Paul A. MacLean (born March 9, 1958) is a

French French may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France ** French people, a nation and ethnic group ** French cuisine, cooking traditions and practices Arts and media * The French (band), ...

-born

Canadian Canadians () are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, many (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of their being ''C ...

professional

ice hockey Ice hockey (or simply hockey in North America) is a team sport played on ice skates, usually on an Ice rink, ice skating rink with Ice hockey rink, lines and markings specific to the sport. It belongs to a family of sports called hockey. Tw ...

coach Coach may refer to: Guidance/instruction * Coach (sport), a director of Athletes' training and activities * Coaching, the practice of guiding an individual through a process ** Acting coach, a teacher who trains performers Transportation * Coac ...

and former player. He is the former assistant coach of the NHL's

Toronto Maple Leafs The Toronto Maple Leafs (officially the Toronto Maple Leaf Hockey Club and often referred to as the Leafs) are a professional ice hockey team based in Toronto. The Maple Leafs compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the A ...

, and former head coach of the NHL's

Ottawa Senators The Ottawa Senators (), officially the Ottawa Senators Hockey Club and colloquially known as the Sens, are a professional ice hockey team based in Ottawa. The Senators compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Di ...

, winning the 2013

Jack Adams Award The Jack Adams Award is awarded annually to the National Hockey League (NHL) coach "adjudged to have contributed the most to his team's success." The league's Coach of the Year award has been presented 51 times to 43 coaches. The winner is select ...

as the NHL's Coach of the Year. He also served as an assistant coach for the

Anaheim Ducks The Anaheim Ducks are a professional ice hockey team based in Anaheim, California. The Ducks compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division (NHL), Pacific Division in the Western Conference (NHL), Western Confere ...

until his departure from the team on June 1, 2017. He played 11 seasons in the NHL with the

St. Louis Blues The St. Louis Blues are a professional ice hockey team based in St. Louis. The Blues compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division (NHL), Central Division in the Western Conference (NHL), Western Conference. Th ...

Detroit Red Wings The Detroit Red Wings (colloquially referred to as the Wings) are a professional ice hockey team based in Detroit. The Red Wings compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Division (NHL), Atlantic Division in the East ...

and the original

Winnipeg Jets The Winnipeg Jets are a professional ice hockey team based in Winnipeg. The Jets compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division (NHL), Central Division in the Western Conference (NHL), Western Conference. The te ...

Playing career

Born in Grostenquin,

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

, while his father was serving with the

Canadian Armed Forces The Canadian Armed Forces (CAF; , FAC) are the unified Military, military forces of Canada, including sea, land, and air commands referred to as the Royal Canadian Navy, Canadian Army and the Royal Canadian Air Force. Under the ''National Defenc ...

, MacLean moved to Canada at the age of two and grew up in

Antigonish Antigonish ( ; ) is a town in Antigonish County, Nova Scotia, Canada. The town is home to St. Francis Xavier University and the oldest continuous Highland games outside Scotland. It is approximately 160 kilometres (100 miles) northeast of Hal ...

Nova Scotia Nova Scotia is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada, located on its east coast. It is one of the three Maritime Canada, Maritime provinces and Population of Canada by province and territory, most populous province in Atlan ...

. As a youth, he played in the 1971

Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament The Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament () is an annual minor ice hockey event in Quebec City. The tournament was founded in 1960 to coincide with the Quebec Winter Carnival, and give an opportunity for international competition to p ...

with a

minor ice hockey Minor ice hockey or minor hockey is an umbrella term for amateur ice hockey which is played below the junior age level. Players are classified by age, with each age group playing in its own league. The rules, especially as it relates to body c ...

team from Borden. Once, during a QMJHL game in which he was playing for the

Hull Olympiques The Gatineau Olympiques are a Canadian junior ice hockey team based in Gatineau, Quebec, that plays in the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League (QMJHL). Starting with the 2021–22 season, the Olympiques play home games at Centre Slush Pupp ...

, a deal was made to send MacLean to the

Quebec Remparts The Quebec Remparts () are a Canadian junior ice hockey based in Quebec City, Quebec. The team plays in the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League (QMJHL), and is named after the Ramparts of Quebec City (). There have been two franchises name ...

, but the trade was called off before the game ended, after he had scored five goals. In the 1978–79 season, MacLean led the

Dalhousie University Dalhousie University (commonly known as Dal) is a large public research university in Nova Scotia, Canada, with three campuses in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Halifax, a fourth in Bible Hill, Nova Scotia, Bible Hill, and a second medical school campus ...

