Longtime Flames executive and coach Al MacNeil passes away
Photo credit: Sergei Belski-Imagn Images
We have some sad news to begin the week, folks. The Calgary Flames have announced that longtime club executive and coach Al MacNeil passed away on Sunday, surrounded by his family. He was 89 years old.
It’s hard to really summarize MacNeil’s excellence and impact on the Flames franchise and the hockey world because, well, he was a foundational piece for the club in so many ways. In our 50th anniversary rundown of the greatest Flames back in 2022, we had him 20th – ahead of all but a few players. He was that impactful.
A product of Sydney, Nova Scotia, MacNeil played as a defenceman and came up through the old Ontario Hockey Association, playing for the Toronto Marlboros – the Marlboros won the 1955 and 1956 Memorial Cups with him on their blueline. From there he went pro, playing in 11 NHL seasons split between Toronto, Montreal, Chicago, the NY Rangers and Pittsburgh. He played in the 1965 Stanley Cup Final with the Blackhawks, losing to Montreal in seven games. His final NHL season was in the expansion 1967-68 campaign with the Penguins, and after a couple years in the minors as a player/coach, he transitioned to coaching full-time and hung up his skates.
As a coach, MacNeil had a wild run. He caught on with the Montreal Canadiens as a rookie assistant coach and replaced Claude Ruel as head coach mid-season… and led the Habs to a Stanley Cup. He then spent six seasons as the Habs’ AHL head coach with the Nova Scotia Voyageurs, winning the AHL’s coach of the year honours twice and leading the Voyageurs to three Calder Cups. After two seasons in a new role as Montreal’s director of hockey operations, he opted to return to the bench with the Atlanta Flames in 1979. He coached the Flames for three seasons, including navigating his group through a swift relocation to Calgary after his first season, and led the Flames to the league semi-final in their first year in Calgary.
After leaving the Flames bench after the 1981-82 season, MacNeil remained a fixture in the organization in a slew of different roles. His middle name might as well have been “Whatever You Need Me To Do,” because if there was something the Flames needed, MacNeil was there.
Here’s a rough approximation of his job titles with the Flames:
- Head Coach, 1979-82
- Director of Player Development/Scouting, 1982-85
- Assistant General Manager, 1985-89
- Vice-President of Hockey Operations, 1989-92
- Director of Hockey Operations, 1992-98
- Assistant Coach, 1998-2000
- Special Assistant to the General Manager, 2001-06
He famously served as an interim coach on three different occasions:
- In 1991-92 he was an assistant coach for 16 games late in the season after Doug Risebrough resigned as head coach and assistant coach Guy Charron became interim head coach.
- In 2001-02 he stepped in as interim head coach during Greg Gilbert’s two-game suspension (related to his role in a line brawl against Anaheim).
- In 2002-03 he stepped in as interim head coach again for 11 games following Gilbert’s dismissal, serving as a bridge until Darryl Sutter’s installation as head coach weeks later.
MacNeil is the only person to have coached the Flames in all three of their full-time home arenas: the Omni in Atlanta, and the Stampede Corral and Saddledome in Calgary.
His last “official” role with the Flames was as special assistant to the general manager during Sutter’s GM tenure, but he’s been a fixture with the Flames organization in different unofficial roles for the past two decades. Simply put: when someone with MacNeil’s experience is willing to offer advice, you listen, and he’s served as a sounding board for the hockey operations group basically forever.
MacNeil’s name is forever enshrined on the Stanley Cup four times – 1971, 1978 and 1979 with Montreal, and 1989 with the Flames – and he’ll be fondly remembered by friends, family and the broader hockey world for his many, many contributions on and off the ice.
Update: NHL commissioner Gary Bettman has released this statement:
“For the last 70 years, Al MacNeil’s impact on our game has been profound, both on and off the ice. First as a player, then as a coach, and finally as an executive, Al was the consummate professional who conducted himself with humility and grace.“During his 524 games as a player in the NHL, he made his mark as a physical defenseman for five franchises, primarily during the Original Six era. In his post-playing career, Al was a key part of four Stanley Cup Champions. Upon taking over as head coach of the Montreal Canadiens midway through the 1970-71 season, he led the Club to perhaps the most unexpected of their 24 Stanley Cups. He won two more Cups with the Canadiens as Director of Player Personnel before joining the Atlanta Flames as head coach. Al stayed with the franchise during its move to Calgary, where he became a pillar of the community. He was respected and beloved in his adopted hometown by everyone who was fortunate enough to cross his path – fans, players, media, and countless members of the Flames organization who he helped to mentor.“The National Hockey League mourns his passing and we send our deepest condolences to his wife Norma, son Allister, daughter Allison, two grandchildren, and the entire Flames organization.”
Rest in peace, Chopper.
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