Winnipeg, MB – The City of Winnipeg and True North Sports + Entertainment (TNSE) today unveiled several displays in the St. James Civic Centre, honouring the life and career of Winnipeg hockey legend Ab McDonald.
Visitors to the centre will be greeted by a new lobby installation featuring images, stories, and statistics from McDonald’s decades-long professional hockey career. Anikó Szabó designed the installation, with contributions from hockey writer and historian Dave Stubbs, City of Winnipeg Heritage Officer, Murray Peterson, Manitoba Special Olympics, and the Manitoba Hockey Hall of Fame.
“Ab McDonald is one of the true legends of hockey in Winnipeg,” said Mayor Scott Gillingham. “He was a four-time Stanley Cup Champion, he scored a Cup-winning goal in 1961, and he was the first-ever captain of both the Pittsburgh Penguins and the Winnipeg Jets. Renaming this arena is a fitting honour for someone who represented this city with great class throughout the hockey world, and these displays will share his story with future generations of players.”
“Winnipeg’s rich history is found in many places and especially in local neighbourhoods that provide people a common sense of pride,” said John Orlikow, Chairperson of the Standing Policy Committee on Community Services. “Today’s unveiling represents the opportunity for many people throughout St. James and Winnipeg to share stories of an amazing person. It is these stories that bind our neighbourhoods together. I want to thank everyone who made this day happen: staff who worked on the amazing lobby display, True North Sports + Entertainment for donating the arena murals, the McDonald family for sharing their stories, and now-Mayor Gillingham who worked tirelessly on this project as a local councillor.”
“As the Councillor for the St. James ward, I am extremely honoured to be part of this memorable occasion where we recognize one of Manitoba’s and Canada’s most talented hockey players,” said Shawn Dobson, Councillor for St. James. “In 1972 Ab McDonald scored the very first goal for the WHA Winnipeg Jets. He ended his career after 147 games for Winnipeg, retiring after the 1973-74 season. We are privileged to have this display here at the St. James Civic Centre, and I would like to thank all those involved for making this possible.”
Work on the lobby installation was done during recent renovations to the St. James Civic Centre that replaced critical building systems, improved accessibility, and refreshed spaces within the facility. The installation was funded through the City’s Land Dedication Reserve at a cost of $14,500.
Also unveiled were two murals donated by TNSE located within the Ab McDonald Arena. Designed in-house at TNSE by Hockey Creative Lead, Marc Gomez, the murals feature imagery of Ab McDonald from his playing career, and commemorate his time with the Winnipeg Jets and induction into the Winnipeg Jets Hall of Fame.
“Ab McDonald had an incredible career in both the NHL and WHA, but perhaps what people will remember him for most was the impact he had within the Winnipeg community,” said Anders Strome, Director of Player & Alumni Relations, True North Sports + Entertainment. “True North and the Winnipeg Jets are pleased to play a part in celebrating Ab’s career achievements, not only to honour his legacy, but to inspire young players right here in the city where Ab got his start.”
The murals are the latest in a series of TNSE-designed artwork featuring Winnipeg-born Jets player alumni, located at a rink significant to their development as players, or as figures in the local hockey community.
“It is such an honour for our dad’s legacy to be remembered by naming an arena after him in the city that he lived in and loved,” said the McDonald family. “He was respected for his outstanding hockey career, but his greatest attribute was how he cared for and supported the people of Winnipeg and the community of Manitoba. Our family is so humbled that his city and community wanted to honour him, and we thank the City of Winnipeg and True North Sports + Entertainment for contributing these displays that will allow generations of Winnipeggers to learn his story.”