Aaron Gagnon
Encyclopedia
Aaron Gagnon is a Canadian
professional ice hockey
centre
who currently plays for the Winnipeg Jets
of the National Hockey League
.
Gagnon was drafted in the eighth round, 240th overall by the Phoenix Coyotes
in the 2004 NHL Entry Draft
. On February 2, 2007, Gagnon signed a 3-year contract with the Dallas Stars
.
, British Columbia
to parents Kelly and Barry Gagnon. Despite being born in Quesnel, Gagnon was raised in Armstrong
, British Columbia
. Gagnon has a sister, Jillian, and a brother, Bryn. His brother Bryn is also an ice hockey
player, having played for the Salmon Arm Silverbacks
of the British Columbia Hockey League
and currently a member of the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology Trojans of the Alberta Colleges Athletics Conference
.
in the 2001 WHL Bantam Draft
. In the season immediately following the draft, Gagnon played in 2 games with the Thunderbirds, while spending most of the season with his North Okanagan Midget AA team of the BCAHA
where he scored 59 goals and 118 points in only 41 games to lead the team in scoring. One year later, Gagnon began his rookie season with Seattle. In 60 games, Gagnon scored 18 points while adding another 5 points in 15 playoff games. Gagnon's sophomore season was a large improvement over his rookie campaign. With 36 points in 63 games, Gagnon doubled his previous seasons' point total. Gagnon's defensive game also improved, as he led the Thunderbirds in plus/minus with a plus-18.
Gagnon's third season in the WHL proved to be one of his most successful. After setting new career highs in goals (31), assists (34), and points (65) in 72 games, Gagnon was named to the WHL West First All-Star Team and was named the Western Conference nomination for the Brad Hornung Trophy
as the WHL's most sportsmanlike player of the year, an award he ultimately lost to Kris Russell
of the Medicine Hat Tigers
.
On September 22, 2005, just prior to the start of his fourth full WHL season, Gagnon was named captain
of the Thunderbirds.
Gagnon's final season with the Thunderbirds was arguably the best of his WHL
career. Serving once again as the Thunderbirds' captain
, Gagnon finished the season with career highs in goals (42), assists (38), and points (80) in only 59 games. During the season, Gagnon was twice named the Boston Pizza
WHL Player of the Week and was also named the Husky
WHL Player of the Month for December. At the completion of the regular season, Gagnon was named to the WHL West First All-Star Team and was the Western Conference nomination for both the Four Broncos Memorial Trophy
as the WHL's MVP
, and the Brad Hornung Trophy
as the WHL's most sportsmanlike player of the year. For the second time in his WHL career, Gagnon lost out on an award to Kris Russell
of the Medicine Hat Tigers
, losing the Four Broncos Memorial Trophy
; however, Gagnon did manage to win his first Brad Hornung Trophy
.
roster for the 2004 IIHF World U18 Championships
in Minsk
, Belarus
.
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
professional ice hockey
Ice hockey
Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
centre
Centre (ice hockey)
The centre in ice hockey is a forward position of a player whose primary zone of play is the middle of the ice, away from the side boards. Centres have more flexibility in their positioning and are expected to cover more ice surface than any other player...
who currently plays for the Winnipeg Jets
Winnipeg Jets
The Winnipeg Jets were a professional ice hockey team based in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. They began play in the World Hockey Association in 1972, moving to the National Hockey League in 1979 following the collapse of the WHA...
of the National Hockey League
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States...
.
Gagnon was drafted in the eighth round, 240th overall by the Phoenix Coyotes
Phoenix Coyotes
The Phoenix Coyotes are a professional ice hockey team based in Glendale, Arizona. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . They play their home games at Jobing.com Arena....
in the 2004 NHL Entry Draft
2004 NHL Entry Draft
The 2004 NHL Entry Draft was held on June 26 at the RBC Center in Raleigh, North Carolina. It is especially notable because it was the last NHL event to take place before the beginning of the lockout which canceled all the games scheduled for the 2004–05 NHL season.- Selections by round :Listed...
. On February 2, 2007, Gagnon signed a 3-year contract with the Dallas Stars
Dallas Stars
The Dallas Stars are a professional ice hockey team based in Dallas, Texas. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The team was founded during the 1967 NHL expansion as the Minnesota North Stars, based in Bloomington, Minnesota. The...
