Success in Pittsburgh helped to earn Lowell MacDonald a shot with the Detroit Red Wings. And success in Pittsburgh would later turn MacDonald into an NHL All-Star.
McDonald, who died Wednesday at the age of 84, enjoyed his best NHL seasons with the Pittsburgh Penguins. Between the 1972-73 season and the 1975-76 season, MacDonald scored 134 goals for the Penguins. Twice during that span, he scored at least 30 goals in a season three times. In 1973-74, McDonald finished with career highs in goals (43) and points (82).
The NHL Alumni Association is saddened to learn that Lowell MacDonald has passed away at the age of 84.
From Thorburn, Nova Scotia, Lowell made his NHL debut for the Detroit Red Wings on December 30, 1961. After his time with Detroit, Lowell later played for the Los Angeles… pic.twitter.com/beOpWdpbyh
— NHL Alumni (@NHLAlumni) December 31, 2025
He won the Bill Masterton Trophy for perseverance and dedication to the game following the 1972-73 season. MacDonald was chosen to represent the Penguins in the 1973 and 1974 NHL All-Star Games.
Years earlier, the Red Wings would give MacDonald his first NHL shot following his successful productivity with Detroit’s AHL farm club, the Pittsburgh Hornets.
Came Up Through Red Wings System
MacDonald played his junior hockey with the Hamilton Red Wings, Detroit’s OHA Jr. A affiliate. He made his NHL debut playing one game during the 1961-62 season.
Assigned to the AHL Hornets, MacDonald was a minor-pro success story. He tallied 20 goals in 1962-63, and 31 goals in 1963-64.
Those performances caught the eye of Red Wings coach-GM Sid Abel.
“I’ve watched him for five or six games,” Abel told the Detroit Free Press in 1963. “He stays on his wing, has a good shot, and puts the puck in the net.”
Unfortunately for MacDonald, that productivity never materialized while he was wearing the Winged Wheel. He never saw duty in more than 26 games in a season, and didn’t score more than two goals in any campaign for Detroit.
On May 20, 1965, MacDonald was part of an eight-player trade involving two future Hall of Famers. MacDonald, Marcel Pronovost, Autry Erickson, Eddie Joyal, and Larry Jeffrey were dealt to the Toronto Maple Leafs for Andy Bathgate, Gary Jarrett, and Billy Harris.
Rest in peace, Lowell MacDonald. MacDonald was an original member of @LAKings, and had 35 goals, 38 assists, and 73 points in 132 games with the #LAKings.#GoKingsGo pic.twitter.com/AKSUUDhRtr
— The Kingstorian (@Kingstorian) December 31, 2025
Claimed by Los Angeles in the 1967 NHL Expansion Draft, MacDonald scored 21 goals for the first-year Kings in 1967-68. The Penguins claimed him from LA in the 1970 NHL Intraleague Draft.