| Al MacInnis | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Hockey Hall of Fame, 2007 | |||
 MacInnis in 2019 | |||
| Born | (1963-07-11)July 11, 1963 (age 62) Inverness, Nova Scotia, Canada | ||
| Height | 6 ft 2 in (188 cm) | ||
| Weight | 204 lb (93 kg; 14 st 8 lb) | ||
| Position | Defence | ||
| Shot | Right | ||
| Played for | Calgary Flames St. Louis Blues | ||
| National team |  Canada | ||
| NHL draft | 15th overall,1981 Calgary Flames | ||
| Playing career | 1981–2004 | ||
Medal record | |||
Allan MacInnis (born July 11, 1963) is a Canadian former professionalice hockeydefenceman who played 23 seasons in theNational Hockey League (NHL) for theCalgary Flames (1981–1994) andSt. Louis Blues (1994–2004). A first round selection of the Flames in the1981 NHL entry draft, he went on to become a 12-timeAll-Star. He was named theConn Smythe Trophy winner as the most valuable player of the playoffs in1989 after leading the Flames to theStanley Cup championship. He was voted the winner of theJames Norris Memorial Trophy in1999 as the top defenceman in the league while a member of the Blues. In 2017, MacInnis was named one of the '100 Greatest NHL Players' in history.[1]
MacInnis was most famous for having the hardest shot in the league. He tiedBobby Orr'sOntario Hockey League (OHL) record for goals by a defenceman, and won two OHL championships and aMemorial Cup with theKitchener Rangers as a junior. He famously split goaltenderMike Liut's mask with a shot, and became only the fourth defenceman in NHL history to score 100 points in a season. Internationally, he was an all-star on defence asCanada won the1991 Canada Cup and twice participated in theWinter Olympics. He was a member of the2002 team that won Canada's first gold medal in 50 years.
An eye injury suffered early in the2003–04 NHL season forced MacInnis into retirement. He finished his career third all-time among defencemen in goals, assists and points and was named to seven postseasonall-star teams. He was elected to theHockey Hall of Fame in 2007, and his jersey number 2 was retired by the Blues and is honoured by the Flames. MacInnis remains a member of the Blues organization, currently serving as the team's senior advisor to the general manager. When the Blues won the Stanley Cup in2019, he got his name engraved on the Stanley Cup for a second time.
MacInnis was born inInverness, Nova Scotia, and grew up in nearbyPort Hood, a fishing village onCape Breton Island.[2] He is the seventh of eight children born to Alex and Anna Mae MacInnis, and one of six brothers. His father worked as a coal miner and later as the assistant manager of the arena in Port Hood when the mine closed while his mother was a school teacher.[3] The brothers all played hockey inPort Hawkesbury during the winter.[3] MacInnis often assisted his father's work at the arena, collecting pucks that he used to shoot repeatedly against a sheet of plywood set against the family barn during the summer. It was through this practice, which occasionally left him with blistered fingers, that he developed his powerfulslapshot.[4]
MacInnis left home in 1979 to join theRegina Pat Blues of theSaskatchewan Junior Hockey League (SJHL). He appeared in 59 games, scoring 20 goals and 48 points with the Pat Blues, and appeared in twoWestern Hockey League (WHL) games with theRegina Pats.[5] He then moved to Ontario and joined theKitchener Rangers of theOntario Hockey League (OHL).[6] Following a season in which he scored 39 points in 47 games and winning theLeague Championship with Kitchener in the1980–81 OHL season, MacInnis was rated as the second best defensive prospect at the1981 NHL entry draft.[7] He was selected by theCalgary Flames in the first round, 15th overall. The Flames invited him to their training camp, although they did not expect him to play for them immediately,[7] and he was returned to junior.
