Paul MacLean (ice hockey)

Paul MacLean
MacLean (left) with the Ottawa Senators in May 2013
Born (1958-03-09) March 9, 1958 (age 66)
Grostenquin, France
Height 188 cm (6 ft 2 in)
Weight 99 kg (218 lb; 15 st 8 lb)
Position Right wing
Shot Right
Played for St. Louis Blues
Winnipeg Jets
Detroit Red Wings
Coached for Ottawa Senators
NHL draft 109th overall, 1978
St. Louis Blues
Playing career 1980–1991
Coaching career 1993–2021

Paul A. MacLean (born March 9, 1958) is a French-born Canadian professional ice hockey coach and former player. He is the former assistant coach of the NHL's Toronto Maple Leafs, and former head coach of the NHL's Ottawa Senators, winning the 2013 Jack Adams Award as the NHL's Coach of the Year. He also served as an assistant coach for the Anaheim Ducks until his departure from the team on June 1, 2017. He played 11 seasons in the NHL with the St. Louis Blues, Detroit Red Wings and the original Winnipeg Jets.

Playing career

Born in Grostenquin, France, while his father was serving with the Canadian Armed Forces, MacLean moved to Canada at the age of two and grew up in Antigonish, Nova Scotia.[1]

As a youth, he played in the 1971 Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament with a minor ice hockey team from Borden.[2] Once, during a QMJHL game in which he was playing for the Hull Olympiques, a deal was made to send MacLean to the Quebec Remparts, but the trade was called off before the game ended, after he had scored five goals.[3] In the 1978–79 season, MacLean led the Dalhousie University Tigers to the AUHC championship with 12 goals, 17 assists and 71 penalty minutes in 18 games.

MacLean was drafted by the NHL's St. Louis Blues. He next represented Team Canada internationally at the 1980 Winter Olympics, held in Lake Placid, New York. The experience helped MacLean to excel when he finally did crack the NHL — he scored 36 goals in his rookie season after being traded to the Winnipeg Jets. He continued to enjoy success in Winnipeg on a line with Dale Hawerchuk, tallying three 30-goal seasons and three 40-goal seasons before being dealt to the Detroit Red Wings in exchange for Brent Ashton.

MacLean was a member of the Campbell Conference All-Star Team in the 1985 NHL All-Star Game. After another 30-goal season for Detroit, he was traded back to St. Louis together with Adam Oates in exchange for Tony McKegney and Bernie Federko. In 1990–91, MacLean suffered a rib injury and retired after ten seasons with 324 goals and 349 assists for 673 points. His best season statistically was the 1984–85 season, where he scored 41 goals and 101 points. MacLean has the distinction of being the highest-scoring NHL player born in France, with 673 points. The second-highest scoring French-born player is Antoine Roussel (124 points) who moved to Canada as a teenager. Paul MacLean ranks 3rd all time in NHL Shooting percentage at 21.4% [4]

Coaching career

Before becoming an NHL coach, MacLean served as the head coach of the Peoria Rivermen of the International Hockey League (IHL) from 1993 to 1996. For the 1996–97 season, he served as an assistant coach with the Phoenix Coyotes. From 1997 through 2000, MacLean returned to the IHL to serve as the head coach of the Kansas City Blades.[5] From 2000 to 2002, he served as the head coach of the Quad City Mallards of the United Hockey League (UHL). In 2001, MacLean led the Mallards to the Colonial Cup Championship. The Mallards had a record of 112–27–9 (.787 winning percentage) in MacLean's two seasons behind the bench.[3] MacLean was then hired as an assistant coach for the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim under Head Coach Mike Babcock. Babcock would bring MacLean with him to the Detroit Red Wings when he was hired to coach the Red Wings. In the 2007–08 NHL season, MacLean won the Stanley Cup as assistant coach of the Red Wings.

