Less well known than his younger brother Sid, a member of the Hockey Hall of Fame, George Abel nevertheless made his mark on hockey history as a member of the Edmonton Mercurys, Canada’s gold medal-winning team to the 1952 Winter Olympic ice hockey tournament. A forward, he played in eight matches and scored six goals. Prior to his Olympic appearance he played with the Flin Flon Bombers of the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League in the 1930s alongside his brother. He even took a provincial championship during the 1937-1938 season, despite having suffered a broken collarbone. He was offered positions on the farm teams for the Detroit Red Wings and the Toronto Maple Leafs, but never played professionally, even when presented a spot on a hockey club from Streatham, England. He took a break from the ice until 1946 to help establish and run a hauling business in Saskatchewan with his other brothers Don and Lawrence, known as “Abel’s Cartage”. He returned to the sport that year, joining the Melville Millionaires and he quickly earned the nickname “Mr. Hockey” as a tribute to both his skills on the ice and his occasional job as player/coach. With the team he was named league scorer three times and captured four championships until he retired from the club in 1956. Abel spent the rest of his life in his hometown and remained athletically active in fastball, softball, curling, hunting and fishing. He retired from the family business in 1971 and died in 1996. As a member of his Olympic team, he was inducted into the Alberta Sport Hall of Fame Museum in 1968 and received an individual induction into the Saskatchewan Sports Hall of Fame in 1993.
Canada