Playing career

MacLeish was drafted 4th overall by the Boston Bruins in the 1970 NHL Amateur Draft after playing the majority of his junior career with the Peterborough Petes. After spending the first half of his first professional season with the Oklahoma City Blazers, MacLeish was involved in a three-way deal which sent him, Bruce Gamble, Dan Schock, and a 1st round pick to the Philadelphia Flyers, Bernie Parent and a 2nd round pick to the Toronto Maple Leafs, and Mike Walton to Boston. MacLeish spent the rest of the 1970-71 season with the Flyers, scoring two goals and four assists in 26 games. He also added a goal in four playoff games. In the 1971-72 season he saw his output drop considerably to a single goal, and consequently split the year between the Flyers and their AHL affiliate the Richmond Robins.

The 1972-73 season, during which the Flyers earned the nickname "the Broad Street Bullies" proved to be a breakout year for Macleish as he became the first member of the Flyers to ever score 50 goals in a single campaign. He added 50 assists this year, to bring his points total to 100. This was enough to finish fourth in league scoring, only a single point behind Bobby Orr. In the Stanley Cup playoffs, the Flyers won their first playoff series against the Minnesota North Stars and faced the heavily favored Montreal Canadiens in the semi final round. Macleish and the Flyers stunned the Canadiens winning the opening game in Montreal when the Flyers' center intercepted an errant Frank Mahovlich pass (Mahovlich lost the puck in a legendary "puddle of water" on the ice) and scored in overtime. The Flyers pushed the Canadians into overtime in game 2 as well but would lose 4-3 and would eventually lose the series 4 games to one.

In the 1973-74 Macleish's regular season scoring dropped slightly, as he scored 32 goals and added 45 assists. In the playoffs, however, he led all scorers with 13 goals and 9 assists as the Flyers claimed their first ever Stanley Cup. He scored the only goal in the series' sixth and final game, and narrowly missed out on winning the Conn Smythe Trophy to his teammate Bernie Parent.

After another successful regular season in 1974-75, notching 38 goals and 41 assists Macleish went on to lead his team again in playoff scoring as they won a second consecutive championship. This championship marked the last time the trophy was raised by a team consisting of only Canadian born players.

Macleish's 1975-76 season was marred by injury as he only played in 51 games. He manages to accumulate 22 goals and 23 assists in the regular season, but was unable to play in the playoffs which saw the Flyers swept in four games by the Montreal Canadiens.

The following year saw Macleish lead the Flyers in scoring for the first time in his career, tallying 49 goals and 48 assists. It also was the first year in which he earned an invitation to the all star game, a feat he would duplicate in the following year.

His skating and playing style was influenced by years of "river skating" where he developed his smooth, long striding speed. Macleish depended on a whipping and accurate wrist shot for the majority of his goals and was the Flyers' first, pure goal scoring "sniper". His often used scoring move involved carrying the puck over the blue line, quickly darting to the left and then wrist shooting the puck back to the right against the goaltender. In a game against the Los Angeles Kings in April 1978, Macleish narrowly avoided serious injury suffering a cut neck requiring 80 stitches when he slid into the skate of center Marcel Dionne. Several days later, he was back in the lineup. He joked later that he smoked a cigarette in the locker room afterward and smoke came out his throat.

In retirement, Macleish enjoys his passion for owning racehorses. In the early 2000s, he suffered a heart attack during a Flyers Alumni game and had cardiac bypass surgery the next day. Macleish also suffers from diabetes.

On May 11, 2016, MacLeish's daughter announced her father had been "battling multiple medical problems" for the last 6 weeks in a Philadelphia hospital. The family did not disclose the nature of MacLeish's illness.

Career statistics

				Regular Season						Playoffs
Season	Team	League		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
1966-67	London Nationals	OHA-Jr.		2	0	0	0	0		—	—	—	—	—
1966-67	Peterborough Petes	OHA-Jr.		8	0	0	0	0		—	—	—	—	—
1967-68	Peterborough Petes	OHA-Jr.		54	24	25	49	16		5	2	1	3	0
1968-69	Peterborough Petes	OHA-Jr.		54	50	42	92	29		10	7	14	21	8
1969-70	Peterborough Petes	OHA-Jr.		54	45	56	101	135		6	4	4	8	10
1970-71	Oklahoma City Blazers	CHL		46	13	15	28	93		—	—	—	—	—
1970-71	Philadelphia Flyers	NHL		26	2	4	6	19		4	1	0	1	0
1971-72	Richmond Robins	AHL		42	24	11	35	33		—	—	—	—	—
1971-72	Philadelphia Flyers	NHL		17	1	2	3	9		—	—	—	—	—
1972-73	Philadelphia Flyers	NHL		78	50	50	100	69		10	3	4	7	2
1973-74	Philadelphia Flyers	NHL		78	32	45	77	42		17	13	9	22	20
1974-75	Philadelphia Flyers	NHL		80	38	41	79	50		17	11	9	20	8
1975-76	Philadelphia Flyers	NHL		51	22	23	45	16		—	—	—	—	—
1976-77	Philadelphia Flyers	NHL		79	49	48	97	42		10	4	9	13	2
1977-78	Philadelphia Flyers	NHL		76	31	39	70	33		12	7	9	16	4
1978-79	Philadelphia Flyers	NHL		71	26	32	58	47		7	0	1	1	0
1979-80	Philadelphia Flyers	NHL		78	31	35	66	28		19	9	6	15	2
1980-81	Philadelphia Flyers	NHL		78	38	36	74	25		12	5	5	10	0
1981-82	Hartford Whalers	NHL		34	6	16	22	16		—	—	—	—	—
1981-82	Pittsburgh Penguins	NHL		40	13	12	25	28		5	1	1	2	0
1982-83	Pittsburgh Penguins	NHL		6	0	5	5	2		—	—	—	—	—
1982-83	EHC Kloten	NDA		1	0	0	0	0		—	—	—	—	—
1983-84	Philadelphia Flyers	NHL		29	8	14	22	4		—	—	—	—	—
1983-84	Detroit Red Wings	NHL		25	2	8	10	4		1	0	0	0	0
NHL totals				846	349	410	759	434		114	54	53	107	38

[ Source: Wikipedia ]