Parker’s final series misfortunes continued into his coaching career. He took the 1969-70 Iowa Stars to the CHL finals before losing to the Omaha Knights. In both 1977-78 and 1978-79, his New Haven Nighthawks were Calder Cup finalists, losing in both campaigns to the Maine Mariners.
Parker MacDonald – Junior/Minor Pro
MacDonald played three seasons of major junior hockey with the Toronto Marlboros from 1950-51 to 1952-53. In his second season, Parker scored 39 and assisted on 51 for 90 points over 52 regular season games. Great numbers, yes, but in the high scoring OHA that season, his assist total placed him just seventh and his 90 points were good for just eighth in the race for the Eddie Powers Trophy. Over his three years, MacDonald totalled 202 points in 158 games for the Marlboros.
Parker MacDonald Collection:
Parker showed signs of offensive brilliance in 1955-56 with the Pittsburgh Hornets in the AHL. His 35 goals tied for sixth in the league. His first major playoff run in the league came a few years later in 1958-59 with the Buffalo Bisons.
That 1958-59 Buffalo team finished first overall in the six team AHL. Parker had a lackluster regular season offensively with just 38 points in 67 games. However, he tied Bill Sweeney and Billy Dea for the team lead in the playoffs with nine points over eleven games. The Bisons reached the Calder Cup finals but fell to the fourth seed Hershey Bears in six games. Despite the two win difference, each team was equal with 19 goals each.
The following year, 1959-60, MacDonald moved east to join the powerful Springfield Indians. His offensive numbers went way up with 37 goals and 36 assists for 73 points over 65 regular season games. The Indians finished first overall in the seven team AHL. Parker tied for third overall in goal scoring with teammate Bill Sweeney. Springfield reached the Calder Cup finals and were victorious over the Rochester Americans in five games.
Near the end of his playing career, MacDonald once again found himself in the AHL, this time with the 1966-67 Pittsburgh Hornets. It would be Pittsburgh’s last year in the American Hockey League with the Penguins ready to start 1967-68 in the NHL. The Hornets finished first overall in the now nine team AHL. In the Calder Cup finals, Pittsburgh swept the Amerks in four for the championship.
Parker MacDonald – NHL
MacDonald played 676 regular season games in the National Hockey League between 1952-53 and 1968-69 with the Toronto Maple Leafs, New York Rangers, Detroit Red Wings, Boston Bruins and Minnesota North Stars. Over that time, he scored 144 and assisted on 179 for 323 points. In 75 Stanley Cup playoff games, he added 28 points.
Parker’s first NHL game came as a junior in 1952-53 when he played a single game for the Maple Leafs. He would not play another game in the NHL until 1954-55. He got his start with Toronto but it was with Detroit where MacDonald had his greatest success.
With the Red Wings, MacDonald played in four Stanley Cup finals but did not win a championship. In 1960-61, the Wings lost in six to the Chicago Blackhawks. Two years later in 1962-63, Detroit fell to the Maple Leafs in five. The following year, it was Toronto again beating Detroit in the finals in a full seven game battle of the underdogs between the third place Maple Leafs and the fourth place Red Wings. In 1965-66, Detroit fell to the Montreal Canadiens in six games in the finals.
Parker’s greatest season offensively in the NHL came in 1962-63 with Detroit. He finished third on the Red Wings with 61 points, behind Gordie Howe and Alex Delvecchio. His 33 goals placed him fifth in the NHL.
Interestingly, Detroit traded MacDonald away to the Boston Bruins in May, 1965. Going east with him were Bob Dillabough, Ron Harris an Al Langlois. Heading to Detroit were Bob McCord, Ab McDonald and Ken Stephanson. However, 29 games into he 1965-66 season, Parker was traded back to the Red Wings, in time for that one last run to the Stanley Cup finals.
At the 1967 NHL Expansion Draft, the Minnesota North Stars took MacDonald in the 18th round, 104th overall. In that inaugural 1967-68 season, Minnesota played well and won their opening round series in seven games over the Los Angeles Kings. In the West Division final, the North Stars lost to the St. Louis Blues in seven games. The series was as close as could be with four games decided in overtime, including game seven that went into a second overtime period. Minnesota outscored the Blues 22-18 on the series, despite the loss.
Parker MacDonald – Coaching
Parker jumped right behind the bench after retiring as a player and had a lengthy coaching career in pro hockey. His first team was the Iowa Stars of the Central Hockey League in 1969-70. With the help of young talent like Dick Redmond, Gilles Gilbert and Walt McKechnie, the Stars finished second in the seven team CHL, just one point behind the Omaha Knights and one point ahead of the Tulsa Oilers. The Stars reached the finals before losing to the Knights in five games.