Most of his season was spent with Kitchener where MacInnis was named to the OHL first All-Star team after scoring 75 points for the Rangers.[2] The team won its second consecutive OHL title, and captured the1982 Memorial Cup.[8] He played a third season in Kitchener in1982–83, and was again named a first-team All-Star after an 84-point season.[2][6] Additionally, MacInnis was voted the winner of theMax Kaminsky Trophy as the OHL's top defenceman.[9] He tiedBobby Orr's OHL record for goals by a defenceman in one season with 38 (subsequently broken byBryan Fogarty's 47 in 1988–89),[10] and holds theCanadian Hockey League record of five goals in one game by a defenceman.[11]
MacInnis made his NHL debut with the Flames on December 30, 1981, against theBoston Bruins.[12] He appeared in two games that season, and an additional fourteen in1982–83 in seasons spent primarily with Kitchener at the junior level.[6] He scored his first NHL point against theToronto Maple Leafs on October 23, 1982.[12] MacInnis began the 1983–84 season with theColorado Flames of theCentral Hockey League, scoring 19 points in 19 games before joining Calgary full-time.[2] With the Flames, he scored 11 goals and 34 assists in 51 games and appeared in his first 11 postseason games during the1984 Stanley Cup playoffs.[12]
A point-per-game pace in1984–85 (66 points in 67 games) earned MacInnis his firstAll-Star Game appearance,[12] playing in front of his hometown fans at the1985 game in Calgary.[13] He was voted asecond-team All-Star for the1986–87 NHL season,[14] and started his first All-Star Game in1988.[12] He was a finalist for theJames Norris Memorial Trophy as top defenceman in the league in three consecutive seasons, 1989, 1990 and 1991, but failed to win the award each time.[12]
Led by MacInnis' 31 points,[12] the Flames won the firstStanley Cup championship in their history in 1989.[15] He had four goals and five assists in six games in thefinal series against theMontreal Canadiens en route to winning theConn Smythe Trophy as the most valuable player of the playoffs.[16] MacInnis became the first defenceman to lead the league in postseason scoring,[17] and he finished with a 17-game scoring streak, the longest by a defenceman in NHL history.[18]
MacInnis finished second amongst NHL defencemen in scoring in1989–90 with 90 points and was named a First Team All-Star for the first time. He improved to a career high 103 points the following year, becoming the first Flames' defenceman and only the fourth in NHL history to record a 100-point season.[12] He scored his 563rd career point in a January 8, 1991, game against Toronto, to surpassKent Nilsson as the franchise's all-time scoring leader.[19] MacInnis missed three months of the1992–93 season when he suffered a dislocated hip during a game on November 11, 1992, against theHartford Whalers. While chasing a puck at high speed, he lost control and crashed into the end boards after Hartford rookiePatrick Poulin shoved MacInnis with his stick.[20] Three weeks after his return to action, on February 23, 1993, MacInnis set a Flames franchise record when he appeared in his 706th career game.
Following five consecutive seasons where the Flames failed to advance past the first round of the playoffs, both MacInnis and the team were looking for a change in the summer of 1994.[21] Though the Flames made an offer ofC$2.5 million per season for MacInnis, he instead signed an offer sheet with theSt. Louis Blues forUS$3.5 million a season for four years, making him the fourth highest-paid player in the NHL.[22] As MacInnis was a restricted free agent, the Blues sent defencemanPhil Housley and two second round draft picks to the Flames in compensation while also receiving a fourth round selection back.[23]
MacInnis said his decision to leave Calgary was not easy to make given his family was from the city. He claimed money was not the only reason he signed with the Blues, stating that he wanted a new challenge.[22] He left Calgary after 11 full NHL seasons as the franchise's all-time leader in scoring with 822 points,[24] and led in assists (603),[25] games played (803),[26] playoff assists (77) and playoff points (103).[27] He appeared in six All-Star Games with Calgary and was named a league all-star five times: twice on the first team and three times on the second.[14] The team honoured MacInnis as the first player inducted into their "Forever a Flame" program in 2012. His jersey number 2 was raised to the Saddledome rafters on February 27, 2012, but was not formally retired.[28]
