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Honoured Member of the Manitoba Hockey Hall of Fame


Ab McDonald

Alvin Brian McDonald

Playing Career[]

After a standout stay in the Manitoba Junior Hockey League and the Ontario Hockey League, McDonald joined the Montreal Canadiens in 1958 for two playoffs games. The next season, he scored 13 goals as a rookie while on a line with Ralph Backstrom and Don Marshall. He would win three times the Stanley Cup with Montreal during his stay before the Habs' management, unsatisfied of the fact he didn't play as well as the player he was replacing, Bert Olmstead. The Habs dealt him to the Chicago Blackhawks with Reg Fleming, Bob Courcy and Cec Hoekstra for Terry Gray, Glen Skov, the rights to Danny Lewicki, Lorne Ferguson and Bob Bailey on June 7, 1960.

In Chicago, McDonald did much better. As an original member of the Scooter Line with Ken Wharram and Stan Mikita, he helped the team earn a first Stanley Cup in 23 years in 1961, including scoring the Cup winning goal. Following his successful stay with Chicago, McDonald spent one season with the Boston Bruins then parts of two others with the Detroit Red Wings.

In June 1967, McDonald was claimed by the Pittsburgh Penguins in the 1967 NHL Expansion Draft. Completing a line with Andy Bathgate and Val Fonteyne, McDonald captained the young team and scored 22 goals. He would however only last one season there, being dealt in the offseason to the St. Louis Blues for Lou Angotti. He helped the equally young team reach the Stanley Cup finals twice and appeared in the 1969 and 1970 NHL All-Star Game.

After a brief stint with the Red Wings, McDonald ended his career in the WHA when the Winnipeg Jets selected him in the 1972 WHA General Player Draft. He became the first ever captain of the Jets and scored the franchise's first ever goal.

He passed away September 6, 2018 at the age of 82.[1]

Career Statistics[]

Playing[]

    Regular Season   Playoffs
Season Team League GP G A Pts PIM GP G A Pts PIM
1951-52 St. Boniface Canadiens GWJHL 20 20 15 35 0
1952-53 St. Boniface Canadiens MJHL 35 27 23 50 0 8 5 7 12 0
Memorial Cup -- -- -- -- -- 17 12 11 23 9
1953-54 St. Boniface Canadiens MJHL 35 33 25 58 14 10 7 6 13 4
Memorial Cup -- -- -- -- -- 8 2 2 4 6
1954-55 St. Catharines Teepees OHA 49 33 37 70 22 10 1 6 7 25
1955-56 St. Catharines Teepees OHA 48 49 34 83 127 6 4 2 6 9
1956-57 Rochester Americans AHL 64 21 31 52 8 9 3 1 4 0
1957-58 Rochester Americans AHL 70 30 33 63 18 -- -- -- -- --
Montreal Canadiens NHL -- -- -- -- -- 2 0 0 0 2
1958-59 Montreal Canadiens NHL 69 13 23 36 35 11 1 1 2 6
1959-60 Montreal Canadiens NHL 68 9 13 22 26 -- -- -- -- --
1960-61 Chicago Blackhawks NHL 61 17 16 33 22 8 2 2 4 0
1961-62 Chicago Blackhawks NHL 65 22 18 40 8 12 6 6 12 0
1962-63 Chicago Blackhawks NHL 69 20 41 61 12 6 2 3 5 9
1963-64 Chicago Blackhawks NHL 70 14 32 46 19 7 2 2 4 0
1964-65 Providence Reds AHL 6 2 1 3 2 -- -- -- -- --
Boston Bruins NHL 60 9 9 18 6 -- -- -- -- --
1965-66 Memphis Wings CPHL 20 9 6 1 4 -- -- -- -- --
Detroit Red Wings NHL 43 6 16 22 6 10 1 4 5 2
1966-67 Detroit Red Wings NHL 12 2 0 2 2 -- -- -- -- --
Pittsburgh Hornets AHL 61 25 31 56 22 9 5 2 7 4
1967-68 Pittsburgh Penguins "C" NHL 74 22 21 43 38 -- -- -- -- --
1968-69 St. Louis Blues NHL 68 21 21 42 12 12 2 1 3 10
1969-70 St. Louis Blues NHL 64 25 30 55 8 16 5 10 15 13
1970-71 St. Louis Blues NHL 20 0 5 5 6 -- -- -- -- --
1971-72 Detroit Red Wings NHL 19 2 3 5 0 -- -- -- -- --
Tidewater Wings AHL 41 5 7 12 4 -- -- -- -- --
1972-73 Winnipeg Jets "C" WHA 77 17 24 41 16 14 2 5 7 2
1973-74 Winnipeg Jets "C" WHA 70 12 17 29 8 4 0 1 1 2
NHL Totals 762 182 248 430 200 82 21 29 50 42
WHA Totals 147 29 41 70 24 18 2 6 8 4

Coaching[]

    Regular Season   Playoffs
Season Team League Type GP W L T Pts Finish GP W L Results
1975-76 Portage Terriers MJHL Head 52 25 27 0 50 3rd North 5 1 4 Lost Div Semi
1976-77 Portage Terriers MJHL Head 27 9 18 0 18 - -

Awards & Achievements[]

Gallery[]

External Links[]

References[]



Pittsburgh Penguins Captains
McDonald | Schock | Pronovost | Kindrachuk | Carlyle | Bullard | Ruskowski | Frawley | Lemieux | Coffey | Cullen | Hillier | Francis | Jágr | Lemieux | Crosby


Winnipeg Jets Captains
McDonald | Johnson | Sjöberg | Long | Lukowich | Christian | DeBlois | Hawerchuk | Steen | Carlyle | Murray | Kennedy | Tkachuk | King
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