His first shot at an AHL club didn’t go so well. He started 1970-71 as head coach of the Cleveland Barons but was replaced midseason by John Muckler. After a year off, he returned to the American Hockey League to coach the New Haven Nighthawks from 1972-73 to 1979-80.
The 1977-78 Nighthawks lost in the Calder Cup finals to the Maine Mariners in five games. The following year, there was a rematch with New Haven this time getting swept by Maine. However, in their playoff run, MacDonald’s Nighthawks made AHL history. In a semi-final game against the Binghamton Dusters, New Haven won game three by the score of 15-1. Those 15 goals stand today as the most by one team in an AHL playoff game. That year, Parker was honoured with the Louis A.R. Pieri Memorial Award as the league’s coach of the year.
He would get his chance at the NHL. In 1980-81, Parker was assistant coach of the Los Angeles Kings. Bob Berry was the head coach and Ralph Backstrom was the other assistant. With the Triple Crown Line in their prime, the Kings had a ton of potential and finished fourth overall in the 21 team NHL. However, in the opening round, Los Angeles lost to the New York Rangers.
MacDonald started the 1981-82 season as head coach of the Kings. With just 13 wins in 42 games, he was replaced midseason by Don Perry. Despite finishing the season with just 63 points over the 80 game schedule, the Kings made the playoffs. Los Angeles then went on to play giant killers, knocking off the Edmonton Oilers in the opening round before falling to the Vancouver Canucks.
Parker MacDonald – Rookie Card
He played his first NHL game in 1952-53 but the Parker MacDonald rookie card did not appear until 1955-56 when it was number nine in the Parkhurst set. The card is valued as a common and MacDonald is shown as a member of the Toronto Maple Leafs.
| Season | Team | Lge | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM |
| 1950-51 | Toronto Marlboros | OHA | 51 | 31 | 22 | 53 | 50 |
| 1951-52 | Toronto Marlboros | OHA | 52 | 39 | 51 | 90 | 58 |
| 1952-53 | Toronto Marlboros | OHA | 55 | 39 | 21 | 60 | 48 |
| 1952-53 | Toronto Maple Leafs | NHL | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1952-53 | Pittsburgh Hornets | AHL | Playoffs only | ||||
| 1953-54 | Pittsburgh Hornets | AHL | 70 | 29 | 24 | 53 | 22 |
| 1954-55 | Pittsburgh Hornets | AHL | 8 | 3 | 4 | 7 | 2 |
| 1954-55 | Toronto Maple Leafs | NHL | 62 | 8 | 3 | 11 | 36 |
| 1955-56 | Pittsburgh Hornets | AHL | 58 | 35 | 32 | 67 | 60 |
| 1956-57 | Providence Reds | AHL | 2 | 4 | 1 | 5 | 0 |
| 1956-57 | New York Rangers | NHL | 45 | 7 | 8 | 15 | 24 |
| 1957-58 | New York Rangers | NHL | 70 | 8 | 10 | 18 | 30 |
| 1958-59 | Buffalo Bisons | AHL | 67 | 17 | 21 | 38 | 58 |
| 1959-60 | New York Rangers | NHL | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1959-60 | Springfield Indians | AHL | 65 | 37 | 36 | 73 | 16 |
| 1960-61 | Detroit Red Wings | NHL | 70 | 14 | 12 | 26 | 6 |
| 1961-62 | Hershey Bears | AHL | 20 | 10 | 4 | 14 | 8 |
| 1961-62 | Detroit Red Wings | NHL | 32 | 5 | 7 | 12 | 8 |
| 1962-63 | Detroit Red Wings | NHL | 69 | 33 | 28 | 61 | 32 |
| 1963-64 | Detroit Red Wings | NHL | 68 | 21 | 25 | 46 | 25 |
| 1964-65 | Detroit Red Wings | NHL | 69 | 13 | 33 | 46 | 38 |
| 1965-66 | Boston Bruins | NHL | 29 | 6 | 4 | 10 | 6 |
| 1965-66 | Detroit Red Wings | NHL | 37 | 5 | 12 | 17 | 24 |
| 1966-67 | Pittsburgh Hornets | AHL | 59 | 16 | 30 | 46 | 18 |
| 1966-67 | Detroit Red Wings | NHL | 16 | 3 | 5 | 8 | 2 |
| 1967-68 | Memphis South Stars | CPHL | 5 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 2 |
| 1967-68 | Minnesota North Stars | NHL | 69 | 19 | 23 | 42 | 22 |
| 1968-69 | Memphis South Stars | CHL | 28 | 6 | 11 | 17 | 18 |
| 1968-69 | Minnesota North Stars | NHL | 35 | 2 | 9 | 11 | 0 |
| NHL Totals | 676 | 144 | 179 | 323 | 253 | ||