Jamie Macoun

Lore & Background

Macoun stood only five feet tall at age 16 but added 11 inches in height within two years. He developed his skating ability and speed as a way to escape players who were much larger than him. He went unselected at the NHL Entry Draft and chose to focus on his education, enrolling at Ohio State. After being ruled ineligible by the NCAA for missing a class, he dropped out to sign with the Calgary Flames in January 1983. He made his NHL debut on February 10, 1983, and scored his first NHL goal on February 24 in a 4–2 loss to the Washington Capitals. In his first full season, 1983–84, he had a plus-minus rating of +44 and was named to the all-rookie team on defence.

Macoun was involved in several notorious incidents. During a 1984–85 game against the Edmonton Oilers, he was sucker punched by Mark Messier in retaliation for an earlier hit, suffering a broken cheekbone; Messier was suspended 10 games. In the third game of Calgary's first round playoff series against the Winnipeg Jets, Macoun cross-checked Dale Hawerchuk, resulting in a broken rib that caused Hawerchuk to miss the remainder of the playoffs. In the 1991–92 season, Macoun slashed Pat LaFontaine in the face, breaking his jaw and knocking out several teeth; the league ruled no intent to injure and did not suspend him.

On May 11, 1987, Macoun was involved in a serious automobile accident. He lost control of his car on a major freeway, crossed three lanes and the centre median, and slammed into an oncoming car. His car rolled onto its roof and skidded 200 feet. The first officer on scene believed the crash had been fatal. Macoun survived with his arm pinned under the vehicle; it took 45 minutes to extract him. He was charged with impaired driving but pleaded guilty to dangerous driving and was fined $1,000. Doctors believed he would never play hockey again and gave him only a fifty-fifty chance of regaining use of his injured arm. After 17 months of rehabilitation, he returned for the 1988–89 season and formed one of the NHL's top defensive pairings with Ric Nattress, helping the Flames win the Stanley Cup.

Reader's Guide

Macoun's career is notable for its trajectory from undrafted college player to two-time Stanley Cup champion. His recovery from a near-fatal car accident that caused significant nerve damage and required 17 months of rehabilitation stands as a central element of his legacy. He returned to form a top defensive pairing with Ric Nattress and contributed nine points in 22 playoff games as the Flames won their first Stanley Cup in 1989. Macoun was also part of one of the largest trades in NHL history, a ten-player deal on January 2, 1992, that sent him from Calgary to Toronto along with Doug Gilmour, Ric Nattress, Rick Wamsley, and Kent Manderville in exchange for Gary Leeman, Craig Berube, Alexander Godynyuk, Michel Petit, and Jeff Reese. The trade was credited as a catalyst for Toronto's improvement, leading to Western Conference Final appearances in 1993 and 1994. Later in his career, Macoun was traded to the Detroit Red Wings on March 24, 1998, for a fourth round draft pick. He appeared in only seven regular season games with Detroit but recorded two goals and two assists in 22 playoff games, winning his second Stanley Cup as the Red Wings swept the Washington Capitals in the 1998 Final. Internationally, Macoun played for Team Canada at three World Championships, winning silver medals in 1985 and 1991, and was named the tournament's best defenceman in 1991.

Did You Know?

• Macoun stood only five feet tall at age 16 but grew 11 inches within two years.
• He was charged with impaired driving after a 1987 car accident but pleaded guilty to dangerous driving and was fined $1,000.
• Macoun was involved in a ten-player trade on January 2, 1992, one of the largest in NHL history.
• He won the Directorate Award as the best defenceman at the 1991 World Championship.