Gaston Gingras
Encyclopedia
Gaston Reginald Gingras (born February 13, 1959 in Témiscaming
, Quebec
) is a retired professional ice hockey
defenceman
who played ten seasons in the National Hockey League
.
Gingras did not start playing hockey until the age of seven, when he convinced his mother that if his best buddy could play then he would play too and she got the necessary equipment for both boys.
In 1974, he played for the North Bay Trappers
of the Ontario Provincial Junior A Hockey League
and then with the Kitchener Rangers
of the Ontario Hockey League
, followed by the Hamilton Fincups
also of the OHL. He then joined the World Hockey Association
for the 1978/79 season with the Birmingham Bulls
.
Gingras spent one season in Birmingham, joining Michel Goulet
, Rick Vaive
, Craig Hartsburg
, Rob Ramage
, Pat Riggin
and Keith Crowder
. It was around this time that the WHA merged into the NHL.
In the 1979 NHL Entry Draft
, Gingras was drafted by the Montreal Canadiens
. Although he was not picked until the second round, and was 27th overall, he was Montreal's first pick, ahead of other players such as Mats Näslund
, Guy Carbonneau
and Rick Wamsley
. Playing first with the Nova Scotia Voyageurs
of the American Hockey League
, he joined the Canadians in the 1979–80 NHL season. Gingras played four seasons at the Montreal Forum
, alongside players such as Larry Robinson
, Bob Gainey
, Guy Lafleur
and Steve Shutt
, before being traded to the Toronto Maple Leafs
for 2½ seasons.
In the middle of the 1984–85 season, he was sent to the AHL where he played for the St. Catharines Saints
and was then traded to the Sherbrooke Canadiens
. During this time another highlight of Gingras career emerged. Along with other notables, such as Patrick Roy
, Stephane Richer
, Brian Skrudland
and Ric Nattress
, they won the Calder Cup
.
For the 1985–86 season, he returned to the Montreal Canadiens and was part of their Stanley Cup
winning team that beat the Calgary Flames
four games to one.
In the 1987–88 season, he played two games for the Canadians before moving to the St. Louis Blues for almost two seasons. Near the end of the 1988–89 season he moved to Switzerland
to play for EHC Biel
followed by Hockey Club Lugano
in the Italian part of Switzerland.
He then moved on to play for Hockey Club Gardena in Italy before returning to Canada to play for the Fredericton Canadiens
where he was a player/coach until he retired. He returned to play a few games with the Chesapeake Icebreakers
of the ECHL
in their final season.
In his NHL career, Gingras played 476 games scored 61 goals and 174 assists for a total of 235 points while collecting 161 penalty
minutes in the regular season. In the playoffs he scored 6 goals and 18 assists for 24 points in 52 games and collected 20 penalty minutes.
Although retired, Gingras still plays with the NHL Old Timers. He runs clinics to help youth players to become better players and holds one every Sunday in Dollard-des-Ormeaux, Quebec. In 2007, he went to Salluit Nunavik
to help younger Inuit
develop their hockey skills. He has also travelled to Inukjuak
to do the opening ceremony for the Hudson Bay Cup. He went to Inukjuak
with the Montreal Canadiens Alumni team. He practiced with Edua Jones, Stephane Lacasse, Conilucy Kutchaka just to name a few.
He is the uncle of figure skater Jennifer Robinson.
Témiscaming, Quebec
Témiscaming is a town located at the south end of Lac Témiscamingue on the upper Ottawa River in the Témiscamingue Regional County Municipality of western Quebec, Canada. Also nearby is Lake Kipawa.-History:...
, Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
) is a retired 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...
defenceman
Defenceman (ice hockey)
Defence in ice hockey is a player position whose primary responsibility is to prevent the opposing team from scoring...
who played ten seasons in 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...
.
Gingras did not start playing hockey until the age of seven, when he convinced his mother that if his best buddy could play then he would play too and she got the necessary equipment for both boys.