Tigers to the AUHC championship with 12 goals, 17 assists and 71 penalty minutes in 18 games. MacLean was drafted by the NHL's

. He next represented

Team Canada Canadian National Team or Team Canada may refer to: Canada at multi-sport events * Canada at the Olympics ** Canadian Olympic Committee * Canada at the Paralympics ** Canadian Paralympic Committee * Canada at the Commonwealth Games * Canada at ...

internationally at the

1980 Winter Olympics The 1980 Winter Olympics, officially the XIII Olympic Winter Games and also known as Lake Placid 1980, were an international multi-sport event held from February 13 to 24, 1980, in Lake Placid, New York, United States. Lake Placid was elected ...

, held in Lake Placid,

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York New York may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * ...

. The experience helped MacLean to excel when he finally did crack the NHL — he scored 36 goals in his rookie season after being traded to the

. He continued to enjoy success in Winnipeg on a line with

Dale Hawerchuk Dale Martin Hawerchuk (April 4, 1963 – August 18, 2020) was a Canadian professional ice hockey player and coach. Drafted first overall by the Winnipeg Jets in the 1981 NHL Entry Draft, Hawerchuk played in the National Hockey League (NHL) for ...

, tallying three 30-goal seasons and three 40-goal seasons before being dealt to the

in exchange for Brent Ashton. MacLean was a member of the

Campbell Conference Campbell may refer to: People Surname * Campbell (surname), includes a list of people with surname Campbell Given name * Campbell Brown (footballer), an Australian rules footballer * Campbell Brown (journalist) (born 1968), American television n ...

All-Star Team in the 1985 NHL All-Star Game. After another 30-goal season for Detroit, he was traded back to St. Louis together with

Adam Oates Adam Robert Oates (born August 27, 1962) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player, former co-head coach for the New Jersey Devils and former head coach for the Washington Capitals. He played 19 seasons in the National Hockey League (N ...

in exchange for

Tony McKegney Anthony Syiid McKegney (born February 15, 1958) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player who played 13 seasons in the National Hockey League from 1978–79 until 1990–91. He is the first Black player in NHL history to score 40 goa ...

and

Bernie Federko Bernard Allan Federko (born May 12, 1956) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey centre who played fourteen seasons in the National Hockey League from 1976 through 1990. Playing career Federko began playing hockey at a young age in his ho ...

. In 1990–91, MacLean suffered a rib injury and retired after ten seasons with 324 goals and 349 assists for 673 points. His best season statistically was the 1984–85 season, where he scored 41 goals and 101 points. MacLean has the distinction of being the highest-scoring NHL player born in France, with 673 points. The second-highest scoring French-born player is

Antoine Roussel Antoine Roussel (born 21 November 1989) is a French former professional ice hockey left winger. He most recently played for the Arizona Coyotes of the National Hockey League (NHL). Born in France, Roussel first played hockey there before moving ...

(197 points) who moved to Canada as a teenager. Paul MacLean ranks 3rd all time in NHL Shooting percentage at 21.4%

Coaching career

Before becoming an NHL coach, MacLean served as the head coach of the

Peoria Rivermen Peoria Rivermen is the name of four minor league hockey clubs: *Peoria Rivermen (IHL), named as such 1984–1996, formerly the Peoria Prancers 1982–1984 *Peoria Rivermen (ECHL), 1996–2005 *Peoria Rivermen (AHL), 2005–2013 *Peoria Rivermen (SP ...

of the International Hockey League (IHL) from 1993 to 1996. For the 1996–97 season, he served as an assistant coach with the

Phoenix Coyotes The Arizona Coyotes are an inactive professional ice hockey team based in the Phoenix metropolitan area. They competed in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division (NHL), Central Division (1996–1998, 2021–2024) and ...

. From 1997 through 2000, MacLean returned to the IHL to serve as the head coach of the

Kansas City Blades The Kansas City Blades were a professional ice hockey team in the International Hockey League (1945–2001), International Hockey League (IHL) from 1990 until 2001, when the league folded. The Blades were based in Kansas City, Missouri, at Kempe ...

