Rod Gilbert
Encyclopedia
Rodrigue Gabriel Gilbert (born July 1, 1941) is a retired Canadian
professional
ice hockey
forward
who played for the New York Rangers
in the National Hockey League
. He played right wing on the GAG (goal-a-game) line
that also featured Vic Hadfield
and Jean Ratelle
. He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1982, and was the first player in New York Rangers history to have his number retired. Rod currently works for the New York Rangers Organization.
during the 1960–61 season.
It did not take long for Gilbert to become popular with the Garden faithful, and he did not disappoint as he rose in prominence as an NHL star. However, it was not without pain. In 1965–66, his career was nearly derailed when he went through a second spinal fusion operation. This surgery was performed by Dr. Kazuo Yanagisawa. He lost half a season, but he bounced back with a strong season in 1966–1967. On February 24, 1968, he established himself as a bona fide NHL star as he scored four goals in a game against the Montreal Canadiens. It was stardom from there. The Ratelle-Hadfield-Gilbert line, called the GAG (Goal-A-Game) line
, would terrorize enemy goaltenders for years. He was with Team Canada when they took on the Soviets in the 1972 Summit Series. He won the Bill Masterton Trophy in 1976 for his perseverance regarding his back troubles.
At the beginning of the 1977–78 NHL season, Gilbert and Rangers' General Manager
John Ferguson
got into a contract dispute. When Gilbert finally returned to play, he was no longer the Gilbert of old. He retired after 19 seasons, having never led the Rangers to a Stanley Cup
. His number 7 was retired by the Rangers on October 14, 1979; Gilbert's #7 was the first number to be retired by the Rangers.
After his playing career was over, he opened his own restaurant 'Gilbert's' on Third Avenue near 75th street in Manhattan.
International statistics
's 1979 Athlete Series of paintings that featured prominent sports figures from the 1970s. Others appearing include O.J. Simpson, Chris Evert
and Pelé
. http://www.warhol.org/whats_on/pdfs/PR_Andy_Warhols_Athletes.pdf
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
Professional
A professional is a person who is paid to undertake a specialised set of tasks and to complete them for a fee. The traditional professions were doctors, lawyers, clergymen, and commissioned military officers. Today, the term is applied to estate agents, surveyors , environmental scientists,...
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...
forward
Forward (ice hockey)
In ice hockey, a forward is a player position on the ice whose primary responsibility is to score goals. Generally, the forwards try to stay in three different lanes, also known as thirds, of the ice going from goal to goal. It is not mandatory however, to stay in a lane. Staying in a lane aids in...
who played for the New York Rangers
New York Rangers
The New York Rangers are a professional ice hockey team based in the borough of Manhattan in New York, New York, USA. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . Playing their home games at Madison Square Garden, the Rangers are one of the...
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...
. He played right wing on the GAG (goal-a-game) line
GAG line
The GAG line, which as an acronym for Goal-A-Game, was a famous ice hockey line for the New York Rangers in the late 1960s and early 1970s, as these linemates averaged over 1 goal a game while playing together...
that also featured Vic Hadfield
Vic Hadfield
Victor Edward Hadfield is a retired professional ice hockey player. One of the most popular players in New York Rangers history, Hadfield had a sixteen-year career in the NHL, tallying 323 goals and 389 assists with 1154 penalty minutes in 1002 career games with the Rangers and the Pittsburgh...
and Jean Ratelle
Jean Ratelle
Joseph Gilbert Yvon "Jean" Ratelle is a former Canadian ice hockey player and a member of the Hockey Hall of Fame. It has often been said of Jean Ratelle that he was so consistently effective at a high level of play day in and day out that he has been overlooked by some as one of the greatest to...
. He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1982, and was the first player in New York Rangers history to have his number retired. Rod currently works for the New York Rangers Organization.
