Supplied photo\nWinnipeg hockey great Ab McDonald is pictured here at the Manitoba Sports Hall of Fame, which inducted him as a member in 1996. The arena at St. James Civic Centre is to be renamed in his hour.<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\nNevertheless, I have been taking a look back at McDonald’s life and career. I told the first part of his story on April 29. This is Part 2.<\/p>\n
\u2610 \u2610 \u2610<\/p>\n
On Aug. 15, 1972, Ab McDonald signed with the Winnipeg Jets of the World Hockey Association, agreeing to come home to finish his professional hockey career.<\/p>\n
He became the Jets first captain and when the team played its first regular-season game on Oct. 12 against the New York Raiders at Madison Square Garden, Ab scored the Jets first goal, assisted by Jean-Guy Gratton and Joe Zanussi at 8:14 of the first period, and the team went on to win 6-4.<\/p>\n
The Jets finished first in the West Division that season and lost in the first Avco Cup final series to the New England Whalers.<\/p>\n
During Ab’s final season, in 1973-74, the Jets made a quick playoff exit. He played his final professional game on Easter Sunday 1974 against the Houston Aeros in Texas and announced his retirement that September.<\/p>\n
Ab’s tireless work ethic and timely goals were a big part of the success of his teams. Between 1951 and 1974, teams he played on won 7 of the 13 league finals they played in.<\/p>\n
Ab remained connected to hockey. In December 1982, he was the captain of a Canadian old-timers team that played two games against a Soviet team in Moscow’s Luzhniki Palace of Sports. Seven-year-old Sasha Kharlamov, the son of Valeri, was in attendance at the first game. His father, one of the game’s greatest players, had died a year earlier in a car accident, so Ab put Sasha on his shoulders and took him for a skate around the rink. There was not a dry eye in the house.<\/p>\n
On Oct. 22, 2016, Ab joined Tom McVie, and Serge Savard to coach the Winnipeg Jets Alumni to a 6-5 victory over the Edmonton Oilers Alumni outdoors at Investors Group Field as part of the NHL’s Heritage Classic weekend. Ab was elected to the Manitoba Hockey Hall of Fame in 1985 and the Manitoba Sports Hall of Fame in 1996. On Feb. 26, 2019, he was posthumously inducted into the Winnipeg Jets Hall of Fame.<\/p>\n
Outside hockey, Ab worked in marketing for Molson Breweries and also owned and operated an equipment rental company called Ab and Suds. He and Pat, his wife of 60 years, raised five children — Cindy, David, Lori, Steven and Kristina.<\/p>\n
Ab’s daughter Cindy wrote:<\/p>\n
“Family was one of the most important part of Ab’s life. Ab and Pat never missed any of the activities of their children or grandchildren. They could see it in his eyes that he loved them and was so proud. By attending, participating and supporting the community he was a role model for his family, teaching them important lessons of life.”<\/p>\n
Ab was very visible in the community, especially at golf tournaments. My son, Ben Morris, has fond memories of meeting with Ab at the Assiniboine Golf Club.<\/p>\n
On Sept. 15, 2016, Ab’s 80th birthday party was held at the Victoria Inn to raise funds for Special Olympics Manitoba. That night he was presented with the Order of the Buffalo Hunt, the highest honour the province can bestow, by Premier Brian Pallister.<\/p>\n
Ab died on Sept. 4, 2018. The Ab McDonald foundation has been set up to help Weston youth and adults to achieve their full potential.<\/p>\n
Fred Morris is a community correspondent for St. James. Reach him at fredmorris@hotmail.com
<\/em><\/p>\n<\/p>
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