Pneumonia and a late-season shoulder injury limited MacInnis to 28 points in 32 games in1994–95, a season itself reduced to 48 games by alabour dispute. While he returned to play in the postseason, MacInnis required off-season surgery to repair the damage to his shoulder.[29] He returned to health in1995–96, appearing in all 82 games for the Blues. Early in his third season with the Blues, MacInnis played his1,000th game in an October 23, 1997, match-up against theVancouver Canucks.[30] However he again suffered a separation of his surgically repaired shoulder in December 1997, an injury that forced him out of the Blues line-up for three weeks.[31]
MacInnis scored a goal and an assist in a 5–3 loss to theDetroit Red Wings on April 7, 1998, to become just the sixth defenceman in NHL history to score1,000 points.[32] After coming close several times, MacInnis finally won the Norris Trophy as the league's top defenceman in1998–99.[17] Early in the2000–01 season, MacInnis recorded four assists in a 5–2 victory over theFlorida Panthers to set a Blues franchise record for scoring by a defenceman.[33] He reached the mark with his 300th point, scored in his 424th game with the organization.[34]
WhenChris Pronger broke his arm early in the2002–03 NHL season, MacInnis was named interim captain for the remainder of the season.[35] He completed the season as the league's leader in scoring amongst defencemen with 68 points.[36] Pronger insisted that MacInnis remain captain permanently when he returned for the2003–04 season.[35] MacInnis played only three games that season as vision problems he suffered during an October 2003 game against theNashville Predators were diagnosed as being the result of a detached retina in one eye – the same eye in which he suffered a serious injury after being struck by a high stick in 2001.[17] He missed the remainder of the season as a result, and after the2004–05 NHL season was cancelled due to alabour dispute, MacInnis felt that he could not return to the game at a high enough level to compete.[37]
MacInnis announced his retirement as a player on September 9, 2005, but remained with the Blues organization as part of its marketing and hockey operations departments.[38] Ending his career with 1,274 points, MacInnis ranked third all-time in goals, assists and points amongst defencemen,[17] and played in six additional All-Star Games as a member of the Blues.[39] The teamretired his jersey number 2 on April 9, 2006,[40] and honoured him with a bronze statue out front of theScottrade Center in 2009.[41] MacInnis was inducted to theHockey Hall of Fame in 2007.[42] He was the first player from Nova Scotia so honoured, and was also inducted into theNova Scotia Sport Hall of Fame[43] and the St. Louis Sports Hall of Fame.[44]
MacInnis was a member of theCanadian national team on four occasions. He first represented Canada at the1990 Men's World Ice Hockey Championships where he scored one goal and four points.[6] One year later, he played in his onlyCanada Cup tournament. He scored two goals and four assists and was named a tournament all-star as Canada won the title over the United States.[45] He suffered a separated shoulder shortly before the1998 Winter Olympics, and while it was feared he would be unavailable for the tournament as a result, recovered in time to be cleared to play.[46] MacInnis scored two goals during the tournament, but Canada finished in fourth place after losing the bronze medal match to Finland following a semi-final loss to the Czech Republic.[47] MacInnis also participated in the2002 Winter Olympics. Though he scored no points in the tournament,[48] Canada defeated the United States to win the nation's first gold medal in hockey in 50 years.[49]
"There's hard and then there's Al MacInnis hard. I tried to get out of the way. If it happens too often, you have to sit down and re-evaluate what you're doing with your life."