In 1974, he played for the North Bay Trappers
North Bay Trappers
The North Bay Trappers were a Junior "A" ice hockey team from North Bay, Ontario, Canada. This defunct hockey team was a part of the Northern Ontario Junior Hockey Association and later the OHA Jr...
of the Ontario Provincial Junior A Hockey League
Ontario Provincial Junior A Hockey League
The Ontario Junior Hockey League is a Junior A ice hockey league under the supervision of the Ontario Hockey Association and the Canadian Junior Hockey League. The league dates back to 1954 as the Central Junior B Hockey League. In 1993, the Central Junior B Hockey League was promoted to the...
and then with the Kitchener Rangers
Kitchener Rangers
The Kitchener Rangers are a major junior ice hockey team in the Ontario Hockey League that have called Kitchener, Ontario, Canada their home since 1963. The Rangers are a publicly owned hockey team, governed by a 40-person Board of Directors made up of season ticket subscribers. The Rangers hosted...
of the Ontario Hockey League
Ontario Hockey League
The Ontario Hockey League is one of the three Major Junior ice hockey leagues which constitute the Canadian Hockey League. The league is for players aged 15-20.The OHL also operates under the Ontario Hockey Federation of Hockey Canada....
, followed by the Hamilton Fincups
Hamilton Fincups
The Fincups were a junior ice hockey team in the Ontario Major Junior Hockey League for 4 years, from 1974 to 1978. The team played in Hamilton, Ontario for three years, and in St. Catharines, Ontario for one.-History:...
also of the OHL. He then joined the World Hockey Association
World Hockey Association
The World Hockey Association was a professional ice hockey league that operated in North America from 1972 to 1979. It was the first major competition for the National Hockey League since the collapse of the Western Hockey League in 1926...
for the 1978/79 season with the Birmingham Bulls
Birmingham Bulls
The Birmingham Bulls were a professional ice hockey team based in Birmingham, Alabama, USA. They played in the World Hockey Association from 1976 to 1979 and the Central Hockey League from 1979 to 1981. The Bulls played their home games at the Birmingham Jefferson Convention Center.Prior to being...
.
Gingras spent one season in Birmingham, joining Michel Goulet
Michel Goulet
This page is about the ice hockey player. For the sculptor, please see Michel Goulet .Michel Goulet is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey forward who played for the Birmingham Bulls in the World Hockey Association and the Quebec Nordiques and Chicago Blackhawks in the National Hockey League...
, Rick Vaive
Rick Vaive
Richard Claude Vaive is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey player. He played in the National Hockey League from 1979 to 1992, and is best remembered as the first 50 goal scorer in Toronto Maple Leafs franchise history.-Bio:...
, Craig Hartsburg
Craig Hartsburg
Craig William Hartsburg is a retired Canadian professional hockey player and associate coach in the National Hockey League for the Calgary Flames. He also coached in the Ontario Hockey League. He has previously been an NHL head coach with the Chicago Blackhawks, the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim and...
, Rob Ramage
Rob Ramage
George Robert Ramage is a Canadian former professional ice hockey defenceman who played 15 seasons in the National Hockey League for the Colorado Rockies, St. Louis Blues, Calgary Flames, Toronto Maple Leafs, Minnesota North Stars, Tampa Bay Lightning, Montreal Canadiens and Philadelphia Flyers...
, Pat Riggin
Pat Riggin
Patrick Michael Riggin is a retired former National Hockey League goaltender who played for the Atlanta Flames, Calgary Flames, Washington Capitals, Boston Bruins and Pittsburgh Penguins, as well as the Birmingham Bulls of the World Hockey Association...
and Keith Crowder
Keith Crowder
Keith Scott Crowder is a retired professional ice hockey right winger who played ten seasons in the National Hockey League from 1980–81 until 1989–90.-Playing career:...
. It was around this time that the WHA merged into the NHL.
In the 1979 NHL Entry Draft
1979 NHL Entry Draft
The 1979 NHL Entry Draft took place on August 9, 1979, at the Queen Elizabeth Hotel in Montreal, Quebec. The National Hockey League teams selected 126 players eligible for entry into professional ranks, in the reverse order of the 1978–79 NHL season and playoff standings. This is the list of those...
, Gingras was drafted by the Montreal Canadiens
Montreal Canadiens
The Montreal Canadiens are a professional ice hockey team based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The club is officially known as ...
. Although he was not picked until the second round, and was 27th overall, he was Montreal's first pick, ahead of other players such as Mats Näslund
Mats Näslund
Mats Näslund , nicknamed "Le Petit Viking", is a retired Swedish ice hockey player. He played as a left wing.-NHL career:...
