He played in the National Hockey League with the Toronto Maple Leafs, Montreal Canadiens, and Chicago Black Hawks between 1948 and 1955.

He was traded to the Detroit Red Wings but he opted to retire and return to Edmonton as player coach for the hometown Flyers and to raise his family.

After a short stint in law school (Osgoode Hall) and rather than join the Leafs, he thought he would study for the priesthood and entered St. Joseph's Seminary in Edmonton.

In 1951 McCormack married Margaret Anne Gordon, a recent nursing graduate from the Hospital for Sick Children.

Conn Smythe, Leaf's owner, generously provide a honeymoon/demotion to Pittsburgh (Hornets AHL) for the couple.