. From 2000 to 2002, he served as the head coach of the

Quad City Mallards The Quad City Mallards were a minor league professional ice hockey team based in the Quad Cities area of Illinois and Iowa that competed in the United Hockey League, International Hockey League, Central Hockey League and ECHL. They were named aft ...

of the

United Hockey League The United Hockey League (UHL), originally known as the Colonial Hockey League from 1991 to 1997 and last known as the International Hockey League from 2007 to 2010, was a low-level minor professional ice hockey league, with teams in the Unite ...

(UHL). In 2001, MacLean led the Mallards to the Colonial Cup Championship. The Mallards had a record of 112–27–9 (.787 winning percentage) in MacLean's two seasons behind the bench. MacLean was then hired as an assistant coach for the

Mighty Ducks of Anaheim Mighty may refer to: Businesses *Mighty Audio, an American company known for its product ''Mighty'', a portable audio player *Mighty Animation, an animation studio based in Guadalajara, Mexico Films *''The Mighty'', a 1998 comedy–drama * ''The ...

under Head Coach

Mike Babcock Mike Babcock (born April 29, 1963) is a Canadian former ice hockey player and coach. He spent parts of eighteen seasons as a head coach in the National Hockey League (NHL), beginning when he was named head coach of the Anaheim Ducks, Mighty Duck ...

. Babcock would bring MacLean with him to the

when he was hired to coach the Red Wings. In the

2007–08 NHL season The 2007–08 NHL season was the 91st season of operation (90th season of play) of the National Hockey League (NHL). It began on September 29, 2007, and the regular season ended April 6, 2008. The Stanley Cup playoffs ended on June 4, with the ...

, MacLean won the

Stanley Cup The Stanley Cup () is the championship trophy awarded annually to the National Hockey League (NHL) playoff champion. It is the oldest existing trophy to be awarded to a professional sports franchise in North America, and the International Ic ...

as assistant coach of the Red Wings. On June 14, 2011, the

announced that MacLean had been hired for their head coaching job, his first head coaching job at the NHL level. On October 11, MacLean won his first NHL game as a head coach as the Senators defeated the

Minnesota Wild The Minnesota Wild are a professional ice hockey team based in Saint Paul, Minnesota. The Wild compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division (NHL), Central Division in the Western Conference (NHL), Western Confer ...

4–3 in a

shootout A shootout, also called a firefight, gunfight, or gun battle, is a confrontation in which parties armed with firearms exchange gunfire. The term can be used to describe any such fight, though it is typically used in a non-military context or to ...

. On April 30, 2012, MacLean was named a finalist for the

for NHL Coach of the Year alongside

John Tortorella John Tortorella (born June 24, 1958) is an American professional ice hockey coach and former player. He most recently served as head coach for the Philadelphia Flyers of the National Hockey League (NHL). Tortorella has also been the head coach of ...

of the

New York Rangers The New York Rangers are a professional ice hockey team based in New York City. The Rangers compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference (NHL), Eastern Conference. The team plays ...

and

Ken Hitchcock Kenneth S. Hitchcock (born December 17, 1951) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey coach. Hitchcock coached the Dallas Stars, Philadelphia Flyers, Columbus Blue Jackets, St. Louis Blues and Edmonton Oilers of the National Hockey League ...

of the

; Hitchcock would go on to win the award. On May 17, 2013, MacLean was again nominated for the Jack Adams Award, his second in a row, alongside

Bruce Boudreau Bruce Allan Boudreau ( ; born January 9, 1955) is a Canadian professional ice hockey coach and former player. He previously served as head coach of the Washington Capitals, Anaheim Ducks, Minnesota Wild, and Vancouver Canucks of the National H ...

of the Anaheim Ducks and

Joel Quenneville Joel Norman Quenneville (born September 15, 1958) is a Canadian–American professional ice hockey coach and former player who is the head coach for the Anaheim Ducks of the National Hockey League (NHL). Nicknamed "Coach Q", he is second in NHL c ...

of the

Chicago Blackhawks The Chicago Blackhawks (spelled Black Hawks until 1986, and known colloquially as the Hawks) are a professional ice hockey team based in Chicago. The Blackhawks compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division (N ...

