Rod Gilbert facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Rod Gilbert |
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| Hockey Hall of Fame, 1982 | |||
Gilbert with the New York Rangers in 1960
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| Born | July 1, 1941 Montreal, Quebec, Canada |
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| Died | August 19, 2021 (aged 80) New York City, New York, U.S. |
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| Height | 5 ft 9 in (175 cm) | ||
| Weight | 175 lb (79 kg; 12 st 7 lb) | ||
| Position | Right wing | ||
| Shot | Right | ||
| Played for | New York Rangers | ||
| National team | .svg){kind=small} Canada |
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| Playing career | 1960–1978 | ||
| Website | www.rodgilbert.com | ||
Rodrigue Gabriel Gilbert (born July 1, 1941 – died August 19, 2021) was a Canadian ice hockey player. He was a forward who played his whole career for the New York Rangers in the National Hockey League (NHL). People called him "Mr. Ranger" because he was so important to the team.
Gilbert played as a right wing on a famous line called the GAG line. This name stood for "Goal-A-Game line" because they scored so much! He played with Vic Hadfield and Jean Ratelle. In 1982, he was added to the Hockey Hall of Fame. He was also the first player in Rangers history to have his jersey number retired. After he stopped playing, he became the president of the Rangers' group for former players.
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Rod Gilbert's Early Life
Gilbert was born in Montreal, Canada, on July 1, 1941. His mom, Alma, was a homemaker, and his dad, Gabriel, was a blacksmith. When he was a kid, he loved the Montreal Canadiens hockey team.
Playing Junior Hockey
Gilbert played for the Guelph Biltmore Mad Hatters in the Ontario Hockey Association from 1957 to 1960. In his last year with the team, he had a very serious accident. He fell on the ice and broke a bone in his back. This injury was so bad that it almost stopped him from playing hockey forever. Luckily, he got better and was able to play again.
Rod Gilbert's Hockey Career
After playing junior hockey with the Guelph Royals, Gilbert joined the New York Rangers in 1960. He quickly became a favorite with the fans and a big star in the NHL.
Overcoming Injuries
Gilbert faced more challenges with his back. In 1965, he had another major surgery on his spine. He missed half a season because of it. But he was very determined! He came back strong in the 1966–67 season and scored 28 goals. On February 24, 1968, he scored four goals in one game against the Montreal Canadiens.
The Famous GAG Line
The line with Ratelle, Hadfield, and Gilbert was known as the GAG line. They were a very powerful scoring team for many years. Gilbert also played for Team Canada in the 1972 Summit Series. This was a special hockey tournament against the Soviet Union. In 1976, he won the Bill Masterton Trophy. This award is given to a player who shows great determination and spirit, especially after an injury.
Retirement from Hockey
At the start of the 1977–78 NHL season, Gilbert had a disagreement about his contract. He left the Rangers on November 23, 1977. He had played 19 games that season, scoring two goals and seven assists. After this, he decided to retire from hockey. He had played for 18 seasons in the NHL.
On October 14, 1979, the Rangers honored him by retiring his number 7 jersey. He was the first player in the team's history to receive this special honor.
Life After Playing Hockey
After retiring from playing, Gilbert became a coach for the New Haven Nighthawks in the American Hockey League for one season. He also opened his own restaurant called 'Gilbert's' in New York City.
Working with the Rangers
In August 1989, Gilbert returned to work for the New York Rangers. He helped with special projects and community relations. He also led the team's alumni association, which is a group for former players. From 2017, he made many appearances for the Garden of Dreams Foundation. This program helps children in the community.
Rod Gilbert's Family Life
Gilbert married Judith Christy in 1991. The mayor of New York, David Dinkins, performed the ceremony. Together, they had four children: Holly, Brooke, Chantal, and Justin. He also had seven grandchildren.
Art and Legacy
Gilbert was one of ten athletes featured in a series of paintings by the famous American artist Andy Warhol in 1979. This series showed important sports figures from the 1970s, like O. J. Simpson, Chris Evert, and Pelé.
Rod Gilbert passed away in New York City on August 19, 2021, when he was 80 years old.
