MacLean, 31, recently completed his eleventh professional season and third with the Stingrays. He tied for the team lead this season with 14 power-play goals, and finished sixth with 46 points (21g, 25a). The Middleton, Nova Scotia native appeared in all 20 Kelly Cup Playoff contests this spring, registering 11 points (2g, 9a) as the Stingrays advanced to the American Conference Finals for the first time since 2001.

"I'm confident in my decision," MacLean said. "I've been very fortunate to have a long career, and I feel especially fortunate to have experienced a great year as my last one."

Over his three-year tenure with South Carolina, MacLean collected 63 goals and 74 assists for 137 points in 169 regular season games. His goal, assist and point totals each rank in the top-20 in team history, while his 17 power-play markers during the 2006-07 campaign stand second in the Stingrays' single-season record books.

"We're going to miss him in our locker room, that's for sure," Bednar said. "He was an awesome captain, almost like an assistant coach. To lose a quality guy like that - that's a big hole for us to fill."

MacLean broke into professional hockey with the Jacksonville Lizard Kings in 1997-98, leading the team with 65 points. He reached the Kelly Cup Finals in 2001 as a member of the Trenton Titans, who fell to the Stingrays four games to one.

The two-season Stingrays captain played with 15 teams during his 11-year pro career, amassing 524 points (266g, 258a) in 747 contests. The 5-foot-11, 195-pound forward spent time in the ECHL (Jacksonville, Trenton, Reading, South Carolina), American Hockey League (Cincinnati, Lowell, Philadelphia, Providence, Hartford, Hershey, Bridgeport), and International Hockey League (Cleveland, Indianapolis, Michigan, Grand Rapids)

MacLean originally signed with South Carolina on July 20, 2005, and was named the fifth captain in team history on July 26, 2006.