The story of Al MacNeil: First Atlantic Canadian NHL coach

John White | Cape Breton Sports Scrapbook

Cape Bretoner Al MacNeil has his name on the Stanley Cup four times (once as coach), led three Nova Scotia Voyageur teams to Calder Cup wins, was a member of two Memorial Cup championship clubs and owns a Canada Cup title.

Cape Bretoner Al MacNeil of Sydney played 524 games over 11 NHL seasons as a steady, stay-at-home D-man. But it was behind the bench as coach and later in the front office that his hockey prowess came to the forefront.

MacNeil’s journey began in 1953-54 as a member of the Ontario Hockey Association’s Junior “A” Toronto Marlboros, owned at the time by the Toronto Maple Leafs. He spent three seasons with the Marlies, was on two Memorial Cup champion clubs and captained the squad the second time around. Legendary ex-goalkeeper Walter “Turk” Broda, of Leafs’ fame, coached both winning teams.

During his NHL rookie season of 1956-57, MacNeil played 53 games for the Maple Leafs, but after that it was a shuffle between Toronto and the American Hockey League (AHL) Rochester Americans. During the summer of 1960 he was traded to the Montreal Canadiens and spent the entire 1960-61 campaign with the Habs’ farm club, the Hull-Ottawa Canadiens of the EPHL.

All was not wasted for MacNeil in Hull-Ottawa, though. The team won the league championship, and the Sydney native, who also captained the club, was named the circuit’s best defenceman. He then went on to Montreal for the ‘61-62 campaign.

During the off-season of 1962, MacNeil was dealt to a very good Chicago Blackhawks team, led by superstars Bobby Hull and Stan Mikita. Over the next four seasons he took a regular shift on the Blackhawks’ blue line, a defence that included stellar performers Pierre Pilote and Elmer “Moose” Vasko.

After his time in Chicago came a season apiece with the New York Rangers and the expansion Pittsburgh Penguins. In 1968 MacNeil was dealt back to Montreal, however, Canadiens’ GM Sam Pollock had other plans for him: he sent MacNeil to the farm team in Houston to be player/coach. The following season, the Houston franchise relocated to Montreal and MacNeil remained in the same capacity.

In 1970-71 Pollock brought MacNeil up from the minors to be an assistant with the Canadiens under head coach Claude Ruel. As December rolled around the team was struggling, and Ruel was under pressure to turn things around; when he couldn’t he resigned. Pollock then named MacNeil the new bench boss, thus becoming the first Atlantic Canadian to serve as head coach in the NHL.

With the 36-year-old MacNeil at the helm, the Canadiens were an impressive 31-15-9. During the playoffs, with late-season call-up Ken Dryden standing on his head between the pipes, the underdog Habs won an unexpected Stanley Cup, defeating Chicago in a seven-game final.

The following season MacNeil found himself in Halifax running the brand new AHL franchise, the Nova Scotia Voyageurs, which had relocated from Montreal in time for the ’71-72 campaign. During his six-year tenure as GM/coach of the “Vees,” MacNeil guided the club to three Calder Cup titles. He was also named Coach of the Year twice and holds the highest head coach winning percentage (.646) in AHL history.

Oh yes, in 1976, MacNeil was an assistant coach for Scotty Bowman’s Team Canada squad that won the Canada Cup.

In 1977-78 MacNeil returned to the big club in Montreal as Director of Player Personnel for two seasons and won a couple of more Stanley Cups. He then took over the head coaching duties of the Atlanta Flames, and in ’80-81 the team shifted to Calgary where he continued behind the bench for two years. From 1985-86 through to 2005-06 MacNeil was assistant GM of the Flames.

Calgary won the Stanley Cup in ‘88-89, and it was pointed out in an interesting book, ”East Coast NHLers” authored by Paul White (no relation) that “MacNeil’s steadying influence on the team’s operation was a huge factor in the Flames’ triumph that year.”

When all is said and done, MacNeil has his name on the Stanley Cup four times (once as coach), led three Nova Scotia Voyageur teams to Calder Cup wins, was a member of two Memorial Cup championship clubs and owns a Canada Cup title. He is a member of the Cape Breton Sports Hall of Fame, the Nova Scotia Sports Hall of Fame and the American Hockey League Hall of Fame.

Indeed, during his hockey travels, success accompanied Cape Breton native Al MacNeil of Sydney.

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