Lanny McDonald

Lore & Background

In the early-to-mid 1970s, the Winnipeg Jets were a young WHA club still proving the league's legitimacy against the NHL's established powers. Lanny McDonald, a local kid with a quiet intensity, became the player fans could point to and say, 'That's our guy.' He wasn't the flashiest scorer, but he was the one running the offense, reading the play two beats ahead, and making the defense look slow. His passing was surgical; his forecheck was relentless. After the WHA-NHL merger, the Jets entered the NHL as a new franchise, and McDonald was among the veterans who carried the club's identity into the new world. In an era when the NHL was still adjusting to the influx of WHA talent, his poise and two-way reliability made him a model of what the Jets' brand should be: smart, tough, and unselfish. He played through the early 1980s, a period when the Jets were rebuilding and redefining themselves, and his presence on the ice was a reminder of the club's championship pedigree. His legacy in Winnipeg is inseparable from the city's hockey identity. For a generation of Jets fans, 'the original club' is synonymous with players like McDonald—local, gritty, and deeply connected to the community. His Hall of Fame induction cemented what Winnipeg fans had always known: that the Jets' golden era produced genuine legends, not just good players.

In Their Own Story

The MTS Centre is packed, the ice freshly resurfaced, the smell of cold air and rubber skates hanging in the rafters. A vintage Jets jersey, number retired to the banner, hangs in the corner of a small museum display. A kid in a too-big sweater presses his face to the glass, watching a 40-year-old man in a suit trace the outline of a puck with his finger, narrating a play from 1979. 'He saw the slot before I even turned,' the man says, smiling. 'Lanny didn't make you look good. He made the play so easy you forgot it was hard.' The kid nods, not quite understanding, but feeling the weight of it. Outside, a Winnipeg winter presses against the windows, and somewhere in the stands, a fan hums the old Jets fight song like a prayer.

Reader's Guide

Era at the Club: Lanny McDonald was a central figure for the original Winnipeg Jets from the mid-1970s through the early 1980s, spanning the WHA championship run and the franchise's first years in the NHL after the 1979 merger. He was part of the core group that gave the Jets their identity in both leagues. Playing Style: McDonald was a two-way center of exceptional hockey intelligence. His game was built on anticipation, clean passing, and a relentless forecheck. He was not a power-forward; he was a cerebral player who controlled tempo, made defenders miss, and created scoring chances through pure vision. In the clutch moments—late-game situations, playoff series—he elevated his game and made the critical plays. He was also a key contributor during the Jets' early NHL seasons, helping establish the franchise's competitive culture. His induction into the Hockey Hall of Fame stands as the ultimate recognition of his career. Legacy: For Winnipeg, McDonald is the embodiment of the original Jets' soul—local, tough, smart, and unselfish. He is the player fans cite when they talk about what made the first club special, and his name remains a benchmark for the two-way centers who followed.

Did You Know?

• Lanny McDonald was a Winnipeg local, making him one of the most personally connected players in the original Jets' history.
• He was a key member of the 1979 WHA championship team, a victory that helped validate the WHA just before its merger with the NHL.
• His game was defined less by raw scoring and more by elite passing, positioning, and two-way reliability—traits that made him a model center for a generation.
• He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame, a recognition that confirmed Winnipeg's long-held belief that the original Jets produced true legends.