McAlpine was drafted by the New Jersey Devils in the 7th round, 137th overall in the 1990 NHL Entry Draft. After being drafted he played for the
University of Minnesota for 4 years, scoring 30 points in 36 games his final year there. He made his debut in the NHL during the 1994–1995 season when he split the year with the Devils and the
Albany River Rats of the
AHL. After one and a half years with the River Rats McAlpine was traded to the St. Louis Blues, where he played the majority of his NHL career. The 1999–2000 season turned out to be a hectic one for McAlpine, as he played for the Blues, Tampa Bay Lightning, and Atlanta Thrashers. Following that season he played for the Chicago Blackhwaks for 2 years and then 21 games with the Los Angeles Kings during the 2002–03 season. McAlpine won the
Stanley Cup in
1995 with the
New Jersey Devils. He retired after the
2004–05 season playing with the
Cincinnati Mighty Ducks of the AHL. He is currently a player agent working in
Minneapolis. ==Career statistics==