| Olympic medal record | ||
|---|---|---|
| Men's ice hockey
Competitor for Canada |
||
| Gold | 1952 Oslo | Ice hockey |
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.