George Abel
Encyclopedia
Competitor for 
Canada
George Gordon Abel (February 23, 1916 – April 16, 1996) was a Canadian
ice hockey
player. He played centre for the Edmonton Mercurys
, representing Canada in the 1952 Winter Olympics
, and won a gold medal
.
George was born and raised in Melville, Saskatchewan
. He played minor hockey while growing up and joined the Flin Flon Bombers
in 1937. In 1946, he returned to Melville to join his brothers Don and Lawrence in operating Abel's Cartage.
In 1950, George joined the Melville Millionaires
. He played for Melville until 1952, gaining a provincial reputation as an exceptional stickhandler and goal-scorer. For a time, he both coached the team and played simultaneously. At this time, George was known as "Mr. Hockey" in Saskatchewan.
In 1952, he accepted an invitation to join the Edmonton Mercurys to play as Canada's hockey team in the 1952 Olympics. The Mercurys toured Europe for three months, playing 50 or 51 games, where George earned the nickname "Mr. Production". In Olympic competition at Oslo
, Norway
, he scored the winning goal in the final game, securing the gold medal for Canada
.
George returned to Melville for the remainder of his life, staying active in fastball
, softball
, curling
and fishing
. He retired from Abel's Cartage in 1971.
CanadaCanada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
George Gordon Abel (February 23, 1916 – April 16, 1996) was a Canadian
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
ice hockey
Ice hockey
Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
player. He played centre for the Edmonton Mercurys
Edmonton Mercurys
The Edmonton Mercurys were an intermediate senior-A ice hockey team that played in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada in 1940s and 50s. Known as the Forgotten Team, the Mercurys won the 1950 World Ice Hockey Championships in London, England, and the gold medal at the 1952 Winter Olympics in Oslo, Norway —...
, representing Canada in the 1952 Winter Olympics
1952 Winter Olympics
The 1952 Winter Olympics, officially known as the VI Olympic Winter Games, took place in Oslo, Norway, from 14 to 25 February 1952. Discussions about Oslo hosting the Winter Olympic Games began as early as 1935; the city wanted to host the 1948 Games, but World War II made that impossible...
, and won a gold medal
Gold medal
A gold medal is typically the medal awarded for highest achievement in a non-military field. Its name derives from the use of at least a fraction of gold in form of plating or alloying in its manufacture...
.
George was born and raised in Melville, Saskatchewan
Melville, Saskatchewan
Melville is a small Canadian city located in the east-central portion of Saskatchewan. It was declared a city by the province in 1960. The city is north east of the provincial capital of Regina and south west of Yorkton. According to The World Gazetteer, it has a 2004 population of approximately...
. He played minor hockey while growing up and joined the Flin Flon Bombers
Flin Flon Bombers
The Flin Flon Bombers are a junior ice hockey team and current member of the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League , and are based in Flin Flon, Manitoba, Canada. The team moved and became the Edmonton Oil Kings in 1978, but the Flin Flon Bomber name was retained...
in 1937. In 1946, he returned to Melville to join his brothers Don and Lawrence in operating Abel's Cartage.
In 1950, George joined the Melville Millionaires
Melville Millionaires
The Melville Millionaires are a Junior "A" ice hockey team based out of Melville, Saskatchewan. They play out of the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League. They play their home games in the Melville Stadium which has a seating capacity of 2,100. The Melville Millionaires and the Yorkton Terriers are...
. He played for Melville until 1952, gaining a provincial reputation as an exceptional stickhandler and goal-scorer. For a time, he both coached the team and played simultaneously. At this time, George was known as "Mr. Hockey" in Saskatchewan.
In 1952, he accepted an invitation to join the Edmonton Mercurys to play as Canada's hockey team in the 1952 Olympics. The Mercurys toured Europe for three months, playing 50 or 51 games, where George earned the nickname "Mr. Production". In Olympic competition at Oslo
Oslo
Oslo is a municipality, as well as the capital and most populous city in Norway. As a municipality , it was established on 1 January 1838. Founded around 1048 by King Harald III of Norway, the city was largely destroyed by fire in 1624. The city was moved under the reign of Denmark–Norway's King...
, Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
, he scored the winning goal in the final game, securing the gold medal for Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
.
George returned to Melville for the remainder of his life, staying active in fastball
Fastball
The fastball is the most common type of pitch in baseball. Some "power pitchers," such as Nolan Ryan and Roger Clemens, have thrown it at speeds of 95–106 mph and up to 108.1 mph , relying purely on speed to prevent the ball from being hit...
, softball
Softball
Softball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of 10 to 14 players. It is a direct descendant of baseball although there are some key differences: softballs are larger than baseballs, and the pitches are thrown underhand rather than overhand...
, curling
Curling
Curling is a sport in which players slide stones across a sheet of ice towards a target area. It is related to bowls, boule and shuffleboard. Two teams, each of four players, take turns sliding heavy, polished granite stones, also called "rocks", across the ice curling sheet towards the house, a...
and fishing
Fishing
Fishing is the activity of trying to catch wild fish. Fish are normally caught in the wild. Techniques for catching fish include hand gathering, spearing, netting, angling and trapping....
. He retired from Abel's Cartage in 1971.