Colton Gillies
Encyclopedia
Colton Gillies is a Canadian professional ice hockey
left winger
currently playing for the Minnesota Wild
of the National Hockey League
(NHL). He was drafted by the Wild in the first round (16th overall) of the 2007 NHL Entry Draft
. He is a third cousin of Hockey Hall of Fame
member Clark Gillies
.
in the 2004 Western Hockey League
(WHL) Bantam Draft
. Gillies spent parts of four seasons with the Blades, but the team struggled and consequently Gillies played in only 10 playoff games during his major junior career. Still, he gained attention with his strong physical and two-way play, and was selected to represent Canada at the 2007 IIHF World U18 Championships
in Finland
, where Canada finished a disappointing 4th overall. That summer he was selected in the first round of the NHL draft
by the Minnesota Wild
, who traded up three spots in the draft in order to pick Gillies 16th overall. Gillies was named captain of the Blades during the 2007-08 season and again represented his country at the 2008 World Junior Championships
in the Czech Republic
where he helped Canada to its fourth consecutive gold medal at the tournament.
Late in the 2007-08 season Gillies made his professional debut with the Wild's American Hockey League
(AHL) affiliate, the Houston Aeros
. He managed 8 points in 11 games with the team. That fall he cracked the Wild roster out of training camp and went on to play 45 games for the team during the 2008-09 season. Gillies recorded his first career point, an assist, on October 11, 2008 against the Boston Bruins
, and his first career goal on December 19, 2008 against the New York Islanders
.
Gillies spent the entirety of the 2009-10 season developing his game with the Aeros. Though he would remain with the Aeros for the majority of the 2010-11 season, Gillies was re-called by the Wild on April 3, 2011. He played the final 7 games of the season with Minnesota, contributing a goal in the last game of the season, a 5-3 victory over the Dallas Stars
that ended the Stars' bid for the final playoff spot in the Western Conference.
On July 6, 2011, Gillies signed a two-year contract extension with the Wild.
{| border="0" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="0" ID="Table3" style="text-align:center; width:50em"
|- bgcolor="#e0e0e0"
! colspan="3" bgcolor="#ffffff" |
! rowspan="99" bgcolor="#ffffff" |
! colspan="5" | Regular season
! rowspan="99" bgcolor="#ffffff" |
! colspan="5" | Playoffs
|- bgcolor="#e0e0e0"
! Season
! Team
! League
! GP
! G
! A
! Pts
! PIM
! GP
! G
! A
! Pts
! PIM
|-
| 2004–05
| Saskatoon Blades
| WHL
| 9
| 1
| 1
| 2
| 10
| 2
| 0
| 0
| 0
| 0
|- bgcolor="#f0f0f0"
| 2005–06
| Saskatoon Blades
| WHL
| 63
| 6
| 6
| 12
| 57
| 8
| 0
| 0
| 0
| 4
|-
| 2006–07
| Saskatoon Blades
| WHL
| 65
| 13
| 17
| 30
| 148
| —
| —
| —
| —
| —
|- bgcolor="#f0f0f0"
| 2007–08
| Saskatoon Blades
| WHL
| 58
| 24
| 23
| 47
| 97
| —
| —
| —
| —
| —
|-
| 2007–08
| Houston Aeros
| AHL
| 11
| 1
| 7
| 8
| 4
| 5
| 0
| 0
| 0
| 2
|- bgcolor="#f0f0f0"
| 2008–09
| Minnesota Wild
| NHL
| 45
| 2
| 5
| 7
| 18
| —
| —
| —
| —
| —
|-
| 2009–10
| Houston Aeros
| AHL
| 72
| 7
| 13
| 20
| 73
| —
| —
| —
| —
| —
|- bgcolor="#f0f0f0"
| 2010–11
| Houston Aeros
| AHL
| 64
| 11
| 15
| 26
| 82
| 24
| 7
| 5
| 12
| 32
|-
| 2010–11
| Minnesota Wild
| NHL
| 7
| 1
| 0
