Rick MacLeish

Rick MacLeish

MacLeish in 1973
Born (1950-01-03) January 3, 1950
Cannington, ON, CAN
Height 5 ft 11 in (180 cm)
Weight 185 lb (84 kg; 13 st 3 lb)
Position Centre
Shot Left
Played for Philadelphia Flyers
Hartford Whalers
Pittsburgh Penguins
Detroit Red Wings
NHL Draft 4th overall, 1970
Boston Bruins
Playing career 19701984

Richard George "Rick" MacLeish (born January 3, 1950) is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey forward who played 14 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) with the Philadelphia Flyers, Hartford Whalers, Pittsburgh Penguins, and Detroit Red Wings. He played 12 seasons in Philadelphia, winning two Stanley Cups with the Flyers in 1974 and 1975.

Playing career

MacLeish was drafted 4th overall by the Boston Bruins in the 1970 NHL Amateur Draft after playing the majority of his junior career with the Peterborough Petes. After spending the first half of his first professional season with the Oklahoma City Blazers, MacLeish was involved in a three-way deal which sent him, Bruce Gamble, Dan Schock, and a 1st round pick to the Philadelphia Flyers, Bernie Parent and a 2nd round pick to the Toronto Maple Leafs, and Mike Walton to Boston. MacLeish spent the rest of the 1970–71 season with the Flyers, scoring two goals and four assists in 26 games. He also added a goal in four playoff games. In the 1971–72 season he saw his output drop considerably to a single goal, and consequently split the year between the Flyers and their AHL affiliate the Richmond Robins.

The 1972-73 season, during which the Flyers earned the nickname "the Broad Street Bullies" proved to be a breakout year for Macleish as he became the first member of the Flyers to ever score 50 goals in a single campaign. He added 50 assists this year, to bring his points total to 100. This was enough to finish fourth in league scoring, only a single point behind Bobby Orr.[1] In the Stanley Cup playoffs, the Flyers won their first playoff series against the Minnesota North Stars and faced the heavily favored Montreal Canadiens in the semi final round. Macleish and the Flyers stunned the Canadiens winning the opening game in Montreal when the Flyer's center intercepted an errant Frank Mahovlich pass (Mahovlich lost the puck in a legendary "puddle of water" on the ice) and scored in overtime.[2] The Flyers pushed the Canadians into overtime in game 2 as well but would lose 4-3 and would eventually lose the series 4 games to one.

In the 1973-74 Macleish's regular season scoring dropped slightly, as he scored 32 goals and added 45 assists. In the playoffs, however, he led all scorers with 13 goals and 9 assists as the Flyers claimed their first ever Stanley Cup.[3] He scored the only goal in the series' sixth and final game, and narrowly missed out on winning the Conn Smythe Trophy to his teammate Bernie Parent.

After another successful regular season in 1974-75, notching 38 goals and 41 assists Macleish went on to lead his team again in playoff scoring as they won a second consecutive championship. This championship marked the last time the trophy was raised by a team consisting of only Canadian born players.[4]

Macleish's 1975-76 season was marred by injury as he only played in 51 games. He manages to accumulate 22 goals and 23 assists in the regular season, but was unable to play in the playoffs which saw the Flyers swept in four games by the Montreal Canadiens.

The following year saw Macleish lead the Flyers in scoring for the first time in his career, tallying 49 goals and 48 assists. It also was the first year in which he earned an invitation to the all star game, a feat he would duplicate in the following year.[3]

His skating and playing style was influenced by years of "river skating" where he developed his smooth, long striding speed. Macleish depended on a whipping and accurate wrist shot for the majority of his goals and was the Flyer's first, pure goal scoring "sniper". His often used scoring move involved carrying the puck over the blue line, quickly darting to the left and then wrist shooting the puck back to the right against the goaltender. In a game against the Los Angeles Kings in April 1978, Macleish narrowly avoided serious injury suffering a cut neck requiring 80 stitches when he slid into the skate of center Marcel Dionne. Several days later, he was back in the lineup.[5] He joked later that he smoked a cigarette in the locker room afterward and smoke came out his throat.

In retirement, Macleish enjoys his passion for owning racehorses. In the early 2000s, he suffered a heart attack during a Flyers Alumni game and had cardiac bypass surgery the next day. Macleish also suffers from diabetes.[6]

Career statistics

    Regular Season   Playoffs
Season Team League GP G A Pts PIM GP G A Pts PIM
1966–67 London Nationals OHA-Jr. 2 0 0 0 0
1966–67 Peterborough Petes OHA-Jr. 8 0 0 0 0
1967–68 Peterborough Petes OHA-Jr. 54 24 25 49 16 5 2 1 3 0
1968–69 Peterborough Petes OHA-Jr. 54 50 42 92 29 10 7 14 21 8
1969–70 Peterborough Petes OHA-Jr. 54 45 56 101 135 6 4 4 8 10
1970–71 Oklahoma City Blazers CHL 46 13 15 28 93
1970–71 Philadelphia Flyers NHL 26 2 4 6 19 4 1 0 1 0
1971–72 Richmond Robins AHL 42 24 11 35 33
1971–72 Philadelphia Flyers NHL 17 1 2 3 9
1972–73 Philadelphia Flyers NHL 78 50 50 100 69 10 3 4 7 2
1973–74 Philadelphia Flyers NHL 78 32 45 77 42 17 13 9 22 20
1974–75 Philadelphia Flyers NHL 80 38 41 79 50 17 11 9 20 8
1975–76 Philadelphia Flyers NHL 51 22 23 45 16
1976–77 Philadelphia Flyers NHL 79 49 48 97 42 10 4 9 13 2
1977–78 Philadelphia Flyers NHL 76 31 39 70 33 12 7 9 16 4
1978–79 Philadelphia Flyers NHL 71 26 32 58 47 7 0 1 1 0
1979–80 Philadelphia Flyers NHL 78 31 35 66 28 19 9 6 15 2
1980–81 Philadelphia Flyers NHL 78 38 36 74 25 12 5 5 10 0
1981–82 Hartford Whalers NHL 34 6 16 22 16
1981–82 Pittsburgh Penguins NHL 40 13 12 25 28 5 1 1 2 0
1982–83 Pittsburgh Penguins NHL 6 0 5 5 2
1982–83 EHC Kloten NDA 1 0 0 0 0
1983–84 Philadelphia Flyers NHL 29 8 14 22 4
1983–84 Detroit Red Wings NHL 25 2 8 10 4 1 0 0 0 0
NHL totals 846 349 410 759 434 114 54 53 107 38

References

  1. Dinger |2011 |p=150
  2. "The Montreal Gazette - Google News Archive". Retrieved 2013-12-27.
  3. 1 2 "NHL Player Search - Player - Rick MacLeish". Legends of Hockey. Retrieved 2013-12-27.
  4. Weekes, Don, The Big Book of Hockey Trivia, Greystone Books, p. 558
  5. "Reading Eagle - Google News Archive". Retrieved 2013-12-27.
  6. http://media.harnesslink.mycms.co.nz/News/MACLEISH-BACK-IN-THE-GAME-23720

External links

Preceded by
Reggie Leach
Boston Bruins first round draft pick
1970
Succeeded by
Ron Plumb
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