.
Personal life
Gagnon was born on April 24, 1986 in QuesnelQuesnel, British Columbia
-Demographics:Quesnel had a population of 9,326 people in 2006, which was a decrease of 7.1% from the 2001 census count. The median household income in 2005 for Quesnel was $54,044, which is slightly above the British Columbia provincial average of $52,709....
, British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
to parents Kelly and Barry Gagnon. Despite being born in Quesnel, Gagnon was raised in Armstrong
Armstrong, British Columbia
The City of Armstrong is located in the North Okanagan of the Canadian province of British Columbia, between Vernon and Enderby. It overlooks the Spallumcheen Valley, which forms a broad pass between the Okanagan Valley to the south and the Shuswap Country to the north, and is about from each of...
, British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
. Gagnon has a sister, Jillian, and a brother, Bryn. His brother Bryn is also an ice hockey
Ice hockey
Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
player, having played for the Salmon Arm Silverbacks
Salmon Arm Silverbacks
The Salmon Arm Silverbacks are a Junior "A" ice hockey team from Salmon Arm, British Columbia, Canada. They are a part of the British Columbia Hockey League.-2010/2011 Player Roster:1 Kris Moore4 Dustin Cave5 Jayson Reardon...
of the British Columbia Hockey League
British Columbia Hockey League
The British Columbia Hockey League is a Junior "A" ice hockey league from British Columbia under Hockey Canada, a subsection of the Canadian Junior Hockey League. Founded in Vernon in 1961, the BCHL now includes 16 teams. These teams play in two conferences, known as the Coastal and the Interior...
and currently a member of the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology Trojans of the Alberta Colleges Athletics Conference
Alberta Colleges Athletics Conference
The Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference is the governing body for collegiate sports in Alberta, Canada. Founded in 1964, as the Western Inter-College Conference, the ACAC is represented by seventeen schools, including one in Saskatchewan, that compete in ten sports.The ACAC is a member of the...
.
Seattle Thunderbirds
Gagnon was drafted in the 5th round, 83rd overall by the Seattle ThunderbirdsSeattle Thunderbirds
The Seattle Thunderbirds are a junior ice hockey team based in Kent, a suburb of Seattle, Washington. They are part of the U.S. Division of the Western Hockey League, and play in the ShoWare Center...
in the 2001 WHL Bantam Draft
WHL Bantam Draft
The WHL Bantam Draft is an annual outing, in which the teams of the Western Hockey League select players who have graduated from bantam. The draft's order of selection depends on where the team finishes in the league standings. The teams that miss the playoffs are placed into a lottery for the...
. In the season immediately following the draft, Gagnon played in 2 games with the Thunderbirds, while spending most of the season with his North Okanagan Midget AA team of the BCAHA
British Columbia Amateur Hockey Association
The British Columbia Amateur Hockey Association, more commonly known as BC Hockey,is a non-profit organization and member branch of Hockey Canada in charge of governing amateur hockey at all levels in British Columbia and Yukon Territory...
where he scored 59 goals and 118 points in only 41 games to lead the team in scoring. One year later, Gagnon began his rookie season with Seattle. In 60 games, Gagnon scored 18 points while adding another 5 points in 15 playoff games. Gagnon's sophomore season was a large improvement over his rookie campaign. With 36 points in 63 games, Gagnon doubled his previous seasons' point total. Gagnon's defensive game also improved, as he led the Thunderbirds in plus/minus with a plus-18.
Gagnon's third season in the WHL proved to be one of his most successful. After setting new career highs in goals (31), assists (34), and points (65) in 72 games, Gagnon was named to the WHL West First All-Star Team and was named the Western Conference nomination for the Brad Hornung Trophy
Brad Hornung Trophy
The Brad Hornung Trophy is awarded annually to the most sportsmanlike player of the Western Hockey League.It is named after former Regina Pats player Brad Hornung who was paralyzed during a game on March 1, 1987.-List of winners:...
as the WHL's most sportsmanlike player of the year, an award he ultimately lost to Kris Russell
Kris Russell
Kris Russell is a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman currently playing for the St. Louis Blues of the National Hockey League...
of the Medicine Hat Tigers
Medicine Hat Tigers
The Medicine Hat Tigers are a junior ice hockey team in the Western Hockey League who play out of Medicine Hat, Alberta, Canada. Established in 1970, the team has won two national Memorial Cups, five WHL League Championships and seven Division Titles. The Tigers play at the Medicine Hat Arena....
