NAHL
In 1974-75, Dale played 48 games for the Firebirds, scoring
19 goals and adding 18 assists for 37 points. He played in all of Philadelphia’s
Lockhart Cup playoff games that year, but contributed no points. The Firebirds
bowed out in the opening round to the Long
Island Cougars, three games to one. At the same time, in Philadelphia, Rick
MacLeish was playing an integral part in the Flyers second consecutive Stanley
Cup championship.
Nine games into the 1975-76 season, MacLeish moved on to the
Roanoke Valley Rebels of the Southern Hockey League. He had previously spent
time with the Rebels in the Eastern Hockey League. The Firebirds went on to win
the Lockhart Cup that season, beating the Beauce Jaros
in the finals, four to two.
Junior Hockey
MacLeish played two years of major junior hockey in the
Ontario Hockey Association. In 1965-66 and 1966-67, Dale was a member of the
Peterborough Petes. Brother Rick would join the club the following season and
play three years with Peterborough.
In his second year with the Petes, the legendary Roger
Neilson took over as head coach. Peterborough was led by Mickey
Redmond, who would go on to injury shortened NHL stardom with the Detroit
Red Wings. Mickey’s brother Dick was also on the team. Dick also went on to
play in the National Hockey League.
Pro Hockey
Dale was a fourth round pick of the Toronto Maple Leafs at
the 1966 NHL Amateur Draft, 22nd overall. At that time, the draft
still didn’t mean anything. MacLeish played pro hockey from 1968-69 to 1975-76
in the Central Hockey League, EHL, SHL and NAHL.
It was in the EHL that MacLeish enjoyed his most success.
Between the Jacksonville Rockets and the Roanoke Valley Rebels, he appeared in 270
regular season games, scoring 138 and assisting on 139 for 277 points.
Dale MacLeish played in the last ever Eastern Hockey League
final series in 1972-73. Roanoke Valley lost to the Syracuse
Blazers in six games. The Blazers outscored the Rebels 51 to 18. The
following year, the teams from the EHL split up to create the NAHL in the north
and the SHL in the south.
