Legendary Calgary Flame Lanny McDonald named to Order of Hockey in Canada
Posted Mar 10, 2022 1:12 pm.
One of the most recognizable people to ever don a Calgary Flames jersey can add another award to the mantle, as Lanny McDonald has been named to the Order of Hockey in Canada.
McDonald joins fellow legends Guy Lafleur and Kim St. Pierre as this year’s inductees, and they will all be formally recognized this June in Niagra Falls.
Meet the Class of 2⃣0⃣2⃣2⃣! ????????
Guy Lafleur, Lanny McDonald and @KimStPierre33 will be invested into the Order of Hockey in Canada at the Hockey Canada Foundation Gala & Golf this summer.@HockeyQuebec | @HockeyAlberta
— Hockey Canada (@HockeyCanada) March 9, 2022
“I’m excited, I’m honoured, but most of all I’m humbled,” McDonald told CityNews. “Especially going into the Order of Canada for Hockey with Guy Lafleur and Kim St. Pierre who just got inducted (into the Hockey Hall of Fame), what a great hat-trick is the best way to explain it.”
After being one of the key cogs in the Flames’ lone Stanley Cup victory back in 1989, McDonald has remained a fixture in Calgary and in the world of hockey overall, as he currently sits as Chair of the Hockey Hall of Fame.
McDonald also brings lots of praise for his fellow honourees.
“(Kim St. Pierre) stood out for Canada all the way through her career, and she couldn’t be at the announcement yesterday because she was out promoting this great game of hockey with her kids camp,” he said. “I was a fan of Guy’s when I first came into the league. I got caught kind of watching him, admiring how he played, even when I was supposed to maybe be checking him. But I could never catch him, he was way too fast.”
He said it remains extremely important to continue making hockey better and is happy to see lots of youth sports get back underway after being on hold during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Kids need to play sports,” McDonald said. “To be able to interact with each other and play this great game of ours in hockey, those are friendships that last a lifetime. Whether they go on to pro hockey, whether it’s just pick up hockey or senior hockey, those are great reminders of the friendships that started way back when.”
When he’s not taking care of business with the Hall of Fame or getting awards, McDonald added he is also keeping tabs on the current iteration of the Flames who right now sit at the top of the Pacific Division and have maintained quite a lengthy hot streak over the past few months.
“They’ve been absolutely great, they have beat all the predictions by all the experts, they are in a better place than even where I thought they’d be,” he said. “It is absolutely awesome.”