| 1
| 2
| —
| —
| —
| —
| —
|- ALIGN="center" bgcolor="#e0e0e0"
! colspan="3" | NHL totals
! ALIGN="center" | 52
! ALIGN="center" | 3
! ALIGN="center" | 5
! ALIGN="center" | 8
! ALIGN="center" | 20
! ALIGN="center" | —
! ALIGN="center" | —
! ALIGN="center" | —
! ALIGN="center" | —
! ALIGN="center" | —
|- ALIGN="center" bgcolor="#e0e0e0"
! colspan="3" | AHL totals
! ALIGN="center" | 147
! ALIGN="center" | 19
! ALIGN="center" | 35
! ALIGN="center" | 54
! ALIGN="center" | 150
! ALIGN="center" | 29
! ALIGN="center" | 7
! ALIGN="center" | 5
! ALIGN="center" | 12
! ALIGN="center" | 34
|- ALIGN="center" bgcolor="#e0e0e0"
! colspan="3" | WHL totals
! ALIGN="center" | 195
! ALIGN="center" | 44
! ALIGN="center" | 47
! ALIGN="center" | 91
! ALIGN="center" | 310
! ALIGN="center" | 10
! ALIGN="center" | 0
! ALIGN="center" | 0
! ALIGN="center" | 0
! ALIGN="center" | 4
|}
|- ALIGN="center" bgcolor="#e0e0e0"
! Year
! Team
! Event
! GP
! G
! A
! Pts
! PIM
|-
| 2007
| Canada
| U18
| 6||2||1||3||10
|- bgcolor="#f0f0f0"
| 2008
| Canada
| WJC
| 7||1||0||0||6
|- bgcolor="#e0e0e0"
! colspan="3" | Junior int' totals
! 13!!3!!11!!4!!16
|}
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...
left winger
Winger (ice hockey)
Winger, in the game of hockey, is a forward position of a player whose primary zone of play on the ice is along the outer playing area. They typically work by flanking the centre forward. Originally the name was given to forward players who went up and down the sides of the rink...
currently playing for the Minnesota Wild
Minnesota Wild
The Minnesota Wild are a professional ice hockey team based in St. Paul, Minnesota, United States. They are members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League ....
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...
(NHL). He was drafted by the Wild in the first round (16th overall) of the 2007 NHL Entry Draft
2007 NHL Entry Draft
The 2007 NHL Entry Draft was the 45th NHL Entry Draft. It was hosted at Nationwide Arena in the city of Columbus, Ohio, United States on June 22, 2007. The draft consisted of seven rounds with rounds two through seven taking place on June 23, 2007...
. He is a third cousin of Hockey Hall of Fame
Hockey Hall of Fame
The Hockey Hall of Fame is located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Dedicated to the history of ice hockey, it is both a museum and a hall of fame. It holds exhibits about players, teams, National Hockey League records, memorabilia and NHL trophies, including the Stanley Cup...
member Clark Gillies
Clark Gillies
Clark "Jethro" Gillies is a retired professional ice hockey player. He is a member of the Hockey Hall of Fame. He provided both physical presence and offensive punch for the NHL's New York Islanders during their four-year run as Stanley Cup champions. In a career that spanned 958 games, Gillies...
.
Playing career
Gillies was the second overall pick by the Saskatoon BladesSaskatoon Blades
The Saskatoon Blades are a junior ice hockey team in the Eastern Division of the Western Hockey League. They are based in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, playing at the 15,195 seat Credit Union Centre.-History:...
in the 2004 Western Hockey League
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...
(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...