On June 14, 2011, the Ottawa Senators announced that MacLean had been hired for their head coaching job,[6] his first head coaching job at the NHL level. On October 11, MacLean won his first NHL game as a head coach as the Senators defeated the Minnesota Wild 4–3 in a shootout.[7]

On April 30, 2012, MacLean was named a finalist for the Jack Adams Award for NHL Coach of the Year alongside John Tortorella of the New York Rangers and Ken Hitchcock of the St. Louis Blues; Hitchcock would go on to win the award.

On May 17, 2013, MacLean was again nominated for the Jack Adams Award, his second in a row, alongside Bruce Boudreau of the Anaheim Ducks and Joel Quenneville of the Chicago Blackhawks. On June 14, 2013, MacLean was announced as the winner of the 2013 Jack Adams Award.[8] On July 4, 2013, the Senators announced that MacLean had been signed to a three-year contract extension with the team.[9]

On December 8, 2014, MacLean was fired from his position as head coach of the Senators[10] as the team appeared poised to miss the playoffs. He was succeeded by Dave Cameron.

On June 30, 2015, MacLean was named the assistant coach of the Anaheim Ducks, working under head coach Bruce Boudreau.[11]

On June 1, 2017, MacLean's contract with the Ducks expired, and was not renewed.[12]

On November 21, 2019, the Columbus Blue Jackets announced that he has joined the organization as an Assistant Coach.[13]

On September 25, 2020, MacLean was named the assistant coach of the Toronto Maple Leafs, working under head coach Sheldon Keefe.[14] He then became an senior advisor to the team, until his departure upon the end of the 2021/22 NHL season.

Personal life

MacLean and his wife Sharon have three children — A. J., David and Erin. A.J. played professional hockey from 2004 to 2013, including a two year stint as captain and player-coach of the Dundee Stars of the EIHL.[15] He is currently an assistant coach with the Toronto Marlies of the AHL.[16] David is currently a professional scout for the Montreal Canadiens. Paul's brother Jerome lives in Ottawa, as does his sister Karen.[17] He has a summer home in Antigonish, Nova Scotia.[3] MacLean was born at RCAF #2 Fighter Wing (the Wing on-Base Hospital Grostenquin) in, Lorraine, France, to Canadian parents while his father was stationed there as part of NATO's RCAF #1 Air Division in Western Europe.

Howard Cornfield, the former owner, president and general manager of the Quad City Mallards, said he hired MacLean on the spot after interviewing him in 2000. "He has a look to him and he looks you in the eye," said Cornfield. "It's hard to explain, but we came to call it 'The Grizz Look' as in grizzly bear. He looked you in the eye and you knew he was being very honest. He was speaking from the heart. He had incredible intensity and you walked away saying, 'This guy is serious.' When he came in and told me, 'I'm going to win you a championship,' you walked away knowing that this guy was going to do it."[3]

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs

    Regular season   Playoffs
Season Team League GP G A Pts PIM GP G A Pts PIM
1975–76 Brockville Braves CJHL 44 35 25 60 70 — — — — —
1976–77 Brockville Braves CJHL 52 37 29 66 63 — — — — —
1977–78 Hull Olympiques QMJHL 66 38 33 71 125 3 1 0 1 26
1978–79 Dalhousie University AUS 18 12 17 29 71 — — — — —
1979–80 Canada Intl 50 21 11 32 90 — — — — —
1980–81 Salt Lake Golden Eagles CHL 80 36 42 78 160 17 11 5 16 47
1980–81 St. Louis Blues NHL 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0
1981–82 Winnipeg Jets NHL 74 36 25 61 106 4 3 2 5 20
1982–83 Winnipeg Jets NHL 80 32 44 76 121 3 1 2 3 6
1983–84 Winnipeg Jets NHL 76 40 31 71 155 3 1 0 1 0
1984–85 Winnipeg Jets NHL 79 41 60 101 119 8 3 4 7 4
1985–86 Winnipeg Jets NHL 69 27 29 56 74 2 1 0 1 7
1986–87 Winnipeg Jets NHL 72 32 42 74 75 10 5 2 7 16
1987–88 Winnipeg Jets NHL 77 40 39 79 76 5 2 0 2 23
1988–89 Detroit Red Wings NHL 76 36 35 71 118 5 1 1 2 8
1989–90 St. Louis Blues NHL 78 34 33 67 100 12 4 3 7 20
1990–91 St. Louis Blues NHL 37 6 11 17 24 — — — — —
NHL totals 719 324 349 673 968 53 21 14 35 104

