Brett MacLean was born on December 24, 1988 in London, Ontario. He played his junior hockey in the Ontario Hockey League with the Eerie Otters and the Oshawa Generals and was selected in the second round of the 2007 NHL Entry Draft by the Phoenix Coyotes.
MacLean joined the Coyotes' AHL affiliate the San Antonio Rampage for the 2008-09 season and put up impressive offensive numbers from the drop of the puck. After over two season in the AHL MacLean made his NHL debut on December 29, 2010 for the Coyotes against the Los Angeles Kings, scoring in the first period of his first NHL game.
On October 5, 2011, Maclean was placed on waivers by the Phoenix Coyotes and was subsequently claimed by the Winnipeg Jets.
On October 28, 2011, MacLean was waived again. This time he was reclaimed by the Coyotes and assigned to the club's new AHL affiliate, the Portland Pirates.
