Parker MacDonald
Canadian left winger and NHL coach.
Calvin Parker MacDonald, a Canadian left winger, played professional hockey in the NHL for five teams from 1953 to 1969. He later served as head coach for the Minnesota North Stars and the Los Angeles Kings. He lived from June 14, 1933, to August 17, 2017.
Quick Facts
- Played for
- Toronto Maple Leafs
- New York Rangers
- Detroit Red Wings
- Boston Bruins
- Minnesota North Stars
- Position
- Centre
- Shoots
- Left
- Born
- 14 June 1933
- Birthplace
- Sydney, Nova Scotia, Canada
- Died
- 17 August 2017
- Place of death
- Northford, Connecticut, U.S.
Facts from the source article.
Playing career
MacDonald first made a name for himself with the Toronto Marlboros in the Ontario Hockey Association during the 1951–52 season. A natural scorer, the team believed he needed more development. He got a brief taste of the NHL in 1952, appearing in a single game for the Toronto Maple Leafs. Impressed, the Leafs sent him to the AHL the next year, where he suited up for the Pittsburgh Hornets. He finally cracked the Leafs' lineup full-time in 1954. After that season, the New York Rangers took him in the Intra-League Draft. His time with New York was marked by constant movement between the Rangers and their AHL affiliates. When the Rangers gave up on him, MacDonald saw a doctor about a lingering shoulder problem. To his surprise, a piece of a broken drill from an earlier surgery was still lodged inside. The Detroit Red Wings took a chance on him in the 1960 Intra-League Draft. That year, he hit his stride as the center on the "Production line" alongside Gordie Howe and Alex Delvecchio. His best season came in 1962–63, when he netted 33 goals, eight of which were game-winners. He stayed with Detroit until May 31, 1965, when he was traded to the Boston Bruins with Albert Langlois, Ron Harris, and Bob Dillabough for Ab McDonald, Bob McCord, and Ken Stephanson. After just half a season, Boston sent him back to Detroit for Pit Martin. In the 1967 Expansion Draft, the Minnesota North Stars selected him 18th overall. Over two seasons with the Stars, he put up 62 points, including nine in the playoffs. MacDonald hung up his skates in 1969, finishing his NHL career with 323 points across 676 games.
Coaching
After his playing days ended, MacDonald took on a player-coach role with the Central Hockey League's Iowa Stars. He guided the team to a 35–26–11 record, though they fell in the championship series. He then spent a season as the full-time coach of the New Haven Nighthawks before returning to his old NHL club, the Minnesota North Stars, as head coach. Despite a strong performance there, he found the pressure too intense and went back to the Nighthawks. Over the next five seasons, his teams always posted winning records but could not win the playoffs, losing in the finals twice. His efforts earned him the AHL's Louis A.R. Pieri Memorial Award as top coach for the 1978–79 season. MacDonald gave the NHL another try, first as an assistant with the Los Angeles Kings in 1980, then as their head coach in 1981–82. He stepped down partway through that season with a 13–24–5 record.
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