Height: 5-10
Weight: 175
Shoot: L
Born: 3 Dec 1952, Charlottetown PEI
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Regular Season & Playoff Scoring Record (key)
| year | team | |||||||||||
| 1972-73 | Minnesota | |||||||||||
| 1973-74 | Minnesota | |||||||||||
| Totals: |
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To Be 19, Gifted and a Fighting Saint • by Charley Hallman • The Hockey Spectator • November 24, 1972
When Bob MacMillan became a member of the Minnesota Fighting Saints in June, it was a significant step in the progress of the new World Hockey Association. MacMillan was the first top draft choice of an NHL team to sign with the new league. The St. Catherines' center had been selected on the first round by the New York Rangers. MacMillan has been labeled an "eventual superstar" by Fighting Saints' General Manager and Coach Glen Sonmor. Living up to Sonmor's tag will be hard for the Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, native. It always is hard. "Bobby's a dedicated player," said Sonmor. "He works hard. He's always one of the last players on the ice in practice and is continually working on his shot and getting it off quicker." Robert Lea MacMillan currently is the youngest player in professional hockey. Born Dec, 3, 1952, MacMillan will have had three months as a professional before he turns 20. The brother of Atlanta Flames' Bill MacMillan. Bob had a great year with St. Catherines in 1970-71 and was named All-Ontario Junior A after scoring 109 points. But last year — when he really wanted to do well to get a big pro contract — MacMillan had the kitchen sink and everything else fall on him. First he was sidelined by hepatitis and then by strained ligaments in his left leg. He ended the year with but 53 points and played in only half of St. Catherines' games. "I was only in the hospital for two weeks but I was weak for so long. I just didn't know how it was to feel right again," said MacMillan about his illness. "Right after I got back, we played an exhibition series with Thunder Bay Vulcans and I was on the ice for about 10 seconds before I got hurt. I tried to come back but I kept getting hurt." The only time MacMillan was wholly sound was for the playoffs but, "We got beat pretty good," he said. The year before, St, Catherines had gone to the Memorial Cup finals in a series with the Quebec Remparts — a series the Black Hawks abandoned after six games. "Some of the guys were in their last year and they didn't want to go back to Quebec and get killed," MacMillan said. "Their players were intimidated by us and we were intimidated by their fans." MacMillan says he likes the Twin Cities area but getting acquainted has been a problem for him. " Right now, it's a lonely life when we are home. A lot of people would think I'm crazy when I work a couple hours a day and get off at noon. But it's not like junior hockey where you live with a family — there it's just like home. They give you meals and the car on weekends when you have a date. Now, I have to do everything on my own." MacMillan lives with fellow bachelor Bill Klatt in a luxury apartment high above St. Paul. "It's close to the rink," he said. "And close to nearly everything else." Why did he sign with the Saints? "I was scared after having a bad year and I was still worrying when the draft came along. If I would have gone to a new club like Atlanta and gotten a good offer, I'd have probably signed with the NHL. But I was picked by New York, and they didn't offer near what Minnesota did so I came to St. Paul." Asked what has been the difference between junior hockey and the WHA, MacMillan says, "I think it's much more competitive than any of the players would have thought. Myself, I just couldn't do anything the first few games. The defensemen wouldn't let me get off a shot and the goaltenders would come 10 feet out of the net to stop them when I did get a good chance. But I'm starting to feel a lot better now. I've worked at getting my shots off quicker. The defensemen and goaltenders, though, are particularly impressive." One aspect of major league hockey that MacMillan isn't particularly fond of is airplane travel. "In the OHA I used to think about how it was going to be great not having to go by bus. But now, you go to an airport like New York and have to wait an hour for your baggage. I'd rather go by bus, at least the longest trip by bus was four hours and you don't have to wait at all for your bags." In his first 12 WHA games, MacMillan had seven points, including two goals, while centering Mike Antonovich and George Konik. How long does he expect to play pro hockey? "Fifteen years anyway ... as long as I like it, I guess," Bob said. Now sporting a moustache he has been growing recently (while his broken nose has been healing), MacMillan is one of the most eligible bachelors in the league. How long before that status is changed? "I don't know," he smiled, "It will be awhile, Right now, I don't have anyone in mind." |
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