.
On September 22, 2005, just prior to the start of his fourth full WHL season, Gagnon was named captain
Captain (ice hockey)
In ice hockey, each team can designate an official captain for each game. The player serving as captain during the game wears a "C" on his or her jersey...
of the Thunderbirds.
Gagnon's final season with the Thunderbirds was arguably the best of his WHL
Western Hockey League
The Western Hockey League is a major junior ice hockey league based in Western Canada and the Northwestern United States. The WHL is one of three leagues that constitute the Canadian Hockey League as the highest level of junior hockey in Canada...
career. Serving once again as the Thunderbirds' captain
Captain (ice hockey)
In ice hockey, each team can designate an official captain for each game. The player serving as captain during the game wears a "C" on his or her jersey...
, Gagnon finished the season with career highs in goals (42), assists (38), and points (80) in only 59 games. During the season, Gagnon was twice named the Boston Pizza
Boston Pizza
Boston Pizza is a Canadian-based restaurant chain which owns and franchises locations in Canada, the United States and Mexico.-History:...
WHL Player of the Week and was also named the Husky
Husky Energy
Husky Energy Inc. is a large integrated Canadian energy company based in Calgary, Alberta. Husky's foundation is in Western Canada, where it has extensive conventional oil and natural gas assets, significant heavy oil production and a range of midstream and downstream operations, including...
WHL Player of the Month for December. At the completion of the regular season, Gagnon was named to the WHL West First All-Star Team and was the Western Conference nomination for both the Four Broncos Memorial Trophy
Four Broncos Memorial Trophy
The Four Broncos Memorial Trophy is awarded each year to the Western Hockey League's Player of the Year.The trophy is named in honour of four members of the Swift Current Broncos who were killed on December 30, 1986 in the Swift Current Broncos bus crash, an accident that occurred when the team bus...
as the WHL's MVP
Most Valuable Player
In sports, a Most Valuable Player award is an honor typically bestowed upon the best performing player or players on a specific team, in an entire league, or for a particular contest or series of contests...
, and the Brad Hornung Trophy
Brad Hornung Trophy
The Brad Hornung Trophy is awarded annually to the most sportsmanlike player of the Western Hockey League.It is named after former Regina Pats player Brad Hornung who was paralyzed during a game on March 1, 1987.-List of winners:...
as the WHL's most sportsmanlike player of the year. For the second time in his WHL career, Gagnon lost out on an award to Kris Russell
Kris Russell
Kris Russell is a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman currently playing for the St. Louis Blues of the National Hockey League...
of the Medicine Hat Tigers
Medicine Hat Tigers
The Medicine Hat Tigers are a junior ice hockey team in the Western Hockey League who play out of Medicine Hat, Alberta, Canada. Established in 1970, the team has won two national Memorial Cups, five WHL League Championships and seven Division Titles. The Tigers play at the Medicine Hat Arena....
, losing the Four Broncos Memorial Trophy
Four Broncos Memorial Trophy
The Four Broncos Memorial Trophy is awarded each year to the Western Hockey League's Player of the Year.The trophy is named in honour of four members of the Swift Current Broncos who were killed on December 30, 1986 in the Swift Current Broncos bus crash, an accident that occurred when the team bus...
; however, Gagnon did manage to win his first Brad Hornung Trophy
Brad Hornung Trophy
The Brad Hornung Trophy is awarded annually to the most sportsmanlike player of the Western Hockey League.It is named after former Regina Pats player Brad Hornung who was paralyzed during a game on March 1, 1987.-List of winners:...
.
International play
On April 1, 2004, Gagnon was named to the CanadianCanada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
roster for the 2004 IIHF World U18 Championships
2004 IIHF World U18 Championships
-Quarterfinals:-Semifinals:-Fifth place game:-Bronze medal game:-Gold medal game:-Final standings: and are relegated to Division I for the 2005 IIHF World U18 Championships.-Scoring leaders:-Goaltending leaders:...
in Minsk
Minsk
- Ecological situation :The ecological situation is monitored by Republican Center of Radioactive and Environmental Control .During 2003–2008 the overall weight of contaminants increased from 186,000 to 247,400 tons. The change of gas as industrial fuel to mazut for financial reasons has worsened...
