Former Pittsburgh Penguins forward Lowell MacDonald, an All-Star in the early years of the franchise, died on Sunday. He was 84.

R.H. Porter Funeral Home in New Glasgow, Nova Scotia, McDonald’s home province, announced his death.

A cause of death was not reported.

Born Aug. 30, 1941, MacDonald broke into the professional ranks with the Detroit Red Wings in 1961. He spent parts of 13 seasons in the NHL but did not fully establish himself as a full-time NHLer until 1967, when the league expanded from six to 12 teams, including the Los Angeles Kings, with whom he spent two seasons skating for.

A severe knee injury disrupted his career in the late 1960s and required six operations to repair.

McDonald enjoyed his greatest NHL success after joining the Penguins in the 1970 intra-league draft.

Fully recovered from his ailment, MacDonald broke out in 1972-73. Selected as an All-Star, he scored 75 points (34 goals, 41 assists) in 73 games. For overcoming his injury, MacDonald became the first Penguins player to receive the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy, which recognizes “the National Hockey League player who best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship, and dedication to hockey.”

To date, forward Mario Lemieux (1993) and defenseman Kris Letang (2023) are the only other members of the Penguins to receive the Masterton.

Perhaps MacDonald’s greatest fame came during the 1973-74 campaign when he was joined by Syl Apps and Jean Pronovost on the “Century Line.”

That moniker was created by Penguins public relations director Terry Schiffhauer after the trio combined for 100 goals (107, to be precise).

MacDonald led the team with 43 goals that season – becoming the first player to reach the 40-goal barrier in franchise history – and established a career high with 79 points while earning another All-Star selection.

In total, MacDonald was a member of the Penguins for parts of seven seasons before a shoulder injury forced him to retire by 1978.

Over 328 games with the Penguins, MacDonald scored 306 points (140 goals, 166 assists).

Sidney Crosby thought he was a big deal since they were both from Nova Scotia and relatively few NHLers have come from there.

Mr. McDonald was a two-time All-Star with the Penguins and part of the vaunted Century Line.

RIP. https://t.co/N7lbsf71K6 pic.twitter.com/jANEab4N1Y

— Seth Rorabaugh (@SethRorabaugh) December 31, 2025

His exploits in Pittsburgh weren’t restricted to the Penguins, as MacDonald played parts of three seasons for the former Pittsburgh Hornets of the American Hockey League throughout the 1960s.

In his second career, MacDonald became a teacher, coach and athletic director at the University School of Milwaukee. After. He also coached Shady Side Academy for two seasons between 1997 and 1999.

His son, also named Lowell MacDonald, was a longtime producer for the team’s television broadcasts before retiring last season.

Another son, Lane MacDonald, won the Hobey Baker Award in 1989 as the top player at the NCAA level with Harvard.

In addition to his sons, MacDonald is survived by his wife of 62 years, Joyce, and a sister, Karen MacLeod.

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