. Gillies spent parts of four seasons with the Blades, but the team struggled and consequently Gillies played in only 10 playoff games during his major junior career. Still, he gained attention with his strong physical and two-way play, and was selected to represent Canada at the 2007 IIHF World U18 Championships
2007 IIHF World U18 Championships
The 2007 IIHF World U18 Championships were held in Rauma and Tampere, Finland. The championships began on April 11, 2007 and finished on April 22, 2007. Games were played at Äijänsuo Arena in Rauma and Hakametsän jäähalli in Tampere...
in Finland
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
, where Canada finished a disappointing 4th overall. That summer he was selected in the first round of the NHL draft
2007 NHL Entry Draft
The 2007 NHL Entry Draft was the 45th NHL Entry Draft. It was hosted at Nationwide Arena in the city of Columbus, Ohio, United States on June 22, 2007. The draft consisted of seven rounds with rounds two through seven taking place on June 23, 2007...
by the Minnesota Wild
Minnesota Wild
The Minnesota Wild are a professional ice hockey team based in St. Paul, Minnesota, United States. They are members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League ....
, who traded up three spots in the draft in order to pick Gillies 16th overall. Gillies was named captain of the Blades during the 2007-08 season and again represented his country at the 2008 World Junior Championships
2008 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships
The 2008 IIHF World U20 Championship, or, as it is commonly referred to in Canada as the 2008 World Juniors and the United States, the 2008 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships is the 2008 edition of the World Junior Ice Hockey Championships...
in the Czech Republic
Czech Republic
The Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Poland to the northeast, Slovakia to the east, Austria to the south, and Germany to the west and northwest....
where he helped Canada to its fourth consecutive gold medal at the tournament.
Late in the 2007-08 season Gillies made his professional debut with the Wild's American Hockey League
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...
(AHL) affiliate, the Houston Aeros
Houston Aeros
The Houston Aeros are a professional ice hockey team in the American Hockey League. The team plays in Houston, Texas, at the Toyota Center. They are the AHL affiliate of the NHL's Minnesota Wild.- History :...
. He managed 8 points in 11 games with the team. That fall he cracked the Wild roster out of training camp and went on to play 45 games for the team during the 2008-09 season. Gillies recorded his first career point, an assist, on October 11, 2008 against the Boston Bruins
Boston Bruins
The Boston Bruins are a professional ice hockey team based in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The team has been in existence since 1924, and is the league's third-oldest team and its oldest in the...
, and his first career goal on December 19, 2008 against the New York Islanders
New York Islanders
The New York Islanders are a professional ice hockey team based in Uniondale, New York. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
.
Gillies spent the entirety of the 2009-10 season developing his game with the Aeros. Though he would remain with the Aeros for the majority of the 2010-11 season, Gillies was re-called by the Wild on April 3, 2011. He played the final 7 games of the season with Minnesota, contributing a goal in the last game of the season, a 5-3 victory over 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...
that ended the Stars' bid for the final playoff spot in the Western Conference.
On July 6, 2011, Gillies signed a two-year contract extension with the Wild.
{| border="0" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="0" ID="Table3" style="text-align:center; width:50em"
Regular season and playoffs
{| border="0" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="0" ID="Table3" style="text-align:center; width:50em"|- bgcolor="#e0e0e0"
! colspan="3" bgcolor="#ffffff" |
! rowspan="99" bgcolor="#ffffff" |
! colspan="5" | Regular season
! rowspan="99" bgcolor="#ffffff" |
! colspan="5" | Playoffs
|- bgcolor="#e0e0e0"
! 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
|-
| 2004–05
| Saskatoon Blades
Saskatoon Blades
The Saskatoon Blades are a junior ice hockey team in the Eastern Division of the Western Hockey League. They are based in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, playing at the 15,195 seat Credit Union Centre.-History:...
| 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...
| 9
| 1
| 1
| 2
| 10
| 2
| 0
| 0
| 0
| 0
|- bgcolor="#f0f0f0"
| 2005–06
| Saskatoon Blades
| WHL
| 63
| 6
| 6
| 12
| 57
| 8
| 0
| 0
| 0
| 4
|-
| 2006–07
| Saskatoon Blades
| WHL
| 65
| 13
| 17
| 30
| 148
| —
| —
| —
| —
| —
|- bgcolor="#f0f0f0"
| 2007–08
2007–08 WHL season
The 2007–08 WHL season was the 42nd season of the Western Hockey League . The regular season began on September 20, 2007, and ended on March 16, 2008. The WHL Playoffs began on March 21, 2008, and ended on May 7, 2008....
