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Obituary of Allister Wences MacNeil
September 27, 1935 – Sydney, Nova Scotia
January 5, 2025 – Calgary, Alberta
Nova Scotia-born Al MacNeil, a Stanley Cup winning Head Coach, National Hockey League (NHL) player, and Calgary Flames executive and consultant whose name is engraved on the Stanley Cup four times, passed away at the age of 89 years, on Sunday, January 5, 2025, surrounded by family in Calgary, AB.
A proud Cape Bretoner, Al was the fourth of eight born to Helen and Stephen MacNeil of Sydney, NS. Al was married to Norma (MacSween) for 58 years, living in different NHL cities, but always returning to their cottage in Cape Breton to be near cherished extended family, summer friends and community.
They have two children, Allister MacNeil, a scout for the Calgary Flames, and Allison MacNeil Sparkes (Paul), as well as two grandsons, Jack, and Ben Sparkes.
Al is predeceased by older siblings Frank MacNeil (Dolly), and Betty Nicholson (Nick). His living siblings are Mary Shea (Frannie, deceased), and brothers John Hayes (Elaine), Dugga (Florence, deceased), Vincent (Etta, deceased), Elwin (Jane), and many cousins, nieces, and nephews across Canada and the United States.
Al’s passion for his family, Nova Scotia, and the game of hockey was lifelong and never dimmed.
An Original Six player, Al was a rugged defenceman and open-ice hitter who played 524 NHL games for the Toronto Maple Leafs, Montreal Canadiens, Chicago Blackhawks, New York Rangers, and the Pittsburgh Penguins. Montreal Canadiens’ General Manager Sam Pollock acquired his rights and Al spent two seasons mentoring young players as a Player Coach, first for the Houston Apollos of the Central Hockey League (CHL) in 1968-69, and then for the Montreal Voyageurs of the American Hockey League (AHL) in 1969-70.
Al won his first Stanley Cup as the rookie Head Coach of the Montreal Canadiens in 1971, his second and third Cups as the Director of Player Personnel for the Canadiens in their 1978 and 1979 Stanley Cup wins, and his fourth as the Assistant General Manager of the Calgary Flames 1989 Stanley Cup winning team.
As an NHL player, coach, and executive, Al took tremendous pride in developing and coaching hundreds of NHL hockey players over many decades.
As the General Manager and Head Coach of the Montreal Canadiens’ farm team, he guided the Nova Scotia Voyageurs to three Calder Cup Championships in 1972, 1976 and 1977. He was named American Hockey League Coach of the Year two times in 1972 and 1977 and was inducted into the American Hockey League Hall of Fame in 2014.
Al was an Assistant Coach of Team Canada, winning the 1976 Canada Cup, and also for the 1981 Canada Cup team.
As a junior player with the Toronto Marlboros, he won two Memorial Cups in 1955, and as team captain in 1956. One of his proudest achievements was being named Best Defenceman for the Eastern Professional Hockey League (EPHL) while also captaining the team to the championship in the 1960-61 season.
Al was the last Head Coach of the Atlanta Flames and the first Head Coach of the Calgary Flames for their first two seasons in that city. He was a part of the Flames’ hockey operations for more than four decades. He returned to the NHL Bench as Interim Head Coach for the Flames for 13 games in the 2002-2003 season. Al loved the team, the organization, and the city of Calgary and made it home since arriving for the 1980-81 season from Atlanta.
A member of the American Hockey League Hall of Fame, the Nova Scotia Sports Hall of Fame, and the Cape Breton Sports Hall of Fame, he also holds an honourary doctorate from Cape Breton University.
Al’s two grandsons, Jack Sparkes, a 2022 draft pick of the Los Angeles Kings, and Ben Sparkes, a university student in Nova Scotia who plays Junior B hockey, have grown up in Toronto but spend time at the family cottage in Cape Breton in the summers.
We wish to thank the ownership, management and staff of the Calgary Flames Hockey Club, Flames fans, the National Hockey League, and the American Hockey League for being sources of lifelong joy for Al.
The following tributes and news releases celebrate Al's life and legacy, as shared by the Calgary Flames and the National Hockey League. These pieces highlight Al’s contributions and the profound impact he had on the sport, the community, and beyond.
Special thank you to Dr. Terry Groves, Dr. Stuart Hutchinson, Dr. Garnette Sutherland and to the wonderful nurses and doctors of the Intensive Care and Neurosurgery Units of the Foothills Medical Centre for taking excellent care of Al in his last weeks.
A funeral service will be held in Calgary with arrangements being made by McInnis & Holloway. A celebration of life will be planned for Cape Breton in the summer of 2025.
Condolences, memories, and photos may be shared and viewed with Al’s family here.
In living memory of Allister Wences MacNeil, a tree will be planted in the Ann & Sandy Cross Conservation Area by McInnis & Holloway Funeral Homes, Deerfoot South, 12281 – 40th Street SE, Calgary, AB T2Z 4E6, Telephone: 403-203-0525.
