Best of the Rest: John MacLean

[LastWordArmy]

Our summer hockey series is called Best of the Rest. We look at the best player in each franchise's history who is Not in the Hockey Hall of Fame, and retired for at least three years making them Hall eligible.

Here is the New Jersey Edition.

http://lastwordonsports.com/2014/08/06/best-rest-new-jersey-devils-john-maclean/

Click to read more...

 

[Bleedred]

Is this about John MacLean the player? Or that idiot coach we had, who went by the same name?

 

[ajdevjet]

Our summer hockey series is called Best of the Rest. We look at the best player in each franchise's history who is Not in the Hockey Hall of Fame, and retired for at least three years making them Hall eligible.

Here is the New Jersey Edition.

http://lastwordonsports.com/2014/08/06/best-rest-new-jersey-devils-john-maclean/

one of the most prolific scores in our history, met him a few times and he was a really nice guy, also scored one of (if not the) most important goal in Devil history...love him !

 

[OxfordDevil]

Is this about John MacLean the player? Or that idiot coach we had, who went by the same name?

I know you're joking, but for a lot of younger fans, myself included, the only feelings toward Maclean are based on a 9-22 record or whatever it was. Such a same he wasn't even an average coach for us to protect his legacy

 

[Better Call Sal]

It's an absolute crime for anyone to really hang his coaching record here over his head after everything else he did for the franchise.

I know he was not a good head coach, but Johnny Mac will always have a spot in Devils lore, just as he should.

 

[schoenfeld]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k-ddtMg0Flk

some of docs best commentary ever.

 

[devilsblood]

Back in the days when the only ways I could follow the Devils was by radio and the newspaper. I used to fall asleep listening to the games at night.

Mac was my first favorite hockey player.

 

[Bleedred]

Back in the days when the only ways I could follow the Devils was by radio and the newspaper. I used to fall asleep listening to the games at night.

Mac was my first favorite hockey player.

He was mine too, which is why he isn't the same person as the head coach to me.

 

[OxfordDevil]

It's an absolute crime for anyone to really hang his coaching record here over his head after everything else he did for the franchise.

I know he was not a good head coach, but Johnny Mac will always have a spot in Devils lore, just as he should.

I agree entirely, but having never seen him play I find it hard to separate the player and the head coach so easily, and my first thought upon hearing his name is (sadly) the head coach

 

[JimEIV]

Reid Boucher reminds me a lot of John MacLean the player....but that's another topic...

Johnny Mac was one of those guys who "never was the same" after he blew out his knee...he was in the prime of his career coming of off 3 straight 40 goal seasons and then the knee injury.

Mac probably was the best pure goal scorer in devil history.

EDIT:
It should also be know Maclean finished 9th in Hart voting 1990-91 and was a top 10 goal scorer in the league (tied for 7th with two Hall of famers Luc Robitaille and Joe Nieuwendyk) That knee injury that caused him to miss the entire 1991-92 season seem to really derail his production---Although I think he blamed Lemaire.

 

[JimEIV]

I saw him play live a lot and he was easily my favorite devil forward until Claude Lemieux arrived.

Pat Verbeek, John MacLean then Claude during the late 80's early 90's.

 

[Missionhockey]

The article asks whether he should be in the Hall of Fame? Is there really even an argument? If Elias is a borderline case then MacLean has not shot.

 

[JimEIV]

He should not be in the Hall of Fame...Neither should Cam Neely, Clark Gillies or Glenn Anderson...But whatever.

 

[Devils Dominion]

Reid Boucher reminds me a lot of John MacLean the player....but that's another topic...

Johnny Mac was one of those guys who "never was the same" after he blew out his knee...he was in the prime of his career coming of off 3 straight 40 goal seasons and then the knee injury.

Mac probably was the best pure goal scorer in devil history.

EDIT:
It should also be know Maclean finished 9th in Hart voting 1990-91 and was a top 10 goal scorer in the league (tied for 7th with two Hall of famers Luc Robitaille and Joe Nieuwendyk) That knee injury that caused him to miss the entire 1991-92 season seem to really derail his production---Although I think he blamed Lemaire.

That knee injury was suffered in a preseason game too, in Uniondale, NY.

 

[jkrdevil]

I know you're joking, but for a lot of younger fans, myself included, the only feelings toward Maclean are based on a 9-22 record or whatever it was. Such a same he wasn't even an average coach for us to protect his legacy

That and demanding a trade on the day of a game. His tenure as a player here ended in a very sour note, and his coaching debacle only adds to it.

 

[Missionhockey]

Reid Boucher reminds me a lot of John MacLean the player....but that's another topic...

Johnny Mac was one of those guys who "never was the same" after he blew out his knee...he was in the prime of his career coming of off 3 straight 40 goal seasons and then the knee injury.

Mac probably was the best pure goal scorer in devil history.

EDIT:
It should also be know Maclean finished 9th in Hart voting 1990-91 and was a top 10 goal scorer in the league (tied for 7th with two Hall of famers Luc Robitaille and Joe Nieuwendyk) That knee injury that caused him to miss the entire 1991-92 season seem to really derail his production---Although I think he blamed Lemaire.

