Wheat Kings mourn the passing of John “Al” Macpherson
It is with heavy hearts that we mourn the passing of long time Wheat Kings scout and Director of player personnel John “Al” Macpherson.
Born May 2, 1941, in Eston, Saskatchewan, Al was involved in minor hockey which led him to work for Kelly McCrimmon and the Brandon Wheat Kings for 36 years. First as scout before he would become director of player personnel.
“The Brandon Wheat Kings organization is incredibly saddened to hear of the passing of Al Macpherson.” Said Brandon Wheat Kings General Manager and Head Coach Marty Murray. “ I remember Al very vividly from my time as a player in the 90’s. He was always a true gentleman and very well respected. Al left his mark on the Wheat Kings through his hard work and dedication for decades. Our deepest condolences go out to Al’s friends and family”
One of the most respected and successful junior hockey scouts in Western Canada, Macpherson is one of the longest serving members in the organizations history, first joining the team in a part-time scouting capacity back in 1986.He took over a full-time role as director of player personnel in 1998 and began overseeing a scouting staff and a 50-player protected list that has generally been one of the strongest in the league for decades. Also in that time, the team advanced to two league finals, four Eastern Conference finals and made it to the final of the Memorial Cup in 2010.
In an article written in July 2013 when Al retired from the Wheat Kings, McCrimmon credited Macpherson with helping put in place the building blocks of the club’s success over the years.
“Any franchise, to have success, has to have good players and to have good players you have to have good scouting,” McCrimmon said. “And obviously development is another component to that, which happens when the players arrive here. But the one thing that we’ve been pretty consistently able to say is we’ve always had good players to work with.”
Al’s impact is still felt on the scouting staff today as his legacy has proven to endure to the new generation.
“Our deepest condolences from the Jacobson family and the entire Brandon Wheat Kings organization” said Jared Jacobson, Owner and Governor for the Wheat Kings. ” Al was instrumental in the success of our franchise for so long, he will be missed. Once a Wheat King, Always a Wheat King.”
John “Al” Macphersons full obituary can be read here
If friends so desire, memorial tributes may be made to the Lacombe Minor Hockey Association, P.O. Box 5180, Lacombe, Alberta T4L 1W9