Middleton’s Cail Maclean head coach for AHL’S Stockton Heat

The Calgary Flames have recently announced the appointment of Cail Maclean as the head coach of their American Hockey League affiliate Stockton Heat for 2018-19.

The 41-year-old Middleton native began his minor hockey playing career with nine years as a local Mustang followed by a year each in Western Valley Bantam AAA, Valley AAA Midget, and Junior A with the Ottawa Senators.

Maclean then had a four-year career in the OHL with the Kitchener Frontenacs capped off with the captaincy in his final season in 1997-98 before embarking on an 11-year professional career in the AHL, IHL, and ECHL.

He became an excellent defensive player excelling as a shotblocker and on the penalty kill, travelling to 16 different teams in his illustrious playing career.

Retiring as an active player in 2008, Maclean immediately stepped into the coaching ranks as an assistant coach of his former team the South Carolina Sting Rays of the ECHL under head coach Jared Bednar, presently head coach of Cole Harbour’s Nathan Mackinnon and the Colorado Avalanche.

When Bednar stepped up to the NHL, Maclean took over as coach of the Sting Rays for 200910 and 2010-11 and was runnerup for the Antigonish native John Brophy Award as the ECHL Coach of the Year.

Maclean then joined the Calgary Flames organization as an assistant coach with Abbotsford in the AHL for two years under coach Troy Ward. He took a hiatus from the professional ranks for two years while coaching in private school and hockey schools in New England, Florida, and South Carolina.

Maclean returned to the Flames organization in 2015-16 for a two-year stint as coach and director of hockey operations for their Adirondack Thunder of the ECHL.

Last year he moved up to the Flames AHL affiliate the Stockton Heat under coach Ryan Huska. Huska has just moved up as an assistant coach with the NHL Flames for 2018-19 with Maclean just announced as his successor in California.

Maclean will once more be using all the knowledge he has gained during the past 36 years as a player and coach to instill in his charges the abilities they hope to carry them to the ‘Show.’ Maclean is a ‘players coach’ and a tremendous hockey clinician, both of which will be beneficial for all this coming season

Middletonians and many others from throughout Nova Scotia and elsewhere will be cheering for Maclean this coming hockey season in the far off climes of California.