Born in Fergus, Ontario, he played for the Detroit Red Wings, Toronto Maple Leafs, and New York Rangers. He won 3 Stanley Cups in his career, in 1936 and 1937 with Detroit and in 1942 with Toronto. He played in 446 NHL games, scoring 35 goals and 88 assists. In the playoffs, he played 50 games and had 6 goals and 1 assist. After retiring as a player in 1949, McDonald worked as a coach of the senior Sundridge Beavers. He also coached at other levels of hockey, including coaching an 11-year old Bobby Orr. In 1958-59, he coached the Rochester Americans.