, Belarus
Belarus
Belarus , officially the Republic of Belarus, is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe, bordered clockwise by Russia to the northeast, Ukraine to the south, Poland to the west, and Lithuania and Latvia to the northwest. Its capital is Minsk; other major cities include Brest, Grodno , Gomel ,...
.
Awards
- 2005 – WHLWestern Hockey LeagueThe Western Hockey League is a major junior ice hockey league based in Western Canada and the Northwestern United States. The WHL is one of three leagues that constitute the Canadian Hockey League as the highest level of junior hockey in Canada...
West First All-Star Team - 2006 – WHL Boston PizzaBoston PizzaBoston Pizza is a Canadian-based restaurant chain which owns and franchises locations in Canada, the United States and Mexico.-History:...
Player of the Week (November 27 – December 3) - 2006 – WHL HuskyHusky EnergyHusky Energy Inc. is a large integrated Canadian energy company based in Calgary, Alberta. Husky's foundation is in Western Canada, where it has extensive conventional oil and natural gas assets, significant heavy oil production and a range of midstream and downstream operations, including...
Player of the Month (December) - 2007 – WHL Boston Pizza Player of the Week (February 19 – 25)
- 2007 – WHL Brad Hornung TrophyBrad Hornung TrophyThe Brad Hornung Trophy is awarded annually to the most sportsmanlike player of the Western Hockey League.It is named after former Regina Pats player Brad Hornung who was paralyzed during a game on March 1, 1987.-List of winners:...
- 2007 – WHL West First All-Star Team
Career statistics
| Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season Season (sports) In an organized sports league, a season is the portion of one year in which regulated games of the sport are in session. For example, in Major League Baseball, one season lasts approximately from April 1 through October 1; in Association football, it is generally from August until May In an... |
Team | League | GP | G Goal (ice hockey) In ice hockey, a goal is scored when the puck completely crosses the goal line between the two goal posts and below the goal crossbar. A goal awards one point to the team attacking the goal scored upon, regardless of which team the player who actually deflected the puck into the goal belongs to... | A Assist (ice hockey) In ice hockey, an assist is attributed to up to two players of the scoring team who shot, passed or deflected the puck towards the scoring teammate, or touched it in any other way which enabled the goal, meaning that they were "assisting" in the goal. There can be a maximum of two assists per goal... | Pts Point (ice hockey) Point in ice hockey has three official meanings:* A point is awarded to a player for each goal scored or assist earned. The total number of goals plus assists equals total points. In some European leagues, a goal counts as two points, and an assist counts as one... | PIM Penalty (ice hockey) A penalty in ice hockey is a punishment for inappropriate behavior. Most penalties are enforced by detaining the offending player within a penalty box for a set number of minutes, during which, the player can not participate in play. The offending team usually may not replace the player on the ice,... |
GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | ||
| 2001–02 | Seattle Thunderbirds Seattle Thunderbirds The Seattle Thunderbirds are a junior ice hockey team based in Kent, a suburb of Seattle, Washington. They are part of the U.S. Division of the Western Hockey League, and play in the ShoWare Center... |
WHL Western Hockey League The Western Hockey League is a major junior ice hockey league based in Western Canada and the Northwestern United States. The WHL is one of three leagues that constitute the Canadian Hockey League as the highest level of junior hockey in Canada... |
2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2002–03 | Seattle Thunderbirds | WHL | 60 | 5 | 13 | 18 | 14 | 15 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 4 | ||
| 2003–04 | Seattle Thunderbirds | WHL | 63 | 21 | 15 | 36 | 29 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2004–05 | Seattle Thunderbirds | WHL | 72 | 31 | 34 | 65 | 29 | 12 | 4 | 5 | 9 | 16 | ||
| 2005–06 | Seattle Thunderbirds | WHL | 62 | 24 | 21 | 45 | 40 | 7 | 5 | 3 | 8 | 6 | ||
| 2006–07 | Seattle Thunderbirds | WHL | 59 | 42 | 38 | 80 | 58 | 11 | 6 | 2 | 8 | 10 | ||
| 2007–08 | Idaho Steelheads Idaho Steelheads The Idaho Steelheads are an American professional minor league ice hockey team based in Boise, Idaho. The team began playing in 1997 and has been a member of the ECHL since 2003.... |
ECHL ECHL The ECHL is a mid-level professional ice hockey league based in Princeton, New Jersey with teams scattered across the United States... |
