Calgary Flames legend Lanny McDonald made his return to the Saddledome for '80s Night on Saturday, his first appearance since he was released from hospital following a cardiac event last month.
When asked how he was feeling after hospitalization, the former captain, flanked by old teammates there to celebrate their 1989 Stanley Cup win, said he felt "great."
"You know what, I feel great," McDonald told Sportsnet's Ryan Leslie. "Back up to walking seven or eight kilometres a day and ready to cheer on the team."
McDonald, who was given a standing ovation by fans in Calgary, spent two weeks in the hospital after suffering a cardiac event at the Calgary airport after flying home from the All-Star Game in Toronto.
"The people who looked after me in the hospital — nurses, doctors — they were unbelievable. Everyone has to come together to make it work and that's what these guys do every day for me," McDonald said, comparing the medical teams who helped him to a Stanley Cup-winning squad.
McDonald co-captained the Flames to their lone Stanley Cup victory in 1989 and retired from professional hockey that year. The Flames retired his jersey in 1990 and two years later, he was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame.
When leaving the hospital in February, McDonald encouraged his squad to "keep hustling" since it keeps his blood pressure down. Since then, the Flames are 7-4.
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