This builder of sport, known to his many fans as 'Macker', has been a part of the amateur and professional hockey community from the 1960s to the present day.

As an athlete he spent time on baseball diamonds with such teams as the Port Arthur Red Sox. On the ice he was a standout in the junior leagues with the Port Arthur Marrs, earning league MVP honours, and as captain of the Thunder Bay Vulcans for two seasons in the early 1970s.

Moving into the senior ranks with the Thunder Bay Twins, following time in the IHL, he went on to contribute to five Allan Cup titles as Canadian Senior hockey champion. His first three were as a player in 1975, 1984 and 1985, before moving behind the bench and winning the 1988 and 1989 Allan Cup as the head coach.

Taking over the reins of the Thunder Bay Thunder Hawks and the Thunder Bay Senators from 1991-95, he led the teams to three Colonial Hockey League titles in four seasons, earning the 1992-93 Colonial League Coach of the Year honours.

Heading south of the border, he began a successful eighteen-year journey coaching professional hockey teams in the Central, Western Pro, International and East Coast Leagues, picking up more hardware including the 1996-97 CHL championship title and Commissioners Trophy as Coach of the Year with the Fort Worth Fire, and 1997-98 WPHL Coach of the Year honours.

Returning home in 2013, he spent time coaching the next generation of hockey stars leading the Lakehead University Thunderwolves from 2013-18.

Having coached over 1,200 games and claiming six championship titles from behind the bench, and three national titles as a player on the ice, Bill 'Macker' McDonald has truly left his mark in the pages of hockey history.

His legacy also includes the generations of players, coaches, and leaders who can credit their growth in sport, and in life, to his guidance, many of whom continue to be involved in the world of hockey today.

Inducted into the Northwestern Ontario Sports Hall of Fame, September 26, 2026