George Abel

Who was George Abel?

George Gordon Abel was a gifted Canadian ice hockey player. He played centre for the Edmonton Mercurys, and won the only Canadian gold medal playing in the 1952 Winter Olympics in Oslo, Norway.

George was born and raised in Melville, Saskatchewan. Born into a true western Canadian hockey family, he played minor hockey while growing up and joined the Flin Flon Bombers in 1937. In 1946, choosing not to go professional, George returned to Melville to marry, start a family, and 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 stick-handler and prolific 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 National hockey team in the 1952 Olympics. The team toured Europe for three months, playing 50 or 51 games, where George earned the nickname "Mr. Production".