, Guy Carbonneau
Guy Carbonneau
Guy Carbonneau is a Canadian retired professional ice hockey player in the National Hockey League. He is also the president of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League 's Chicoutimi Saguenéens. He has two daughters Anne-Marie and Kristina, with wife Line Carbonneau. Anne-Marie married his former...
and Rick Wamsley
Rick Wamsley
Richard James Wamsley is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender who played in the National Hockey League for the Montreal Canadiens, St. Louis Blues, Calgary Flames and Toronto Maple Leafs...
. Playing first with the Nova Scotia Voyageurs
Nova Scotia Voyageurs
The Nova Scotia Voyageurs were a professional ice hockey team, based in Halifax, Nova Scotia. They played in the American Hockey League, from 1971 to 1984. The Voyageurs played their first two seasons , as the Montreal Voyageurs....
of the 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...
, he joined the Canadians in the 1979–80 NHL season. Gingras played four seasons at the Montreal Forum
Montreal Forum
The Montreal Forum was an indoor arena located in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Called "the most storied building in hockey history" by Sporting News, it was home of the National Hockey League's Montreal Maroons from 1924 to 1938 and the Montreal Canadiens from 1926 to 1996...
, alongside players such as Larry Robinson
Larry Robinson
Larry Clark Robinson is a former ice hockey player and coach in the National Hockey League. Robinson was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1995 and is currently the defensive coach for the New Jersey Devils...
, Bob Gainey
Bob Gainey
Robert Michael "Le Capitaine" Gainey is the former executive vice president and general manager of the Montreal Canadiens of the National Hockey League . He is also a former professional ice hockey player who played for the Canadiens from 1973 until 1989...
, Guy Lafleur
Guy Lafleur
Guy Damien "The Flower" / "Le Démon Blond" Lafleur, OC, CQ is a former Canadian professional ice hockey player who is widely regarded as one of the most naturally gifted and popular players ever to play professional ice hockey...
and Steve Shutt
Steve Shutt
Stephen John Shutt is a former Canadian ice hockey player. He was an integral part of the Montreal Canadiens team that won five Stanley Cups in 1973, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1979.-Early years:...
, before being traded to the Toronto Maple Leafs
Toronto Maple Leafs
The Toronto Maple Leafs are a professional ice hockey team based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
for 2½ seasons.
In the middle of the 1984–85 season, he was sent to the AHL where he played for the St. Catharines Saints
St. Catharines Saints
The St. Catharines Saints was a minor league ice hockey team in St. Catharines, Ontario. It played in the American Hockey League from 1982–1986 as the farm team of the Toronto Maple Leafs....
and was then traded to the Sherbrooke Canadiens
Sherbrooke Canadiens
The Sherbrooke Canadiens were a professional ice hockey team in Sherbrooke, Quebec. They played their home games at the Palais des Sports. They were a member of the American Hockey League from 1984 to 1990, and were a farm team of the Montreal Canadiens....
. During this time another highlight of Gingras career emerged. Along with other notables, such as Patrick Roy
Patrick Roy
Patrick Edward Armand Roy is a former Canadian ice hockey goaltender. Nicknamed "Saint Patrick," Roy split his professional career between the Montreal Canadiens, whom he played with for 10 years, and the Colorado Avalanche, whom he played with for 8 years, both of the National Hockey League...
, Stephane Richer
Stephane Richer
Stéphane Jean-Jacques Richer is a retired professional ice hockey left winger.-Playing career:Richer was drafted 29th overall by the Montreal Canadiens in the 1984 NHL Entry Draft. He played in 1,054 career NHL games, scoring 421 goals and 398 assists for 819 points. Richer won the Calder Cup in...
, Brian Skrudland
Brian Skrudland
Brian Skrudland is a retired former professional ice hockey player who played for the Montreal Canadiens, Calgary Flames, Florida Panthers, New York Rangers and Dallas Stars.- Junior and minor pro :...
and Ric Nattress
Ric Nattress
Eric James Nattress is a former National Hockey League defenceman. He was drafted in the second round, 27th overall, by the Montreal Canadiens in the 1980 NHL Entry Draft....