Rod Gilbert's Career Statistics
Regular Season and Playoffs
| Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | League | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | ||
| 1957–58 | Guelph Biltmore Mad Hatters | OHA | 32 | 14 | 16 | 30 | 14 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1958–59 | Guelph Biltmore Mad Hatters | OHA | 54 | 27 | 34 | 61 | 40 | 10 | 5 | 4 | 9 | 14 | ||
| 1959–60 | Guelph Biltmore Mad Hatters | OHA | 47 | 39 | 52 | 91 | 40 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 6 | 4 | ||
| 1959–60 | Trois-Rivières Lions | EPHL | 3 | 4 | 6 | 10 | 0 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 2 | ||
| 1960–61 | Guelph Royals | OHA | 47 | 54 | 49 | 103 | 47 | 6 | 4 | 4 | 8 | 6 | ||
| 1960–61 | New York Rangers | NHL | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1961–62 | New York Rangers | NHL | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 4 | ||
| 1961–62 | Kitchener-Waterloo Beavers | EPHL | 21 | 12 | 11 | 23 | 22 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | ||
| 1962–63 | New York Rangers | NHL | 70 | 11 | 20 | 31 | 20 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1963–64 | New York Rangers | NHL | 70 | 24 | 40 | 64 | 62 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1964–65 | New York Rangers | NHL | 70 | 25 | 36 | 61 | 54 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1965–66 | New York Rangers | NHL | 34 | 10 | 15 | 25 | 20 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1966–67 | New York Rangers | NHL | 64 | 28 | 18 | 46 | 12 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 6 | ||
| 1967–68 | New York Rangers | NHL | 73 | 29 | 48 | 77 | 12 | 6 | 5 | 0 | 5 | 4 | ||
| 1968–69 | New York Rangers | NHL | 66 | 28 | 49 | 77 | 22 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | ||
| 1969–70 | New York Rangers | NHL | 72 | 16 | 37 | 53 | 22 | 6 | 4 | 5 | 9 | 0 | ||
| 1970–71 | New York Rangers | NHL | 78 | 30 | 31 | 61 | 65 | 13 | 4 | 6 | 10 | 8 | ||
| 1971–72 | New York Rangers | NHL | 73 | 43 | 54 | 97 | 64 | 16 | 7 | 8 | 15 | 11 | ||
| 1972–73 | New York Rangers | NHL | 76 | 25 | 59 | 84 | 25 | 10 | 5 | 1 | 6 | 2 | ||
| 1973–74 | New York Rangers | NHL | 75 | 36 | 41 | 77 | 20 | 13 | 3 | 5 | 8 | 4 | ||
| 1974–75 | New York Rangers | NHL | 76 | 36 | 61 | 97 | 22 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 2 | ||
| 1975–76 | New York Rangers | NHL | 70 | 36 | 50 | 86 | 32 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1976–77 | New York Rangers | NHL | 77 | 27 | 48 | 75 | 50 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1977–78 | New York Rangers | NHL | 19 | 2 | 7 | 9 | 6 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| NHL totals | 1,065 | 406 | 615 | 1,021 | 510 | 79 | 34 | 33 | 67 | 43 | ||||
International Play
| Year | Team | Event | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1972 | Canada | SS | 6 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 9 | |
| 1977 | Canada | WC | 9 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 12 | |
| Senior totals | 15 | 3 | 5 | 8 | 21 | |||
Awards and Honors
- Named to the NHL second All-Star team (1967–68)
- Named to the NHL first All-Star team (1971–72)
- Won Bill Masterton Trophy (1976)
- Won Lester Patrick Trophy (1991)
- Played in NHL All-Star Game (1964, 1965, 1967, 1969, 1970, 1972, 1975, 1977)
- Inducted into Hockey Hall of Fame in 1982
- Had his No. 7 jersey retired at Madison Square Garden, the first Ranger to receive the honor.
- Awarded the Ellis Island Medal of Honor in May 2010, for his work helping others.
Records Set by Rod Gilbert
- New York Rangers team record for career goals (406)
- New York Rangers team record for career points (1021)
- New York Rangers team record for consecutive games with an assist by a forward (10)
- Shares New York Rangers team record for assists in one game (5; three times)
See also
- List of NHL players with 1000 points
- List of NHL players with 1000 games played