Playing career
During the 1959–60 OHA season, he slipped on some garbage strewn onto the ice and fell back into the boards. He broke the fifth verterbra in his back and doctors were worried they might have to amputate his legs when blood clots ensued. Gilbert started his career with the Rangers after finishing his junior career with the Guelph RoyalsGuelph Royals (hockey)
The Guelph Royals were a junior ice hockey team in the Ontario Hockey Association from 1960 to 1963. The team was based in Guelph, Ontario, Canada and played home games at the Guelph Memorial Gardens. They were affiliated with the NHL New York Rangers...
during the 1960–61 season.
It did not take long for Gilbert to become popular with the Garden faithful, and he did not disappoint as he rose in prominence as an NHL star. However, it was not without pain. In 1965–66, his career was nearly derailed when he went through a second spinal fusion operation. This surgery was performed by Dr. Kazuo Yanagisawa. He lost half a season, but he bounced back with a strong season in 1966–1967. On February 24, 1968, he established himself as a bona fide NHL star as he scored four goals in a game against the Montreal Canadiens. It was stardom from there. The Ratelle-Hadfield-Gilbert line, called the GAG (Goal-A-Game) line
GAG line
The GAG line, which as an acronym for Goal-A-Game, was a famous ice hockey line for the New York Rangers in the late 1960s and early 1970s, as these linemates averaged over 1 goal a game while playing together...
, would terrorize enemy goaltenders for years. He was with Team Canada when they took on the Soviets in the 1972 Summit Series. He won the Bill Masterton Trophy in 1976 for his perseverance regarding his back troubles.
At the beginning of the 1977–78 NHL season, Gilbert and Rangers' General Manager
General manager
General manager is a descriptive term for certain executives in a business operation. It is also a formal title held by some business executives, most commonly in the hospitality industry.-Generic usage:...
John Ferguson
John Ferguson, Sr.
John Bowie "Fergy" Ferguson Sr. was a professional ice hockey player. Ferguson played as a left-winger for the Montreal Canadiens from 1963 to 1971.-Early years:...
got into a contract dispute. When Gilbert finally returned to play, he was no longer the Gilbert of old. He retired after 19 seasons, having never led the Rangers to a 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...
. His number 7 was retired by the Rangers on October 14, 1979; Gilbert's #7 was the first number to be retired by the Rangers.
After his playing career was over, he opened his own restaurant 'Gilbert's' on Third Avenue near 75th street in Manhattan.
Awards and honors
- Named to the NHL Second All-Star TeamNHL All-Star TeamThe NHL All-Star Teams were first named at the end of the 1930–31 NHL season, to honor the best performers over the season at each position.Representatives of the Professional Hockey Writers' Association vote for the All-Star Team at the end of the regular season.The career leaders in citations are...
(1967–68) - Named to the NHL First All-Star Team (1971–72)
- Won Bill Masterton Trophy (1976)
- Won Lester Patrick TrophyLester Patrick TrophyThe Lester Patrick Trophy has been presented by the National Hockey League and USA Hockey since 1966 to honor a recipient's contribution to ice hockey in the United States. It is considered a non-NHL trophy because it may be awarded to players, coaches, officials, and other personnel outside the NHL...
(1991) - Played in NHL All-Star Game (1964, 1965, 1967, 1969, 1970, 1972, 1975, 1977)
- Inducted into Hockey Hall of FameHockey Hall of FameThe 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...
in 1982 - Ranked No. 2 on the all-time list of New York Rangers in the book 100 Ranger Greats (John Wiley & SonsJohn Wiley & SonsJohn Wiley & Sons, Inc., also referred to as Wiley, is a global publishing company that specializes in academic publishing and markets its products to professionals and consumers, students and instructors in higher education, and researchers and practitioners in scientific, technical, medical, and...
, 2009). - Has his #7 Retired at Madison Square GardenMadison Square GardenMadison Square Garden, often abbreviated as MSG and known colloquially as The Garden, is a multi-purpose indoor arena in the New York City borough of Manhattan and located at 8th Avenue, between 31st and 33rd Streets, situated on top of Pennsylvania Station.Opened on February 11, 1968, it is the...
