The Phoenix Coyotes, parent club of the AHL’s San Antonio Rampage, on Monday announced that the team has signed center Donald MacLean to a two-year contract.
As per club policy, terms of the contract were not disclosed.
MacLean is coming off an incredible 2005-06 season in which he earned the Les Cunningham Award as the American Hockey League’s most valuable player, as voted by players and members of the media in each of the league’s 27 cities.
Skating in 76 games for the Grand Rapids Griffins, MacLean tied for the AHL lead with 56 goals, which is also tied for the eighth-highest total in the league’s 70-year history, and added 32 assists for 88 points, good for fourth in the AHL. He helped the Griffins to a league-best 55 wins and 115 points in 2005-06, as well as the top-ranked offense (4.04 goals per game).
MacLean put together a 19-game scoring streak, recorded five hat tricks, and even captured the Hardest Shot event at the skills competition during the 2006 Rbk Hockey AHL All-Star Classic.
For his amazing campaign, MacLean was also named First Team AHL All-Star.
In 447 career AHL games, MacLean has tallied 190 goals and 218 assists for 408 points. He won the John B. Sollenberger Trophy as the AHL’s leading scorer when he paced the league with 87 points in 2001-02.
A native of Sydney, N.S., MacLean recorded one goal and one assist in three NHL contests with Detroit last season. For his career, he has seven goals and four assists for 11 points in 32 NHL games.
