Former Calgary Flames co-captain Lanny McDonald has been named to the Order of Hockey in Canada.
The Order of Hockey in Canada honours individuals for their contributions to developing hockey in Canada.
Ahead of his June celebration, McDonald spoke to the Calgary Eyeopener about his fellow inductees Guy Lafleur and Kim St-Pierre, how the Flames are playing and his iconic moustache.
The following interview has been edited for clarity and length.
Question: How does it feel to get this award?
Answer: I’m honoured and humbled by the call.… It was pretty cool, and especially to go in with Kim St- Pierre and one of my guys I looked up to his whole career, Guy Lafleur.
Q: Guy Lafleur — that’s pretty prestigious company.
A: With that hair flowing out the back going nine million miles an hour. Yeah, it was pretty cool.
Q: The game has changed since you played. What’s your view of the state of hockey right now?
A: Hockey, in my opinion, is in a great place. The players are so much more skilled. They’re bigger, faster, but also there’s room for that smaller player. There’s no hooking or holding, or very little of it. So a guy like [Andrew] Mangiapane and [Johnny] Gaudreau can excel.
It’s so much fun to watch, especially our home team. The Flames right now, they’re playing absolutely awesome.
Q: You’re right. It’s been amazing to watch Mangiapane and Gaudreau. They’re not the only smaller players in the NHL right now. Do you actually think there’s more room on the ice for the smaller skill players?
A: No, there’s no room out there because the game is so fast these days. All that space is taken away, but the player’s absolute skill level is at an all time high.
To be able to make the moves they make … you look at Matthew Tkachuk to be able to find space through his legs, of all things, because you don’t have time to turn around and take that shot. So he throws it between his legs and goes top shelf. There is no room but they find a way to get it done because of their skill level.
Q: You’re already in the Hockey Hall of Fame. How is this different?
A: It was a concept by Hockey Canada to honour people that have been — and this is very hard for me to say — great for the game and try and not only spread the good word about the game, but try and make it better for other people. I have been so fortunate to be involved in this great game as has our entire family.
We’ve travelled the world, we’ve made so many great friends along the way, and now to also be able to pass on the good word as chairman of the Hockey Hall of Fame and then to get this honour, certainly the cherry on the top.
Q: Do you still lace them up?
A: Absolutely. There’s an alumni skate next Monday. Can’t wait for it. Now Colin Patterson and Brent Gogol and I are kind of up there in age and you have all these young guys that have just retired. So we try and hang out a little bit and tell those young guys get the puck up to us, for God’s sake.
Q: Are you keeping that moustache well groomed?
A: Absolutely. The red is all gone, it went south. But the white, or silver, is in style these days.