September 16, 2016
NHL Great and Special Olympics Supporter Honoured
– – –Order of the Buffalo Hunt Awarded to Ab McDonald
Premier Brian Pallister has awarded Ab McDonald, one of the province’s best-known sports figures and a life-long supporter of the Manitoba Special Olympics, with one of the province’s highest honours, the Order of the Buffalo Hunt.
“Four Stanley Cup wins over the course of his incredible career place Ab McDonald among a very select group of elite NHL athletes,” said the premier. “As impressive as his sporting accomplishments, his unwavering support for Winnipeg and his 40-plus years of support for Special Olympics has made him a true hero and a champion for thousands of young people throughout our province.
“We often measure the success of a person’s life by what they have accomplished for themselves. But, it has long been my belief that a true measure of success is perhaps better defined by what a person has accomplished for their community. Ab McDonald stands tall in both of these categories.”
McDonald won three Stanley Cups with the Montreal Canadiens and one with the Chicago Blackhawks. He was also the first captain of the Winnipeg Jets of the World Hockey Association in 1972 and is honoured in both the Manitoba Hockey Hall of Fame and Museum, and the Manitoba Sports Hall of Fame and Museum. For more than 40 years he has also been an active supporter of Special Olympics Manitoba, attending countless fundraising and community events.
The premier presented the honour last night at a Special Olympics event, held at the Victoria Inn in Winnipeg to celebrate McDonald’s 80th birthday.
Images from the event can be found at the Manitoba government’s Flickr account at www.flickr.com/photos/mbgov/.
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