was not disclosed.

MacNeil’s hockey career spanned several decades, beginning as a defenceman in the NHL. 

He played 524 games across five teams, including the Toronto Maple Leafs, Montreal Canadiens, Chicago Blackhawks, New York Rangers, and Pittsburgh Penguins between 1955 and 1968. 

Throughout his playing career, MacNeil scored 17 goals, compiled 75 assists, and accumulated 617 penalty minutes.

The Transition to Coaching

However, the legacy of the Nova Scotia native extended far beyond his time as a player. 

In 1971, he made a remarkable transition to coaching as the rookie head coach of the Montreal Canadiens, leading them to a Stanley Cup victory. 

He later served as Montreal’s director of player personnel during their back-to-back Stanley Cup wins in 1978 and 1979.

MacNeil’s leadership also reached the American Hockey League, where he won three Calder Cups as the general manager and head coach of the Montreal Canadiens’ farm team, the Nova Scotia Voyageurs, in 1972, 1976, and 1977. 

Following his coaching tenure with Montreal, MacNeil became the last head coach of the Atlanta Flames before they relocated to Calgary. 

There, he also became the first head coach of the Calgary Flames, leading them through their first two seasons. 

In 1989, he served as an assistant general manager for the Flames’ Stanley Cup championship.

“Al Was a Great Man“

“Al was a great man who will be dearly missed by our organization“, said Murray Edwards, chairman of Calgary Sports and Entertainment Corporation. 

He was a long-term loyal member of our Flames family ever since the team’s arrival in Calgary in 1980.

In addition to his work with the Flames, MacNeil contributed to Canada’s success in the international arena as an assistant coach for the Canadian team that won the 1976 Canada Cup and again at the 1981 Canada Cup.

NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman remarked on MacNeil’s profound impact on the sport, saying,

For the last 70 years, Al MacNeil‘s impact on our game has been profound, both on and off the ice. He was the consummate professional who conducted himself with humility and grace.

MacNeil leaves behind his wife, Norma, son Allister, an amateur scout for the Flames, daughter Allison, son-in-law Paul Sparkes, and grandsons Jack and Ben Sparkes. 

Robert Hayes, president and chief executive officer of the Calgary Sports and Entertainment Corporation, described MacNeil as a “legend” within the Flames family. 

“His reputation and experience allowed him to command the room with his advice and guidance“, Hayes added.

Flames president of hockey operations Don Maloney expressed the team’s deep loss, saying,

We lost an icon. ‘Chopper’ was a Stanley Cup champion and a Calder Cup champion but most importantly he was our friend and mentor.