. On June 14, 2013, MacLean was announced as the winner of the 2013 Jack Adams Award. On July 4, 2013, the Senators announced that MacLean had been signed to a three-year contract extension with the team. On December 8, 2014, MacLean was fired from his position as head coach of the Senators as the team appeared poised to miss the playoffs. He was succeeded by Dave Cameron. On June 30, 2015, MacLean was named the assistant coach of the Anaheim Ducks, working under head coach

. On June 1, 2017, MacLean's contract with the Ducks expired, and was not renewed. On November 21, 2019, the Columbus Blue Jackets announced that he has joined the organization as an Assistant Coach. On September 25, 2020, MacLean was named the assistant coach of the Toronto Maple Leafs, working under head coach

Sheldon Keefe Sheldon Keefe (born September 17, 1980) is a Canadian professional ice hockey coach and former player who is the head coach for the New Jersey Devils of the National Hockey League (NHL). He was selected in the second round, 47th overall, by the T ...

. He then became a senior advisor to the team, until his departure upon the end of the 2021/22 NHL season.

Personal life

MacLean and his wife Sharon have three children — A. J., David and Erin. A.J. played professional hockey from 2004 to 2013, including a two year stint as captain and player-coach of the

Dundee Stars The Dundee Stars are a Scottish professional ice hockey team based in the city of Dundee. They were formed in 2001 and play their home games at the Dundee Ice Arena, situated off the city's main Kingsway dual carriageway. The current title s ...

of the

EIHL The Elite Ice Hockey League (EIHL), sometimes referred to internationally as the British Elite League, is an ice hockey league in the United Kingdom. Formed in 2003 following the demise of the Ice Hockey Superleague, it is the highest level ...

. He is currently an assistant coach with the

Toronto Marlies The Toronto Marlies are a professional ice hockey team based in Toronto. They compete in the American Hockey League (AHL) as a member of the North Division of the Eastern Conference. The Marlies are owned by Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment, a c ...

of the AHL. David is currently a professional

scout Scout may refer to: Youth movement *Scout (Scouting), a child, usually 10–18 years of age, participating in the worldwide Scouting movement ** Scouts (The Scout Association), section for 10-14 year olds in the United Kingdom ** Scouts BSA, sect ...

for the

Montreal Canadiens The Montreal Canadiens (), officially ' ( Canadian Hockey Club) and colloquially known as the Habs, are a professional ice hockey team based in Montreal. The Canadiens compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic D ...

. Paul's brother Jerome lives in

Ottawa Ottawa is the capital city of Canada. It is located in the southern Ontario, southern portion of the province of Ontario, at the confluence of the Ottawa River and the Rideau River. Ottawa borders Gatineau, Gatineau, Quebec, and forms the cor ...

, as does his sister Karen. He has a summer home in Antigonish, Nova Scotia. MacLean was born at

RCAF The Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF; ) is the air and space force of Canada. Its role is to "provide the Canadian Forces with relevant, responsive and effective airpower". The RCAF is one of three environmental commands within the unified Canad ...

#2 Fighter Wing (the Wing on-Base Hospital Grostenquin) in, Lorraine, France, to Canadian parents while his father was stationed there as part of

NATO The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO ; , OTAN), also called the North Atlantic Alliance, is an intergovernmental organization, intergovernmental Transnationalism, transnational military alliance of 32 Member states of NATO, member s ...

's RCAF #1 Air Division in Western Europe. Howard Cornfield, the former owner, president and general manager of the Quad City Mallards, said he hired MacLean on the spot after interviewing him in 2000. "He has a look to him and he looks you in the eye," said Cornfield. "It's hard to explain, but we came to call it 'The Grizz Look' as in

grizzly bear The grizzly bear (''Ursus arctos horribilis''), also known as the North American brown bear or simply grizzly, is a population or subspecies of the brown bear inhabiting North America. In addition to the mainland grizzly (''Ursus arctos horr ...

. He looked you in the eye and you knew he was being very honest. He was speaking from the heart. He had incredible intensity and you walked away saying, 'This guy is serious.' When he came in and told me, 'I'm going to win you a championship,' you walked away knowing that this guy was going to do it."

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs

International

NHL coaching record

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:MacLean, Paul 1958 births Living people Anaheim Ducks coaches Canadian ice hockey forwards Canadian people of Scottish descent Detroit Red Wings coaches Detroit Red Wings players Hull Olympiques players Ice hockey people from Nova Scotia Ice hockey players at the 1980 Winter Olympics Jack Adams Award winners Olympic ice hockey players for Canada Ottawa Senators coaches Sportspeople from Antigonish, Nova Scotia St. Louis Blues draft picks St. Louis Blues players Canadian expatriate ice hockey players in the United States Stanley Cup champions Winnipeg Jets (1979–1996) players Canadian ice hockey coaches 20th-century Canadian sportsmen