MacInnis was best known for the power and accuracy of hisslapshot. The Flames selected him in the 1981 Draft on the strength of his shot alone; his skating ability was so poor when he arrived for his first training camp in Calgary he earned the nickname "Chopper".[37] While some reporters expected he would be a bust as a result,[51] MacInnis said the patience the Flames showed him in his early days as a professional allowed him to develop into a more complete defenceman.[37]
The power of his shot grew into legend on January 17, 1984, in a game against St. Louis.[52][53] In his first full season with the Flames, MacInnis took a slapshot from just outside the Blues'defensive zone that struck goaltenderMike Liut on the mask. The shot split Liut's helmet while the puck fell into the net for a goal.[17] The power of his shot, and the fear it inspired in his opposition, led to MacInnis' success as an offensive-defenceman, especially as a threat on thepower play.[54] MacInnis resisted the transition to carbon-fiber sticks in the late 1990s and early 2000s. The new stick technology offering better flexing characteristics and increased shot speed, but MacInnis preferred the feel of traditional wooden sticks. He continued to win "Hardest Shot" events atAll-Star Game skills competitions despite competing with the technologically inferior wooden sticks. He won the event a total of seven times between 1991 and 2003.[2] He occasionally topped 100 miles per hour (160 km/h), including his win in the2000 All-Star Game.[55]
Used primarily as a power play specialist in his first years as a professional, MacInnis worked at improving his overall game such that he was named a Norris Trophy finalist three consecutive seasons between 1989 and 1991,[12] and was the runner-up toRay Bourque in 1991.[3] He finally won the Norris Trophy as the league's top defenceman in 1999 with the Blues.[2] Former teammateDoug Gilmour praised MacInnis' passing ability.[56] MacInnis's play developed to the point where he was as valued for his defensive ability on thepenalty kill as he was for his offence on the power play.[51]
MacInnis married his wife Jackie shortly after winning the Stanley Cup in 1989,[57] and the couple have four children, Carson,Ryan, Lauren and Riley.[58][59] MacInnis settled in St. Louis following his retirement, and in 2006 was named the Blues' Vice-President of Hockey Operations.[60] He coaches his children's minor hockey teams, and in 2008–09 coached the St. Louis Junior AAA Blues to a 73–3–2 record and the championship title at the 50th Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament.[59] His son Ryan was a member of the Kitchener Rangers, and was drafted by theArizona Coyotes in the2014 NHL entry draft.[61] His daughter Lauren has committed to play ice hockey atNortheastern University.[62]
Though his career took him away from Nova Scotia, MacInnis remains involved with his hometown. In 2001, he committedC$100,000 towards a major renovation of the Port Hood Arena.[63] The arena was renamed the Al MacInnis Sports Centre in his honour, and he hosts an annual golf tournament to help raise funds for the arena commission.[64] On the day he was inducted into the Nova Scotia Sport Hall of Fame, he donated $100,000 to the Inverness County Memorial Hospital in the memory of his parents.[65]
In 2018, he finished third to hockey superstarSidney Crosby and curlerColleen Jones in a listing of the greatest 15 athletes in Nova Scotia's history.[66]
| Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | League | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | ||
| 1979–80 | Regina Pat Blues | SJHL | 59 | 20 | 28 | 48 | 110 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1979–80 | Regina Pats | WHL | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1980–81 | Kitchener Rangers | OHL | 47 | 11 | 28 | 39 | 59 | 18 | 4 | 12 | 16 | 20 | ||
| 1981–82 | Calgary Flames | NHL | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1981–82 | Kitchener Rangers | OHL | 59 | 25 | 50 | 75 | 145 | 15 | 5 | 10 | 15 | 44 | ||
| 1982–83 | Kitchener Rangers | OHL | 51 | 38 | 46 | 84 | 67 | 8 | 3 | 8 | 11 | 9 | ||
