As Canadians paused on Remembrance Day to honour those who served and sacrificed, the story of one young Winnipeg hockey player stands out — a story of promise, patriotism, and a life cut tragically short.

Richard Alexander Angus “Ritchie” McDonald was just 20 years old when he was killed in action during the Second World War. A member of the Royal Canadian Naval Reserve, McDonald was serving aboard the HMCS Valleyfield when it was torpedoed and sunk by a German U-boat on May 7, 1944, just south of Newfoundland.

For those that knew him, McDonald wasn’t just another name among the fallen. He was a gifted right winger, a local boy from West Kildonan who helped bring national glory to his city before trading his hockey sweater for a naval uniform.

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