Hall bound
Lanny McDonald one of this year’s inductees into the Canada Sports Hall of Fame.
Lanny McDonald never saw it coming.
The Stanley Cup champion and Hockey Hall of Fame member was among nine inductees named to Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame on Wednesday. The announcement caught McDonald by surprise because for so long all of his achievements were hockey-related.
“You never dream of ever being honoured or asked to go into Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame,” said McDonald. “I thought it was one of the guys pranking me when this came about but all of a sudden today happens and you realize, ‘Oh my gosh.’
“It’s so cool. I’m so honoured and thrilled. What a great class to go in with.”
Other athletes being inducted include Olympians Carol Huynh, Simon Whitfield and Cindy Klassen, golfer Mike Weir, lacrosse standout Gaylor Powless and the Edmonton Grads women’s basketball team. Neurosurgeon Dr. Charles Tator and Canadian Paralympic founder Dr. Robert W. Jackson were named in the builder’s category. Powless and Jackson were both honoured posthumously. All nine will be formally enshrined Nov. 9 in Toronto. McDonald, 64, amassed 1,006 points (500 goals, 506 assists) in 1,111 career games with Toronto, Colorado and Calgary from 1973 to ‘89. He retired following the 198889 season after helping the Flames win their only Stanley Cup.
The following year, McDonald became the first player in club history to have his jersey retired. Known for his bushy moustache, the fun-loving, gregarious McDonald has also been a tireless contributor
in the community, visiting Canadian Forces personnel overseas while also working with such organizations as Big Brothers, Ronald McDonald House and Special Olympics. McDonald, currently the Hockey Hall of Fame’s board chairman, credits his father, Lorne, with helping him develop the sense of community. “When I left to play hockey he gave me two great pieces
of advice,” McDonald said. “He said first of all, ‘When it’s all said and done and your playing career is over, I hope they remember you as much for Lanny the man versus Lanny the hockey player,’ and I thought, ‘Wow, that’s pretty profound,’ but I didn’t really think about it much at the time.
“The other thing he said was, ‘Always sign your name so
people can read it. You should be proud of your name.’ For a guy who had a Grade 8 education, yeah, he was brilliant.” Huynh, 36, became the first Canadian to win Olympic gold in women’s wrestling in Beijing in 2008. Four years later in London, the native of Hazelton, B.C., claimed a bronze medal.
“It’s very, very special,” Huynh said. “I don’t think I’m finished yet but for sure, this is a huge honour and an achievement I’m super surprised about and happy to accept.”
Whitfield, 41, of Kingston, Ont., captured Olympic triathlon gold in Sydney in 2000 and earned silver eight years later in Beijing. The 12-time world champion also was a gold medallist in the event at the 2002 Commonwealth Games in Manchester.
Whitfield said while he always dreamed of hearing “O Canada” and watching Canada’s flag being raised while standing atop the Olympic podium, he’s never ranked his many accomplishments in any sort of order.
“It’s just part of the story, there’s a poetry to sport,” he said. “To be recognized as an Olympian and Canadian (Sports) Hall of Fame member and to know the legacy of the great Canadian athletes that have come before and will come in the future, I’m proud to be part of that legacy.” The Edmonton Grads amassed a stunning 502-20 record from 1915 to 1940. The team also participated in four straight Olympics (1924-36) and was 27-0 but received no medals because women’s basketball wasn’t an official event.
While men’s basketball became an Olympic sport in 1936, the women’s game wasn’t included until 1976. Kay MacBeth, 95, the Grads’ last surviving player, represented the squad Wednesday.