# Ab McDonald

Alvin Brian McDonald (February 18, 1936 – September 4, 2018) was a Canadian professional ice hockey forward.

## Career

Born in Winnipeg, Manitoba, McDonald began his professional hockey career with the Montreal Canadiens of the National Hockey League (NHL) in 1958. He later played for the Chicago Black Hawks, Detroit Red Wings, Boston Bruins, Pittsburgh Penguins, and St. Louis Blues. He won four straight Stanley Cups: three with Montreal followed by another with Chicago. He was the first team captain of the Penguins and Winnipeg Jets organizations, and scored the first goal for the Jets in the World Hockey Association (WHA). He ended his career after 147 games for Winnipeg, retiring after the 1973–74 season. He died at his home in Winnipeg from cancer on September 4, 2018, at the age of 82.

## Career statistics

| | | | Regular season | Regular season | Regular season | Regular season | Regular season | Playoffs | Playoffs | Playoffs | Playoffs | Playoffs |
| Season | Team | League | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM |
| 1951–52 | St. Boniface Canadiens | MJHL | 20 | 20 | 15 | 35 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1952–53 | St. Boniface Canadiens | MJHL | 35 | 26 | 24 | 50 | 0 | 8 | 5 | 7 | 12 | 0 |
| 1952–53 | St. Boniface Canadiens | M-Cup | — | — | — | — | — | 9 | 6 | 5 | 11 | 6 |
| 1953–54 | St. Boniface Canadiens | MJHL | 35 | 33 | 25 | 58 | 14 | 10 | 7 | 6 | 13 | 4 |
| 1953–54 | St. Boniface Canadiens | M-Cup | — | — | — | — | — | 8 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 6 |
| 1954–55 | St. Catharines Teepees | OHA-Jr. | 49 | 33 | 37 | 70 | 20 | 10 | 2 | 6 | 8 | 25 |
| 1955–56 | St. Catharines Teepees | OHA-Jr. | 48 | 49 | 34 | 83 | 24 | 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 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1957–58 | 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 Black Hawks | NHL | 61 | 17 | 16 | 33 | 22 | 8 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 0 |
| 1961–62 | Chicago Black Hawks | NHL | 65 | 22 | 18 | 40 | 8 | 12 | 6 | 6 | 12 | 0 |
| 1962–63 | Chicago Black Hawks | NHL | 69 | 20 | 41 | 61 | 12 | 6 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 9 |
| 1963–64 | Chicago Black Hawks | NHL | 70 | 14 | 32 | 46 | 19 | 7 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 0 |
| 1964–65 | Providence Reds | AHL | 6 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1964–65 | Boston Bruins | NHL | 60 | 9 | 9 | 18 | 6 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1965–66 | Detroit Red Wings | NHL | 43 | 6 | 16 | 22 | 6 | 10 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 2 |
| 1965–66 | Memphis Wings | CPHL | 20 | 9 | 6 | 15 | 4 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1966–67 | Pittsburgh Hornets | AHL | 61 | 25 | 31 | 56 | 22 | 9 | 5 | 2 | 7 | 4 |
| 1966–67 | Detroit Red Wings | NHL | 12 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1967–68 | Pittsburgh Penguins | 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 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1971–72 | Tidewater Wings | AHL | 41 | 5 | 7 | 12 | 4 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1972–73 | Winnipeg Jets | WHA | 77 | 17 | 24 | 41 | 16 | 14 | 2 | 5 | 7 | 2 |
| 1973–74 | Winnipeg Jets | WHA | 70 | 12 | 17 | 29 | 8 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| NHL totals | NHL totals | NHL totals | 762 | 182 | 248 | 430 | 200 | 84 | 21 | 29 | 50 | 42 |
| WHA totals | WHA totals | WHA totals | 147 | 29 | 41 | 70 | 24 | 18 | 2 | 6 | 8 | 4 |

## Awards and achievements

* MJHL Second All-Star Team (1953)
* Turnbull Cup MJHL Championships (1953 and 1954)
* MJHL Scoring Champion (1954)
* NHL All-Star Game (1958, 1959, 1961, 1969 and 1970)
* Stanley Cup Championships (1958, 1959, 1960 and 1961)
* Inducted into the Manitoba Sports Hall of Fame and Museum in 1996
* "Honoured Member" of the Manitoba Hockey Hall of Fame

## Transactions

* June 7, 1960 – Traded to Chicago by Montreal with Reggie Fleming, Bob Courcy and Cec Hoekstra for Glen Skov, Terry Gray, Bob Bailey, Lorne Ferguson and the rights to Danny Lewicki.
* June 8, 1964 – Traded to Boston by Chicago with Reggie Fleming for Doug Mohns.
* May 31, 1965 – Traded to Detroit by Boston with Bob McCord and Ken Stephanson for Albert Langlois, Ron Harris, Parker MacDonald and Bob Dillabough.
* June 6, 1967 – Claimed by Pittsburgh from Detroit in Expansion Draft.
* June 11, 1968 – Traded to St. Louis by Pittsburgh for Lou Angotti.
* May 12, 1971 – Traded to Detroit by St. Louis with Bob Wall and Mike Lowe to complete transaction that sent Carl Brewer to St. Louis (February 22, 1971).
* February 12, 1972 – Selected by Winnipeg (WHA) in 1972 WHA General Player Draft.