How so?

 

[Bleedred]

I saw him play live a lot and he was easily my favorite devil forward until Claude Lemieux arrived.

Pat Verbeek, John MacLean then Claude during the late 80's early 90's.

Kind of similar to me. MacLean was my favorite and then Claude. After Claude left it was Marty, but I still followed Claude in Colorado.

He should not be in the Hall of Fame...Neither should Cam Neely, Clark Gillies or Glenn Anderson...But whatever.

Pavel Bure is another, what a ****ing joke.

That and demanding a trade on the day of a game. His tenure as a player here ended in a very sour note, and his coaching debacle only adds to it.

I was never bothered by that. This was a pretty downbeat time in the locker room though. I believe Dano was in rehab while Mac asked for a trade. The whole ordeal didn't do anything to alter team morale though. It was over quick and done with.

I never was mad at him for signing with the Rangers either. He signed there (over Toronto) because he wanted to be closer to his family. He wanted to move back to the area after being in San Jose for that half season after we traded him. He was actually one of the Rangers best players those first two years. Then they buried him in the minors.

 

[JimEIV]

Pavel Bure is another, what a ****ing joke.

.

I 100% agree but I thought that would start a nasty argument so I left it alone.

 

[JimEIV]

How so?

Not overly fast, short and stocky -wide base skaters - main attribute is their shot - some toughness - going to score goals on their hockey sense not raw talent alone....Those sort of things.

EDIT: By scoring with hockey sense I meant finding those open area's/arriving late and generally getting open for a shot.

 

[CKPLAYA]

I saw him play live a lot and he was easily my favorite devil forward until Claude Lemieux arrived.

Pat Verbeek, John MacLean then Claude during the late 80's early 90's.

Same here. I think all us old guys grew up the same way. It's a bit strange how little recognition the original big three get from the organization. Muller/Verbeek/Maclean and to a lesser extent A. Broten. These guys were the trailblazers for this organization and yet they are never seem to be around or mentioned. When Parise wore the the throwback #9 I could swear it was Muller. First jersey I ever got was Muller's but it was #27. LOL!

 

[JimEIV]

Same here. I think all us old guys grew up the same way. It's a bit strange how little recognition the original big three get from the organization. Muller/Verbeek/Maclean and to a lesser extent A. Broten. These guys were the trailblazers for this organization and yet they are never seem to be around or mentioned. When Parise wore the the throwback #9 I could swear it was Muller. First jersey I ever got was Muller's but it was #27. LOL!

I think the first jersey for a lot of us was #9. I think I bought mine at Hermans in Willowbrook mall along with my green Starter jacket

 

[CKPLAYA]

I think the first jersey for a lot of us was #9. I think I bought mine at Hermans in Willowbrook mall along with my green Starter jacket

That green starter was classic. I got my Muller #27 his rookie year. Learned a valuable lesson young. Never buy a jersey and put a number or players name on it unless they are retired. LOL!

 

[The 29th Pick]

Same here. I think all us old guys grew up the same way. It's a bit strange how little recognition the original big three get from the organization. Muller/Verbeek/Maclean and to a lesser extent A. Broten. These guys were the trailblazers for this organization and yet they are never seem to be around or mentioned. When Parise wore the the throwback #9 I could swear it was Muller. First jersey I ever got was Muller's but it was #27. LOL!

they would probably be recognized more positively if they didn't want out of Jersey so badly.

 

[CKPLAYA]

they would probably be recognized more positively if they didn't want out of Jersey so badly.

I agree. Muller I believe left under the best conditions (trade for Richer) however the relationship was strained. Verbeek and Mac left under bad terms. Verbeek was probably the most unhappiest player in Devils history to that point when he left. I read a few years ago that he basically doesn't even recognize his time here. Can't remember exactly what it was but my guess would be money. The one thing I remember about Mac is that when he tore up his knee in preseason he was actually negoiating a new deal and Lou honored the deal. Always thought Mac was wrong for the way he felt at the end but that was water under the bridge hence he came back into the fold as a coach.

 

[The 29th Pick]

I agree. Muller I believe left under the best conditions (trade for Richer) however the relationship was strained. Verbeek and Mac left under bad terms. Verbeek was probably the most unhappiest player in Devils history to that point when he left. I read a few years ago that he basically doesn't even recognize his time here. Can't remember exactly what it was but my guess would be money. The one thing I remember about Mac is that when he tore up his knee in preseason he was actually negoiating a new deal and Lou honored the deal. Always thought Mac was wrong for the way he felt at the end but that was water under the bridge hence he came back into the fold as a coach.

I'm glad you remember this (I was ready for an argument!)
yeah when Lou took over the team it was in disarray, Muller held out, even Dano was ticked off, they wanted more money, Verbeek bad mouthed the organization after he left, and Mac...well he demanded a trade.
and getting back on subject, I don't think Mac is a HOF'er, one of the best Devils, but not a HOF'er