Wilfred MacDonald

Wilfred MacDonald was the lynchpin of the entertaining UPEI hockey teams of the late 1970s, dominating games from his defense position, and becoming the first hockey player from UPEI to be named an All-Canadian performer, in 1979.

His coach, Jack Hynes, noted at the time of MacDonald’s All-Canadian selection, “There is no doubt in my mind that he is deserving of this award. The only thing is that he could have just as easily won it the past two seasons. Everyone knows the type of performance he has given the club all his career. He is the best that has played here.”

Over his four-year career, MacDonald’s impact from the point was tremendous, striking for 41 goals and adding 82 assists in his 106 games. He was named to the All-Conference team three times, and was UPEI’s Male Athlete of the Year twice.

In 1979 he capped off his career with the AUAA Most Valuable Player award and the AUAA Dr. Bill Godfrey trophy. The Godfrey award is given annually to the AUAA hockey player who best exemplifies the spirit of intercollegiate hockey through on-ice leadership and sportsmanlike conduct. MacDonald was nominated for CIAU Player of the Year, and was nosed out for the award by future NHL star Randy Gregg of the University of Alberta.

Upon the close of his career, the Southport native was presented a plaque by Lieutenant-Governor Gordon Bennett (also a 2004 Hall of Fame inductee), which stated, “To Wilfred MacDonald, an outstanding athlete who exemplified to the highest degree the qualities of sportsmanship, skill, leadership, academic achievement, and class during his intercollegiate career at the University of Prince Edward Island.”