The Calgary Flames sadly announce the passing of long-time Flames executive and former head coach Al MacNeil.
Al, a Stanley Cup winning Head Coach, National Hockey League player and Calgary Flames executive and consultant whose name is engraved on the Stanley Cup four times, including the Flames 1989 championship, passed away at the age of 89 years, on January 5, 2025, surrounded by his family in Calgary.
“Al was a great man who will be dearly missed by our organization,” said Calgary Sports and Entertainment Corporation Chairman Murray Edwards. “He was a long-term loyal member of our Flames family ever since the team’s arrival in Calgary in 1980. He played, coached, and managed in both the NHL and AHL, and had ultimate success while doing so. We send our heartfelt condolences to his wife Norma, son Allister, daughter Allison, son-in-law Paul Sparkes and grandsons Jack and Ben.”
“Having positively impacted every aspect of Flames hockey operations over the 44-year history of the franchise, Al will be remembered as a legend within the Flames family,” said CSEC President and CEO Robert Hayes. “His reputation and experience allowed him to command the room with his advice and guidance. Al’s contributions will never be replaced.”
“The hockey world lost an icon today with the passing of Al MacNeil,” said Flames President of Hockey Operations Don Maloney. “‘Chopper’ was a Stanley Cup champion and a Calder Cup champion but most importantly ‘he was our friend and mentor. We will sincerely miss his company and our conversations.”
An Original Six player, Al was a rugged defenceman and open-ice hitter who played 524 NHL games for the Toronto Maple Leafs, Montreal Canadiens, Chicago Blackhawks, New York Rangers, later concluding his NHL playing career as a Pittsburgh Penguin following his selection in the 1967 expansion draft.
Recognizing Al’s potential as a Head Coach, legendary Montreal Canadiens General Manger Sam Pollock acquired his rights from the Penguins and Al subsequently spent the last two seasons of his professional hockey career mentoring young players as a Player Coach, first for the Houston Apollos of the CHL in 1968-69 and in his final year for the Canadiens then top farm team, the Montreal Voyageurs of the AHL in 1969-70.
Al won his first Stanley Cup as the rookie Head Coach of the Montreal Canadiens in 1971, his second and third Cups as the Director of Player Personnel for the Canadiens’ in their 1978 and 1979 Stanley Cup victories, and his fourth as the Assistant General Manager of the Calgary Flames’ 1989 Stanley Cup winning team.
As a long-time NHL player, coach and executive, Al took tremendous pride in developing and coaching hundreds of NHL hockey players over many decades.
As the General Manager and Head Coach of the Montreal Canadiens’ farm team, the Nova Scotia Voyageurs, he guided the team to three Calder Cup Championships in 1972, 1976 and 1977. He was named American Hockey League Coach of the Year two times, in 1972 and 1977 and was inducted into the American Hockey League Hall of Fame in 2014.
Al was an Assistant Coach of Team Canada winning the 1976 Canada Cup, and was also an Assistant Coach of the 1981 Canada Cup team.
As a junior player with the Toronto Marlboros, he won two Memorial Cups in 1955 and as team captain in 1956.
Al was the last Head Coach of the NHL’s Atlanta Flames and the first Head Coach of the Calgary Flames for their first two seasons in our city.
Committed to the team and the City of Calgary, Al was a part of the Flames’ hockey operations for many years. He returned to the NHL bench as an Interim Head Coach for the Flames for 13 games in the 2002-2003 season.
Al is survived by his wife of 58 years, Norma, son Allister, a scout for the Flames, and his daughter Allison and son-in-law Paul Sparkes. He has two grandsons Jack Sparkes, a 2022 draft pick of the Los Angeles Kings, and Ben Sparkes, a university student in Nova Scotia who plays Junior B hockey. Al has a large extended family based in Nova Scotia, and across Canada and the United States.
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