| Saskatoon Blades
| WHL
| 58
| 24
| 23
| 47
| 97
| —
| —
| —
| —
| —
|-
| 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:...
| Houston Aeros
Houston Aeros
The Houston Aeros are a professional ice hockey team in the American Hockey League. The team plays in Houston, Texas, at the Toyota Center. They are the AHL affiliate of the NHL's Minnesota Wild.- 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...
| 11
| 1
| 7
| 8
| 4
| 5
| 0
| 0
| 0
| 2
|- bgcolor="#f0f0f0"
| 2008–09
2008–09 NHL season
The 2008–09 NHL season was the 92nd season of operation of the National Hockey League . It was the first season since prior to the 2004–05 lockout in which every team played each other at least once during the season, following three seasons where teams only played against two divisions in the...
| Minnesota Wild
Minnesota Wild
The Minnesota Wild are a professional ice hockey team based in St. Paul, Minnesota, United States. They are members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League ....
| 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...
| 45
| 2
| 5
| 7
| 18
| —
| —
| —
| —
| —
|-
| 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...
| Houston Aeros
| AHL
| 72
| 7
| 13
| 20
| 73
| —
| —
| —
| —
| —
|- bgcolor="#f0f0f0"
| 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...
| Houston Aeros
| AHL
| 64
| 11
| 15
| 26
| 82
| 24
| 7
| 5
| 12
| 32
|-
| 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...
| Minnesota Wild
| NHL
| 7
| 1
| 0
| 1
| 2
| —
| —
| —
| —
| —
|- ALIGN="center" bgcolor="#e0e0e0"
! colspan="3" | NHL totals
! ALIGN="center" | 52
! ALIGN="center" | 3
! ALIGN="center" | 5
! ALIGN="center" | 8
! ALIGN="center" | 20
! ALIGN="center" | —
! ALIGN="center" | —
! ALIGN="center" | —
! ALIGN="center" | —
! ALIGN="center" | —
|- ALIGN="center" bgcolor="#e0e0e0"
! colspan="3" | AHL totals
! ALIGN="center" | 147
! ALIGN="center" | 19
! ALIGN="center" | 35
! ALIGN="center" | 54
! ALIGN="center" | 150
! ALIGN="center" | 29
! ALIGN="center" | 7
! ALIGN="center" | 5
! ALIGN="center" | 12
! ALIGN="center" | 34
|- ALIGN="center" bgcolor="#e0e0e0"
! colspan="3" | WHL totals
! ALIGN="center" | 195
! ALIGN="center" | 44
! ALIGN="center" | 47
! ALIGN="center" | 91
! ALIGN="center" | 310
! ALIGN="center" | 10
! ALIGN="center" | 0
! ALIGN="center" | 0
! ALIGN="center" | 0
! ALIGN="center" | 4
|}
International
{| border="0" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="0" ID="Table3" style="text-align:center; width:35%"|- ALIGN="center" bgcolor="#e0e0e0"
! Year
! Team
! Event
! GP
! G
! A
! Pts
! PIM
|-
| 2007
2007 IIHF World U18 Championships
The 2007 IIHF World U18 Championships were held in Rauma and Tampere, Finland. The championships began on April 11, 2007 and finished on April 22, 2007. Games were played at Äijänsuo Arena in Rauma and Hakametsän jäähalli in Tampere...
| Canada
| U18
| 6||2||1||3||10
|- bgcolor="#f0f0f0"
| 2008
2008 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships
The 2008 IIHF World U20 Championship, or, as it is commonly referred to in Canada as the 2008 World Juniors and the United States, the 2008 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships is the 2008 edition of the World Junior Ice Hockey Championships...
| Canada
| WJC
| 7||1||0||0||6
|- bgcolor="#e0e0e0"
! colspan="3" | Junior int' totals
! 13!!3!!11!!4!!16
|}