From the farmlands of Hanna, Alberta, Lanny McDonald attained induction into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1992, the Alberta Sports Hall of Fame in ’93 and Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame in 2010. He is synonymous with hockey – and for his Yosemite Sam mustache!
Selected fourth overall from the Medicine Hat Tigers by the Toronto Maple Leafs in 1973, McDonald wore No. 7 and recorded 219 goals, 459 points in 477 regular-season games with the Leafs from 1973 until December 29, 1979. His trade to the Colorado Rockies is one of the most unpopular deals in Leafs’ history.
He had three consecutive 40-plus goal seasons for the Leafs and in 1978 his Game 7 OT goal on Long Island sent the Leafs to the Stanley Cup semi-finals. After producing 66 goals and 141 points in 142 games with the struggling Rockies, McDonald was obtained by Cliff Fletcher and the Flames on November 25, 1981. Retaining the No. 9 he’d worn in Colorado, McDonald eventually had that jersey numbered retired by the Flames where he notched 215 goals (including a club-record 66 in 1982-83) and 406 points in 494 regular-season games. A tremendous leader, he co-captained the Flames from 1982 to ’89.
McDonald had a dream final NHL season that included his 500th goal, 1,000th point and hoisting the Stanley Cup. He even wired a patented laser for a goal in the Cup-deciding game on May 25, 1989 at the Montreal Forum. On March 25, 2015, McDonald was named Chair of the Board for the Hockey Hall of Fame.