gold star for USAHOF

As most of the regular visitors to Notinhalloffame.com are aware we are (very) slowly putting together our top 50 players of every franchise in the “Big 4” of North American sports. After that is completed we will take a look at how each organization honors their past players and executives.

As such, it is important to note the Winnipeg Jets Hall of Fame has announced that they will be inducting former players, Lars-Erik Sjoberg and Ab McDonald to their institution at their February 26 home game.

Sjorberg joined the Jets after playing in his native Sweden for various teams and twice at the Olympics (1968 & 1972). The Defenceman would be 30 when he arrived in Manitoba and he proved himself to be a good playmaker accruing 40 or more Assists in his first four years in the WHA. In the 1977-78 season Sjoberg would win the Dennis A. Murphy Trophy as the league’s best blueliner and he would help the team win three Avco Cups (1976, 1978 & 1979). When the team joined the National Hockey League, Sjoberg would become the first Jets Captain in the NHL. He would retire after the 1979-80 season.

Ab McDonald was a three time Stanley Cup Champion and five time Al Star who played fourteen years in the NHL before he joined the Jets in their inaugural season. McDonald was named the first Team Captain and he was with the team for two years scoring 70 Points with the team.

We do want to point out that while the Jets Hall of Fame includes players from the first incarnation, the current one does not own the history of the franchise hence when we do our all-time 50 for this team we have to base it on the beginning as the Atlanta Thrashers.

We here at Notinhalloffame.com would like to congratulate Lars-Erik Sjoberg and Ab McDonald for earning this very impressive honor.