, they won the Calder Cup
Calder Cup
The Calder Cup is awarded annually to the playoff champion of the American Hockey League. The trophy is the world's second oldest continuous professional ice hockey championship, having first been awarded in 1937 following the 1936-37 AHL season, and continuously being awarded every year.The cup...
.
For the 1985–86 season, he returned to the Montreal Canadiens and was part of their Stanley Cup
Stanley Cup
The Stanley Cup is an ice hockey club trophy, awarded annually to the National Hockey League playoffs champion after the conclusion of the Stanley Cup Finals. It has been referred to as The Cup, Lord Stanley's Cup, The Holy Grail, or facetiously as Lord Stanley's Mug...
winning team that beat the Calgary Flames
Calgary Flames
The Calgary Flames are a professional ice hockey team based in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The club is the third major-professional ice hockey team to represent the city of Calgary, following the...
four games to one.
In the 1987–88 season, he played two games for the Canadians before moving to the St. Louis Blues for almost two seasons. Near the end of the 1988–89 season he moved to Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
to play for EHC Biel
EHC Biel
The EHC Biel or HC Bienne is a professional ice hockey Club based in the bilingual city of Biel/Bienne, Switzerland and plays in the National League A....
followed by Hockey Club Lugano
Hockey Club Lugano
Hockey Club Lugano, often abbreviated to HC Lugano or HCL, is a professional ice hockey club based in Lugano, Switzerland. The team competes in the National League A and has won seven Swiss championships. The team is the twelfth most attended team in Switzerland for the 2010/11 season with 4,060...
in the Italian part of Switzerland.
He then moved on to play for Hockey Club Gardena in Italy before returning to Canada to play for the Fredericton Canadiens
Fredericton Canadiens
The Fredericton Canadiens, or the 'Baby Habs' were a professional ice hockey team in Fredericton, New Brunswick. The Canadiens played their home games at the Aitken Centre...
where he was a player/coach until he retired. He returned to play a few games with the Chesapeake Icebreakers
Chesapeake Icebreakers
The Chesapeake Icebreakers are a defunct minor league ice hockey team that played in the East Coast Hockey League from 1997-1999. The Icebreakers were an expansion team that was granted to Upper Marlboro, Maryland for the start of the 1997–98 ECHL season.Home games were played at a converted...
of the ECHL
ECHL
The ECHL is a mid-level professional ice hockey league based in Princeton, New Jersey with teams scattered across the United States...
in their final season.
In his NHL career, Gingras played 476 games scored 61 goals and 174 assists for a total of 235 points while collecting 161 penalty
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,...
minutes in the regular season. In the playoffs he scored 6 goals and 18 assists for 24 points in 52 games and collected 20 penalty minutes.
Although retired, Gingras still plays with the NHL Old Timers. He runs clinics to help youth players to become better players and holds one every Sunday in Dollard-des-Ormeaux, Quebec. In 2007, he went to Salluit Nunavik
Nunavik
Nunavik comprises the northern third of the province of Quebec, Canada. Covering a land area of 443,684.71 km² north of the 55th parallel, it is the homeland of the Inuit of Quebec...
to help younger Inuit
Inuit
The Inuit are a group of culturally similar indigenous peoples inhabiting the Arctic regions of Canada , Denmark , Russia and the United States . Inuit means “the people” in the Inuktitut language...
develop their hockey skills. He has also travelled to Inukjuak
Inukjuak, Quebec
Inukjuak , alternatively spelled Inoucdjouac, former name and current postal name Port Harrison, is an Inuit settlement located on Hudson Bay at the mouth of the Innuksuak River in the Nunavik region of northern Quebec, Canada. Its population is 1,294...
to do the opening ceremony for the Hudson Bay Cup. He went to Inukjuak
Inukjuak, Quebec
Inukjuak , alternatively spelled Inoucdjouac, former name and current postal name Port Harrison, is an Inuit settlement located on Hudson Bay at the mouth of the Innuksuak River in the Nunavik region of northern Quebec, Canada. Its population is 1,294...
with the Montreal Canadiens Alumni team. He practiced with Edua Jones, Stephane Lacasse, Conilucy Kutchaka just to name a few.
He is the uncle of figure skater Jennifer Robinson.