“I don’t think Al was one of the biggest guys on the ice, but I’ve been told that pound for pound he was one of the toughest. Typical East Coaster. Look at a lot of them from back in the day and they were tough as nails.”
Robinson wishes he’d had one more opportunity to visit MacNeil, to tell him the impact he’d had on his career.
“My wife, Jeannette, and I always made a point of thanking Al for what he did for us,” he said. “I was 19, married, and we already had a child when we went to Halifax. I didn’t make that much in the minors, we scraped by. Al was very generous and really looked after us.
“We became pretty close when I went up to the big team and later in my career. When I went to New Jersey (to coach), any time we went to Calgary, where Al retired, at some point during my visits, we’d have a little chat, talk about things.
“I have nothing but fond memories of him. He had a really dry sense of humor. He loved to laugh. Never a long face, a happy-go-lucky guy.”
MacNeil has been enshrined by the AHL, Nova Scotia Sports, Cape Breton Sports and American Hockey Halls of Fame. In 2011, an honorary Doctor of Laws degree was bestowed upon him by Cape Breton University.
MacNeil 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 sixth-round pick (No. 180) of the Los Angeles Kings in the 2022 NHL Draft, and Ben Sparkes, a university student in Nova Scotia who plays Junior B hockey.
