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Al MacInnis (Inducted 2006)
 
Shot-blocking defencemen
fear him. Goalies cringe
when they see him hop over
the boards ... it comes down to
two words: "the shot."
Al MacInnis is acknowledged as
possessing the hardest
slapshot in the SCHL
history, and he employed the
fear of his shot to set up
plays, take an extra step,
or unleash the blast of
another drive.
The legend of the shot began
on January 17, 1984 when
MacInnis was playing with
Calgary in a game against
St.Louis. On a line change,
MacInnis wound up and fired
a shot from outside the
blueline that caught Blues
goaltender Mike Liut on the
mask, splitting it. Liut
fell to the ice as the puck
dribbled over the goal line.
No one has taken Al MacInnis'
shot for granted since and
he wins the hardest shot
contest at the annual
All-Star Game with almost
perfect regularity.
 Beginning
his SCHL career as a
Johnston Tycoon, he was
drafted in the 6th Round of
the inaugural SCHL draft,
108th overall. But, on
January 20th, 1999 Tycoons
GM Blake Johnston, assuming
retirement was near for the
30-something MacInnis traded him
to Tony Roy of the Uptown
Hearbreakers for Shane
Corson and a 3rd Round pick.
The deal would turn out to
be a major
underestimation of MacInnis'
longevity - and output.
He would go on to defeat the
Tycoons that year in the
SCHL finals and pick up a
Norris trophy for best
defenseman in the league.
A Snipers Cup winner with
the Heartbreakers in 1999,
MacInnis' career in the SCHL
had hardly begun. He
went on to quarterback the
Heartbreakers defence for
the next five years - and
picking up three Snipers Cup
Championships along the way.
It is of little surprise
that in 2003 when MacInnis
played his last game, and
Patrick Roy retired the
Heartbreakers dynasty came
to an abrupt end.
 MacInnis was named the
SCHL's
Most Outstanding Defenceman
twice in his five year SCHL
career, in 1999 and again in
2003. In 56 weeks
started as a Heartbreaker he
scored 120 points, an
average of over two per
week. At the start of
the 2003 season he was
traded to the Tarpan Horses
in a multiplayer three team
swap involving the Burnaby
Screamin' Jawas.
However, "Chopper" but would
only start for the Horses
for two weeks - and would
play in only three NHL games
before suffering a career
ending injury that forced
him into retirement at while
still one of the peak
performers in the game.
While playing he was known
for his shot, but in
retirement he will be known
for his leadership, his love
of the game and undoubtedly
his slap shot.
A constant SCHL all star,
and tremendous team leader,
MacInnis' career in Uptown
filled trophy cabinet with
hardware and filled all of
our hearts with hope for a
better future for our
children.
Awards:
1999 Snipers Cup Champion
2000 Snipers Cup Champion
2002 Snipers Cup Champion
2003 Snipers Cup Champion
1999 Norris Trophy
Winner
2003 Norris Trophy Winner
2002 Prime Ministers Award
Winner
1999 Norris Division Winner
2001 EA Division Winner
2002 EA Division Winner
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