Lanny McDonald recovering in hospital after cardiac event
Hockey Hall of Famer Lanny McDonald sustained a cardiac event on Sunday, he announced on Instagram.
McDonald, 70, suffered the health scare at Calgary's airport after spending the weekend in Toronto for the NHL All-Star Game. He's currently recovering in hospital.
The Calgary Flames and Toronto Maple Leafs legend credited two nurses who happened to be passing by for jumping into action. "I owe them my life," McDonald wrote in his statement.
McDonald played 1,111 games in the NHL from 1973-89. He began his career with the Maple Leafs, quickly becoming a perennial 40-goal-scorer in the late 70s.
After seven seasons in Toronto and a three-year stint with the Colorado Rockies, McDonald made his way to Calgary, where he would enjoy the prime of his career. He racked up a career-best 66 goals and 98 points in 1982-83.
McDonald is remembered most for his postseason heroics. With the Maple Leafs, he netted a Game 7 overtime winner against the New York Islanders in the second round of the 1978 playoffs. As captain of the Flames, he won the 1989 Stanley Cup in his final season, scoring in the decisive Game 6 against the Montreal Canadiens.
Currently, McDonald is chairman of the board for the Hockey Hall of Fame. Before taking the role, he served nine years on the selection committee for the Hall.