Former Head Coach of the Calgary Flames Sadly Passes Away
In some tragic news coming out of the NHL, the Calgary Flames announced that one of their former coaches, Al MacNeil, has passed away at the age of 89.
The Calgary Flames are saddened to announce that Al MacNeil, a fixture in the franchise's history as both a long-time executive and former head coach, has died.
Al passed away surrounded by his family on January 5, 2025, at the age of 89, in Calgary.
The man was a four-time Stanley Cup champion whose name went on to the Cup as a player, coach, and executive, including that 1989 championship season the Flames captured.
As an NHL player, Al MacNeil suited up for 524 rugged games across Original Six squads the Maple Leafs, Canadiens, Blackhawks, Rangers, and Penguins, among others.
Moving to coach, Al began as a player-coach with the Houston Apollos and Montreal Voyageurs before he led the Canadiens to a Stanley Cup victory in 1971 as a rookie head coach.
Later he added two more Cups as part of Montreal's front office in 1978 and 1979, and another with Calgary in 1989.
As head coach and general manager, Al led the Nova Scotia Voyageurs to three Calder Cup championships and was named AHL Coach of the Year on two occasions.
He was inducted into the AHL Hall of Fame in 2014. He was also an assistant coach with Team Canada for the 1976 and 1981 Canada Cup teams.
Al was instrumental in the transition of the Flames from Atlanta to Calgary, serving as the first head coach. He remained a fixture within the organization for decades, including serving as interim head coach in 2002-03.
He is survived by his wife Norma, children Allister and Allison, son-in-law Paul Sparkes, and his grandsons Jack and Ben. He is survived by the family and also in the memory of players and colleagues from an illustrious career. Rest in peace!
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JANVIER 6 | 54 ANSWERS Former Head Coach of the Calgary Flames Sadly Passes Away Rest in peace AL | ||
