January 11, 2017
Peter Solari, Contributing Editor
The New York Rangers lost a valued member of their family on Tuesday, as former NYPD officer, and avid Rangers fan, Steven McDonald, passed away from a heart attack. McDonald was 59. Each season, the Rangers present the Steven McDonald Extra Effort Award to the player who "goes above and beyond the call of duty. Past winners of the award include Tony Granato, Adam Graves, Mark Messier, Brian Leetch, Wayne Gretzky, Henrik Lundqvist, Ryan Callahan, and Mats Zuccarello among others. More
from the NHL:
McDonald, a lifelong Rangers fan, was working undercover in Central
Park when he was shot three times July 12, 1986, leaving him a
quadriplegic and unable to breathe on his own. Despite being confined to
a wheelchair, he remained an active member of the police department,
even earning a promotion to detective in 1995. He also was a fixture at
Madison Square Garden and drew ovations when he was shown on the video
board.
The Rangers established the Steven McDonald Extra Effort
Award in his honor a year later. Forward Jan Erixon was the first winner.
Many Rangers players, past and present, tweeted their condolences to the McDonald family, including captain Ryan McDonagh, as well as former Extra Effort Award winners Callahan, Brandon Dubinsky, and Cam Talbot. McDonald is survived by his wife Patti Ann and his son, NYPD sergeant, Conor.
The Rangers
released the following tribute video in McDonald's honor.