22 | 7 | 14 | 21 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | ||
| 2007–08 2007–08 AHL season The 2007–08 AHL season is the 72nd season of the American Hockey League. Twenty-nine teams played 80 games each in the schedule. The Chicago Wolves won their second Calder Cup, defeating the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins in the Calder Cup Final.-Team changes:... |
Iowa Stars Iowa Stars The Iowa Chops were a professional ice hockey team in the American Hockey League. The club was based in Des Moines, Iowa at the Wells Fargo Arena.-History:... |
AHL American Hockey League The American Hockey League is a 30-team professional ice hockey league based in the United States and Canada that serves as the primary developmental circuit for the National Hockey League... |
25 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 8 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2008–09 2008–09 AHL season The 2008–09 AHL season is the 73rd season of the American Hockey League. 29 teams each played 80 games in the regular season, which ran from October 8 until April 12.-Team and NHL affiliation changes:... |
Grand Rapids Griffins Grand Rapids Griffins The Grand Rapids Griffins are a professional hockey team in the American Hockey League . They play in Grand Rapids, Michigan at the Van Andel Arena. They are the AHL affiliate to the Detroit Red Wings of the National Hockey League.... |
AHL | 61 | 8 | 11 | 19 | 28 | 10 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 2 | ||
| 2009–10 2009–10 AHL season The 2009–10 AHL season was the 74th season of the American Hockey League. Twenty-nine teams played 80 regular-season games each from October 2 to April 11... |
Texas Stars Texas Stars The Texas Stars are an American Hockey League team. They play in Cedar Park, Texas, near Austin.The team is the top affiliate of the NHL Dallas Stars. In April 2008, the Iowa Stars announced that they would no longer affiliate with the Dallas Stars, and changed the team's name to Chops for the... |
AHL | 78 | 27 | 31 | 58 | 42 | 24 | 8 | 4 | 12 | 18 | ||
| 2009–10 2009–10 NHL season The 2009–10 NHL season was the 93rd season of operation of the National Hockey League , and the 100th season since the founding of the predecessor National Hockey Association . It ran from October 1, 2009, including four games in Europe on October 2 and 3—until April 11, 2010, with the 2010... |
Dallas Stars Dallas Stars The Dallas Stars are a professional ice hockey team based in Dallas, Texas. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The team was founded during the 1967 NHL expansion as the Minnesota North Stars, based in Bloomington, Minnesota. The... |
NHL National Hockey League The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States... |
2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2010–11 2010–11 AHL season The 2010–11 AHL season is the 75th season of the American Hockey League. An all-time high of thirty teams will play 80 games each during the regular season schedule, which started on October 8, 2010 and ended on April 10, 2011... |
Texas Stars | AHL | 58 | 14 | 23 | 37 | 24 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 4 | ||
| 2010–11 2010–11 NHL season The 2010–11 NHL season was the 94th season of operation of the National Hockey League . It was the fourth consecutive season that opened in Europe with NHL Premiere . A record three events were scheduled, all in previous NHL Premiere cities: Helsinki, Finland; Stockholm, Sweden; and Prague, Czech... |
Dallas Stars | NHL | 19 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| NHL totals | 21 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | ||||
International statistics
| Year | Team | Event | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 2004 IIHF World U18 Championships -Quarterfinals:-Semifinals:-Fifth place game:-Bronze medal game:-Gold medal game:-Final standings: and are relegated to Division I for the 2005 IIHF World U18 Championships.-Scoring leaders:-Goaltending leaders:... |
Canada Canadian national men's hockey team The Canadian national ice hockey team is the ice hockey team representing Canada. The team is overseen by Hockey Canada, a member of the International Ice Hockey Federation, and participates in international competitions. From 1920 until 1963, Canada's international representation was by senior... |
U18 IIHF World U18 Championships The IIHF World U18 Championship is an annual event organized by the International Ice Hockey Federation for national under-18 ice hockey teams from around the world. The tournament is usually played in April and is organized according to a system similar to Ice Hockey World Championships and World... |
7 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 10 | |
| Totals | 7 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 10 | |||