International

Year Team Event   GP G A Pts PIM
1980 Canada OG 6 2 3 5 6

NHL coaching record

Team Year Regular season Post-season
G W L OTL Pts Finish W L Win % Result
OTT 2011–12 82 41 31 10 92 2nd in Northeast 3 4 .429 Lost in Conference Quarterfinals (NYR)
OTT 2012–13 48 25 17 6 56 4th in Northeast 5 5 .500 Lost in Conference Semifinals (PIT)
OTT 2013–14 82 37 31 14 88 5th in Atlantic — — — Did not qualify
OTT 2014–15 27 11 11 5 (99) (fired) — — — —
Total 239 114 90 35 — 8 9 .471 2 playoff appearances

References

  1. ^ "Legends of Hockey -- NHL Player Search -- Player -- Paul MacLean". www.legendsofhockey.net. Archived from the original on 2011-06-16.
  2. ^ "Pee-Wee players who have reached NHL or WHA" (PDF). Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament. 2018. Retrieved 2019-01-10.
  3. ^ a b c d "Meet the new Sens boss". The Ottawa Sun. 2011-06-19. Archived from the original on January 20, 2013.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  4. ^ NHL & WHA Career Leaders and Records for Shooting Percentage
  5. ^ "Paul MacLean HockeyDB.com Profile". HockeyDB.com. Retrieved June 27, 2011.
  6. ^ "Bulletin: Paul MacLean named Ottawa Senators head coach" (Press release). Ottawa Senators. June 14, 2011.
  7. ^ "Senators win wild home opener". Ottawa Sun. Oct 12, 2011. Archived from the original on January 15, 2013.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  8. ^ The Canadian Press (June 14, 2013). "Senators' Paul MacLean wins Jack Adams award as top coach". cbc.ca. Retrieved June 14, 2013.
  9. ^ The Canadian Press (July 4, 2013). "SENATORS SIGN COACH MACLEAN TO THREE-YEAR EXTENSION". The Sports Network. Retrieved July 4, 2013.
  10. ^ The Sports Network (December 8, 2014). "Senators fire head coach MacLean". The Sports Network. Retrieved December 8, 2014.
  11. ^ Anaheim Ducks (June 30, 2015). "Ducks Name MacLean Assistant Coach". Anaheim Ducks. Retrieved October 13, 2015.
  12. ^ "Ducks and assistant coach Paul MacLean mutually part ways". Los Angeles Times. 2017-06-01. ISSN 0458-3035. Retrieved 2017-06-02.
  13. ^ "CBJ add Paul MacLean to club's coaching staff". NHL.com. 21 November 2019. Retrieved 2019-11-21.
  14. ^ "Maclean named Maple Leafs assistant coach". NHL.com. 25 September 2020. Retrieved 2020-09-25.
  15. ^ Details, Contact. (2011-03-02) Made On A Sjostring Budget – 100% Dundee Stars. 100% Unofficial.: No, not THAT AJ MacLean. Bringbackmagnussjostrom.blogspot.com. Retrieved on 2011-03-17.
  16. ^ Brennan, Don (July 10, 2013). "Ottawa Sens coach Paul MacLean's son gets coaching gig". Ottawa Sun. Retrieved July 11, 2013.
  17. ^ "All in the family for MacLean". 26 June 2011. Archived from the original on 2012-03-20. Retrieved 26 June 2011.
Preceded by Head coach of the Ottawa Senators
2011–2014 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Jack Adams Award
2013 		Succeeded by