Rick MacLeish was a Canadian professional ice hockey player who played as a center for the Philadelphia Flyers and the Hartford Whalers. He was born on January 3, 1950, in Cannington, Ontario, Canada. MacLeish started his hockey career in the Ontario Hockey Association (OHA) with the Peterborough Petes in 1967. He played for the Petes for three seasons and was a key player in their Memorial Cup championship win in 1969.
In 1970, MacLeish was drafted by the Philadelphia Flyers in the first round, 4th overall, in the NHL Amateur Draft. He made his NHL debut in the 1970-71 season and quickly established himself as a top scorer for the Flyers. He was part of the famous "LCB" line, along with Reggie Leach and Bobby Clarke, which was one of the most dominant lines in NHL history. MacLeish played for the Flyers for 12 seasons and was a key player in their back-to-back Stanley Cup championships in 1974 and 1975.
MacLeish was known for his offensive skills and was a consistent scorer throughout his career. He scored 50 goals in the 1972-73 season, which was a franchise record at the time. He also had a career-high 105 points in the 1974-75 season. MacLeish was named to the NHL All-Star team twice in his career, in 1976 and 1980.
In 1981, MacLeish was traded to the Hartford Whalers, where he played for two seasons before retiring in 1984. He finished his NHL career with 349 goals and 410 assists for 759 points in 846 games. MacLeish was inducted into the Philadelphia Flyers Hall of Fame in 1990.
After retiring from hockey, MacLeish worked as a sales representative for a beer distributor in Philadelphia. He also coached youth hockey and was involved in various charitable organizations. MacLeish passed away on May 30, 2016, at the age of 66. He was remembered by his former teammates and fans as a talented player and a great person off the ice.
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