Al MacAdam

Reginald Alan MacAdam (born March 16, 1952) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player who spent 12 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) between 1973 and 1985, and was twice selected to play in the NHL All-Star Game. He is best known for his time with the Minnesota North Stars, where he was one of the franchise's top players in the early 1980s. Most recently MacAdam has served as a scout for the Buffalo Sabres.

Al MacAdam
Born (1952-03-16) March 16, 1952
Morell, Prince Edward Island, Canada
Height 6 ft 0 in (183 cm)
Weight 180 lb (82 kg; 12 st 12 lb)
Position Right wing
Shot Left
Played for Philadelphia Flyers
California Golden Seals
Cleveland Barons
Minnesota North Stars
Vancouver Canucks
National team  Canada
NHL Draft 55th overall, 1972
Philadelphia Flyers
Playing career 1973–1985

Playing career

One of the few players ever drafted out of Canadian university hockey, MacAdam was selected 55th overall by the Philadelphia Flyers in the 1972 NHL Amateur Draft after starring for the University of Prince Edward Island. MacAdam turned pro after the draft and spent most of his first two professional seasons with the Richmond Robins, Philadelphia's American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate.[1] He made his NHL debut in the 1973–74 campaign, appearing in five games for the Flyers without scoring a point. He made his NHL playoff debut in the clinching game of the 1974 Stanley Cup Finals as the Flyers won the championship. By virtue of that appearance, he received a Stanley Cup ring for his efforts.[2] However, MacAdam's name was not engraved on the Stanley Cup.

Following the season, MacAdam was dealt to the California Golden Seals in a deal which saw star sniper Reggie Leach going the other way.[3] He was able to step as a regular into a weak Seals lineup, and recorded a fine rookie season in 1974–75 with 18 goals and 43 points. In 1975–76, he emerged as the Seals' top player, leading the team with 32 goals (including 4 shorthanded markers) and 63 points, and played in the 1976 NHL All-Star Game, scoring a goal.[4]

For the 1976–77 season, the Seals moved and became the Cleveland Barons. MacAdam continued to excel, again recording 63 points, and was selected to play in his second consecutive All-Star game. In 1977–78 he was named team captain, but slumped to totals of just 16 goals and 48 points. Over four seasons with the Seals/Barons, MacAdam played every regular-season game and ended as the franchise's all-time leading point scorer.[5]

MacAdam became a member of the Minnesota North Stars in 1978–79 when the hapless Cleveland franchise merged with Minnesota. He had a solid first season with the North Stars, finishing second on the team in scoring with 58 points despite missing 11 games due to injury. One of the league's most durable players, he had not missed a game to that point in his career, and only missed 10 games combined in his other 11 full NHL seasons. During that season, he also forged a solid partnership with rookie centre Bobby Smith, and the two would be regular linemates over the next several seasons.

In 1979–80, MacAdam had his finest NHL campaign, as he posted 42 goals and 51 assists for 93 points, leading the North Stars in all three categories. He finished 12th in overall NHL scoring, and was awarded the Bill Masterton Trophy in 1980 for perseverance and dedication. He was also named Minnesota's MVP and Most Popular Player following the season. Appearing in the playoffs for the first time since 1974, he also led the North Stars in playoff scoring with 16 points in 15 games as they reached the Stanley Cup semi-finals. In the 1980 playoffs, he scored the deciding goal in Game 7 of the quarterfinals, which eliminated the four-time defending Stanley Cup champion Montreal Canadiens.[6][2]

MacAdam's production returned to its previous level in 1980–81, as he finished third on the North Stars in scoring with 21 goals and 60 points. However, he had another sterling playoff performance with 19 points in 19 games as Minnesota reached the Stanley Cup finals before losing to the New York Islanders. In 1981–82, he recorded 18 goals and 43 assists for 61 points in what would be his last quality offensive season.

Always a strong defensive player, MacAdam's offensive opportunities were severely reduced after 1982 with the arrival of star rookie Brian Bellows, and he spent the remainder of his career as a third-line checker and defensive forward. His production fell to a career-low 11 goals and 33 points in 1982–83, but he rebounded to record 22 goals for the North Stars in 1983–84.

For the 1984–85 campaign, MacAdam was dealt to the Vancouver Canucks in exchange for future considerations (which later became Harold Snepsts), unhappy about his playing time in Minnesota.[7] He had a solid season with 14 goals and 34 points, but could not meet the expectations of being traded for Snepsts, who was one of the most popular players in Canuck history. He retired shortly after being assigned to the minors at the start of the 1985–86 season.

MacAdam finished his career with 240 goals and 351 assists for 591 points in 864 games, along with 509 penalty minutes. His 591 points was the most for a player from Prince Edward Island, just ahead of Bob MacMillan, although that record was surpassed by Brad Richards of the Dallas Stars in 2010.[8]

During his playing days, MacAdam was also respected as a tough and capable fighter "who many left alone", in the words of Clark Gillies of the New York Islanders.