, the first Ranger to receive the honor. - In 2010, he was awarded the Ellis Island Medal of HonorEllis Island Medal of HonorThe Ellis Island Medal of Honor was founded by the National Ethnic Coalition of Organizations and intended to pay homage to the immigrant experience. The medals honor the contribution made to America by immigrants and the legacy they left behind in the successes of their children and grand-children...
in recognition of his humanitarian efforts.
Records
- New York Rangers team record for career goals (406)
- New York Rangers team record for career points (1021)
- New York Rangers team record for games played by a forward (1065)
- Shares New York Rangers team record for assists in one game (5 three times)
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 | ||
| 1957–58 | Guelph Biltmores | OHA Ontario Hockey Association The Ontario Hockey Association is the governing body for the majority of Junior and Senior level ice hockey teams in the Province of Ontario. The OHA is sanctioned by the Ontario Hockey Federation along with the Northern Ontario Hockey Association. Other Ontario sanctioning bodies along with the... | 32 | 14 | 16 | 30 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1958–59 | Guelph Biltmores | OHA | 54 | 27 | 34 | 61 | 40 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1959–60 | Guelph Biltmores | OHA | 47 | 39 | 52 | 91 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1959–60 | Trois-Rivières Lions Trois-Rivières Lions The Trois-Rivières Lions were an ice hockey team in Trois-Rivières, Quebec. They played in the Quebec Hockey League from 1955-1959, and the Eastern Professional Hockey League for the 1960 season.-Results:-External links:*... | EPHL | 3 | 4 | 6 | 10 | 0 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 2 | ||
| 1960–61 | Guelph Royals | OHA | 47 | 54 | 49 | 103 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1960–61 | New York Rangers New York Rangers The New York Rangers are a professional ice hockey team based in the borough of Manhattan in New York, New York, USA. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . Playing their home games at Madison Square Garden, the Rangers are one of the... | 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 | 52 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 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 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 18 seasons | Career | NHL | 1065 | 406 | 615 | 1021 | 508 | 79 | 34 | 33 | 67 | 43 | ||
International play
- Member of Team Canada in the 1972 Summit Series.
- Member of Team Canada in the 1977 World Championships
International statistics
| Year | Team | Event | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1972 | Canada | SS Summit Series The Summit Series was the first competition between the Soviet and an NHL-inclusive Canadian national ice hockey teams, an eight-game series held in September 1972... |
6 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 9 |
| 1977 | Canada | WC 1977 World Ice Hockey Championships The 1977 Ice Hockey World Championships took place in Vienna, Austria from 21 April to 8 May. Eight teams took part, first playing each other once, then the four best teams advancing to a new round. The tournament was also the 55th ice hockey European Championship... |
9 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 12 |
Trivia
Gilbert is one of ten athletes who were featured in American artist Andy WarholAndy Warhol
Andrew Warhola , known as Andy Warhol, was an American painter, printmaker, and filmmaker who was a leading figure in the visual art movement known as pop art...
's 1979 Athlete Series of paintings that featured prominent sports figures from the 1970s. Others appearing include O.J. Simpson, Chris Evert
Chris Evert
Christine Marie "Chris" Evert is a former world number 1 professional tennis player from the United States. She won 18 Grand Slam singles championships, including a record seven championships at the French Open and a record six championships at the U.S. Open. She was the year-ending World No...
and Pelé
Pelé
However, Pelé has always maintained that those are mistakes, that he was actually named Edson and that he was born on 23 October 1940.), best known by his nickname Pelé , is a retired Brazilian footballer. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest football players of all time...
. http://www.warhol.org/whats_on/pdfs/PR_Andy_Warhols_Athletes.pdf
See also
- List of NHL players with 1000 points
- List of NHL players with 1000 games played
- Hockey Hall of FameHockey Hall of FameThe 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...