| 1982–83 | Calgary Flames | NHL | 14 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 9 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1983–84 | Colorado Flames | CHL | 19 | 5 | 14 | 19 | 22 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1983–84 | Calgary Flames | NHL | 51 | 11 | 34 | 45 | 42 | 11 | 2 | 12 | 14 | 13 | ||
| 1984–85 | Calgary Flames | NHL | 67 | 14 | 52 | 66 | 75 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 8 | ||
| 1985–86 | Calgary Flames | NHL | 77 | 11 | 57 | 68 | 76 | 21 | 4 | 15 | 19 | 30 | ||
| 1986–87 | Calgary Flames | NHL | 79 | 20 | 56 | 76 | 97 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | ||
| 1987–88 | Calgary Flames | NHL | 80 | 25 | 58 | 83 | 114 | 7 | 3 | 6 | 9 | 18 | ||
| 1988–89 | Calgary Flames | NHL | 79 | 16 | 58 | 74 | 126 | 22 | 7 | 24 | 31 | 46 | ||
| 1989–90 | Calgary Flames | NHL | 79 | 28 | 62 | 90 | 82 | 6 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 8 | ||
| 1990–91 | Calgary Flames | NHL | 78 | 28 | 75 | 103 | 90 | 7 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 8 | ||
| 1991–92 | Calgary Flames | NHL | 72 | 20 | 57 | 77 | 83 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1992–93 | Calgary Flames | NHL | 50 | 11 | 43 | 54 | 61 | 6 | 1 | 6 | 7 | 10 | ||
| 1993–94 | Calgary Flames | NHL | 75 | 28 | 54 | 82 | 95 | 7 | 2 | 6 | 8 | 12 | ||
| 1994–95 | St. Louis Blues | NHL | 32 | 8 | 20 | 28 | 43 | 7 | 1 | 5 | 6 | 10 | ||
| 1995–96 | St. Louis Blues | NHL | 82 | 17 | 44 | 61 | 88 | 13 | 3 | 4 | 7 | 20 | ||
| 1996–97 | St. Louis Blues | NHL | 72 | 13 | 30 | 43 | 65 | 6 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | ||
| 1997–98 | St. Louis Blues | NHL | 71 | 19 | 30 | 49 | 80 | 8 | 2 | 6 | 8 | 12 | ||
| 1998–99 | St. Louis Blues | NHL | 82 | 20 | 42 | 62 | 70 | 13 | 4 | 8 | 12 | 20 | ||
| 1999–00 | St. Louis Blues | NHL | 61 | 11 | 28 | 39 | 34 | 7 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 14 | ||
| 2000–01 | St. Louis Blues | NHL | 59 | 12 | 42 | 54 | 52 | 15 | 2 | 8 | 10 | 18 | ||
| 2001–02 | St. Louis Blues | NHL | 71 | 11 | 35 | 46 | 52 | 10 | 0 | 7 | 7 | 4 | ||
| 2002–03 | St. Louis Blues | NHL | 80 | 16 | 52 | 68 | 61 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | ||
| 2003–04 | St. Louis Blues | NHL | 3 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 6 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| NHL totals | 1,416 | 340 | 934 | 1,274 | 1,501 | 177 | 39 | 121 | 160 | 255 | ||||
| Year | Team | Event | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | Canada | WC | 9 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 10 | |
| 1991 | Canada | CC | 8 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 23 | |
| 1998 | Canada | OLY | 6 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 2 | |
| 2002 | Canada | OLY | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 | |
| Senior totals | 29 | 5 | 7 | 12 | 43 | |||
| Award | Year | Ref. |
|---|---|---|
| Max Kaminsky Trophy | 1982–83 | [9] |
| OHL first-team All-Star | 1981–82 1982–83 | [67] |
| Award | Year | Ref. |
|---|---|---|
| First team All-Star | 1989–90 1990–91 1998–99 2002–03 | [6] |
| Second team All-Star | 1986–87 1988–89 1993–94 | [6] |
| Conn Smythe Trophy | 1989 | [18] |
| Stanley Cup champion | 1989 (as player),2019 (as executive) | [18] |
| Ralph T. Scurfield Humanitarian Award CGY – Support of humanitarian and charitable causes | 1993–94 | [14] |
| James Norris Memorial Trophy | 1998–99 | [6] |
| Award | Year | Ref. |
|---|---|---|
| Canada Cup All-Star team | 1991 | [6] |
| Preceded by | Calgary Flames first round draft pick 1981 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Winner of theConn Smythe Trophy 1989 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Winner of theJames Norris Memorial Trophy 1999 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | St. Louis Blues captain 2003–04* | Succeeded by |
*NOTE: MacInnis also served as captain for nearly the entire2002–03 NHL season, while Chris Pronger was injured and out of the line-up. MacInnis was then named the captain for the 2003–04 season, but MacInnis suffered a career-ending injury.
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