Coaching career

At the conclusion of his career, MacAdam was appointed head coach and assistant athletic director at St. Thomas University in Fredericton, New Brunswick. He spent 11 years at St. Thomas, and was named AUAA Coach of the Year in 1995–96.

He returned to pro hockey in 1997 to accept a job as head coach of the St. John's Maple Leafs of the American Hockey League in 1997. After three successful seasons there he returned to the NHL in 2000–01, joining the coaching staff of the Chicago Black Hawks under head coach Brian Sutter,[9] and spent four seasons as an assistant coach in Chicago.

After leaving Chicago he was hired as head coach of the Halifax Mooseheads in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League, and spent two seasons there before retiring after the 2005–06 season. He became a scout for the Buffalo Sabres in 2006.[10] MacAdam currently resides in Prince Edward Island.

Awards and achievements

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs
    Regular season   Playoffs
Season Team League GP G A Pts PIM GP G A Pts PIM
1969–70 Charlottetown Islanders MJrHL 41 23 38 61 55 11 4 7 11 2
1969–70 Charlottetown Islanders M-Cup — — — — — 14 5 6 11 6
1970–71 Charlottetown Islanders MJrHL 35 19 37 56 22 7 2 3 5 7
1970–71 Charlottetown Islanders Cen-Cup — — — — — 21 23 19 42 31
1971–72 University of PEI AIAA 26 32 21 53 8 — — — — —
1971–72 Charlottetown Islanders MJrHL 11 15 21 36 — — — — — —
1972–73 Richmond Robins AHL 68 19 32 51 42 4 0 2 2 0
1973–74 Philadelphia Flyers NHL 5 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0
1973–74 Richmond Robins AHL 62 23 22 45 36 5 1 4 5 4
1974–75 California Golden Seals NHL 80 18 25 43 55 — — — — —
1975–76 California Golden Seals NHL 80 32 31 63 49 — — — — —
1976–77 Cleveland Barons NHL 80 22 41 63 68 — — — — —
1977–78 Cleveland Barons NHL 80 16 32 48 42 — — — — —
1978–79 Minnesota North Stars NHL 69 24 34 58 30 — — — — —
1979–80 Minnesota North Stars NHL 80 42 51 93 24 15 7 9 16 4
1980–81 Minnesota North Stars NHL 78 21 39 60 94 19 9 10 19 4
1981–82 Minnesota North Stars NHL 79 18 43 61 37 4 1 0 1 4
1982–83 Minnesota North Stars NHL 73 11 22 33 60 9 2 1 3 2
1983–84 Minnesota North Stars NHL 80 22 13 35 23 16 1 4 5 7
1984–85 Vancouver Canucks NHL 80 14 20 34 27 — — — — —
1985–86 Fredericton Express AHL 11 0 4 4 5 — — — — —
1986–87 Charlottetown Islanders NBSHL 11 11 11 22 2 — — — — —
NHL totals 864 240 351 591 509 64 20 24 44 21

International
Year Team Event   GP G A Pts PIM
1977 Canada WC 10 4 4 8 0
1979 Canada WC 8 4 4 8 0
Senior totals 18 8 8 16 0

References
  1. Meltzer, Bill (6 June 2007). "Mining Gold: The Top 5 Drafts in Flyers History". NHL.com. Retrieved 11 April 2020.
  2. Blumenstock, Kathy (5 March 1980). "Les Canadiens Are Laid To Rest". Sports Illustrated Vault | SI.com. Sports Illustrated. Retrieved 11 April 2020.
  3. Jackson, Jim (2004). Walking Together Forever: The Broad Street Bullies, Then and Now. Sports Publishing LLC. p. 19. ISBN 978-1-58261-389-5. Retrieved 11 April 2020.
  4. Keese, Parton (21 January 1976). "Wales All‐Stars Win, 7‐5". The New York Times. Retrieved 12 April 2020.
  5. Currier, Steve (2017). The California Golden Seals: A Tale of White Skates, Red Ink, and One of the NHL's Most Outlandish Teams. U of Nebraska Press. p. 249. ISBN 978-0-8032-8848-5. Retrieved 12 April 2020.
  6. The Montreal Canadiens:100 Years of Glory, D'Arcy Jenish, p.240, Published in Canada by Doubleday, 2009, ISBN 978-0-385-66325-0
  7. "Minnesota North Star winger Al MacAdam was traded Thursday..." UPI. 21 June 1984. Retrieved 11 April 2020.
  8. MacIntyre, Joe (15 February 2019). "HOT CORNER: MacEwen's inspiring journey to NHL | The Journal Pioneer". www.journalpioneer.com. Retrieved 11 April 2020.
  9. Milbert, Neil (6 November 2001). "Rivals now bench buddies". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 11 April 2020.
  10. "2006-07 Staffs Announced". NHL.com. Buffalo Sabres. 12 September 2006. Retrieved 12 April 2020.
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