Rod Gilbert

At 82 years old, Rod Gilbert has this physical status:

Rodrigue Gabriel Gilbert (born July 1, 1941) is a Canadian former ice hockey forward who competed for the New York Rangers in the National Hockey League (NHL).

He was the right wing of the GAG line (i.e.

Vic Hadfield and Jean Ratelle, respectively, on a game line, and it's a game line.

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.

Gilbert now works with the New York Rangers organization.

Early life

Gilbert was born in Montreal on July 1, 1941, the son of Alma, a homemaker, and Gabriel Gilbert, a blacksmith. He grew up to be a fan of the Montreal Canadiens. He played three seasons with the Ontario Hockey Association from 1957 to 1960. Gilbert slipped on some garbage on the ice and fell back into the boards, breaking a vertebra in his back and temporarily paralyzing him in his last year with the team. Corrective surgery went wrong, resulting in hemorrhaging in his leg, and doctors feared that amputation would be necessary, but Gilbert recovered.

Personal life

In 1991, Gilbert married Judith Christy, in a New York mayor David Dinkins' ceremony. They had four children together, Holly, Brooke, Chantal, and Justin, as well as seven grandchildren. He was one of ten athletes included in American artist Andy Warhol's 1979 Athlete Series of paintings, which featured influential sports figures from the 1970s. O. J. Simpson, Chris Evert, and Pelé are among the series's others.

Gilbert died in Manhattan on August 19, 2021. He was 80 years old.

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Playing career

Gilbert joined the Rangers near the end of the 1960-61 NHL season after spending his junior season with the Guelph Royals. He quickly became well-known among the Rangers' fans, and he rose in prominence as an NHL celebrity. However, it was not without pain. When he underwent his second spinal fusion surgery in 1965-1966, his career was practically ended. Dr. Kazuo Yanagisawa's surgical intervention was successful. Gilbert was out of action for half a season, but he returned to 1966–67 and scored 28 goals. In a game against the Montreal Canadiens on February 24, 1968, he scored four goals. For years, the Ratelle-Hadfield-Gilbert line, which has been referred to as the GAG line, was very strong. In the 1972 Summit Series against the Soviet Union, he competed with Team Canada against the Soviet Union. In 1976, he was awarded the Bill Masterton Trophy for his perseverance in despite his back pains.

Gilbert and Rangers' General Manager John Ferguson got into a labor controversy at the start of the 1977–78 NHL season. He will retire after the season, his eighth appearance in the NHL. His number 7 was retired by the Rangers on October 14, 1979, the first number to be fired by the team.

Post-playing career

He retired from professional hockey and joined the American Hockey League New Haven Nighthawks for the 1980-81 season. Gilbert opened 'Gilbert's' on Third Avenue in Manhattan's near-75th street. He later worked with Fundamental Brokers on Wall Street, assisting the company in opening a branch in Montreal, Quebec. In August 1989, he rejoined the Rangers club. He served as both president and vice president of the university's alumni association as well as director of special projects and community relations. He made upwards of 30 appearances a year on behalf of the Garden of Dreams Foundation, an education initiative that works with children in the community.

Career statistics

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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
• Has his No. 7 retired at Madison Square Garden, the first Ranger to receive the honor.
• Awarded the Ellis Island Medal of Honor in May 2010, in recognition of his humanitarian efforts.