Gilles Gilbert Passes Away At 74
A veteran of fourteen years in the National Hockey League from 1970-1983, goaltender Gilles Gilbert passed away this morning at the age of 74, per Kevin Allen of Detroit Hockey Now. Gilbert is best known for being in net for the Boston Bruins in the 1979 playoffs, where Guy Lafleur of the Montreal Canadiens would score the game-tying goal with less than two minutes left in Game Seven of the semi-finals, turning the tide in favor of the Canadiens.
Gilbert was originally drafted in the third round of the 1969 NHL Amateur Draft by the Minnesota North Stars, at that point making him the 25th overall pick. In four seasons spent with the North Stars, Gilbert would play in a total of 44 games, securing a 16-22-5 record, and carrying a .896 SV% and a 3.40 GAA. In May of 1973, Gilbert was traded to Boston in exchange for forward Fred Stanfield.
His time with the Bruins would undoubtedly be the best stretch of his career, playing 277 games over seven years donning the spoked ‘B’. For the first four seasons with Boston, Gilbert, and the team would make the postseason in each season, with Gilbert receiving a majority of the starts in the regular season. In total, Gilbert finished his time with the Bruins with a 155-73-39 record, posting a .890 SV% and a 2.95 GAA. As his time in Boston came to a close, he was traded to a separate Original Six franchise, joining the Detroit Red Wings after a 1980 trade for goalie Rogie Vachon.
No longer benefitting from a strong team in front of him in Detroit, Gilbert’s time with the Red Wings wasn’t nearly as successful. In three seasons to finish his career, Gilbert concluded his career with a 21-48-16 record in 95 games, holding a .858 SV% and a 4.14 GAA. He would retire after the 1983 season with a career record of 192-143-60, and a .883 SV% with a 3.27 GAA. After retiring, Gilbert went back to the province of Quebec, where he would remain for the rest of his days.
All of us at PHR would like to offer our condolences to Gilbert’s family.
Bob Murdoch Passes Away
Longtime former NHL player and coach Bob Murdoch has passed away at the age of 76 after a four-year battle with Lewy Body Dementia, Parkinsonism, and Alzheimer’s, the NHL Alumni Association said today. Murdoch spent the first three seasons of his career with the Montreal Canadiens from 1970 to 1973 before he was traded to the Los Angeles Kings, where he would play until 1979. He was traded again to the Atlanta Flames, the franchise with which he would finish out his NHL career, retiring in 1982 after staying with the team during their move to Calgary.
Murdoch then spent a decade in the NHL as a coach with the Flames, Chicago Blackhawks, Winnipeg Jets, and San Jose Sharks. His stints with Chicago and Winnipeg were in head coaching roles, and he won a Jack Adams award in his first season with the Jets in 1989-90 after the team made a 21-point jump in the standings from the prior season.
Undrafted, Murdoch made his way to Montreal at 24 after playing for the Canadian national team and in the minors for the Montreal Voyageurs of AHL. While his role with the team was limited in the first two of his three seasons there, he did suit up in the postseason for Montreal’s Stanley Cup victories in 1971 and 1973. After a breakout year in 1972-73, recording 24 points in 69 games, he garnered a first-round pick on the trade market and was shipped to the Kings.
Murdoch had the best years of his career in California, consistently posting double-digit point totals and playing a strong brand of physical, two-way hockey. In 1974-75, he recorded career highs across the board with 13 goals, 29 assists, 42 points, a +39 rating, and 116 penalty minutes in 80 games. He earned year-end All-Star team consideration that year.
After retiring and then leaving the NHL coaching circle in 1993, Murdoch headed overseas, where he coached in Germany. He lasted just half a season with Mad Dogs München in 1994-95 but immediately found a new job in the DEL with Kölner Haie, where he stayed until 1997. He followed that up with a three-year stint behind the bench of the Nürnberg Ice Tigers from 1999 to 2002. Most recently, he served as a scout for the WHL’s Tri-City Americans from 2013 to 2015.
We at PHR send our condolences to Murdoch’s family, friends, and former teammates.
Petr Klíma Passes Away At 58
Petr Klíma, a former NHL player who played for five different teams during his career, has passed away suddenly at the age of 58, the NHL announced Thursday. Klíma is most well-known for ending the longest game in Stanley Cup Final history, helping guide the Edmonton Oilers to the 1990 championship by scoring a triple-overtime winner in Game 3 against the Boston Bruins.
Klíma was born on December 23, 1964, in then-Czechoslovakia. He began his professional career playing for TJ Litvínov in his home country before being drafted by the Detroit Red Wings with the 86th overall pick in 1983. In 1985, Klíma became the first player from a country under Soviet control to defect to a United States-based team, leaving his team behind during a training camp in West Germany with the assistance of Red Wings officials and the U.S. government.
Klíma played for the Red Wings for seven seasons, followed by stints with the Oilers, Tampa Bay Lightning, Los Angeles Kings, and Pittsburgh Penguins.
During his time in the NHL, Klíma scored a total of 313 goals and 260 assists in 786 regular-season games. He also played in 95 playoff games, scoring 28 goals and 24 assists. Klíma’s only Stanley Cup win came with the Oilers in 1990.
The Red Wings released a statement on Klíma’s passing, offering condolences to his family. All of us at PHR extend the same to Klíma’s family.
Bobby Hull Dies At 84
The NHL Alumni Association has confirmed that Hall of Fame player Bobby Hull has died at the age of 84.
The legendary Chicago Blackhawks star played 1,036 games in the league and was arguably the most popular player in the NHL during his prime. A natural goal scorer, he won the Art Ross Trophy three times as the league’s top offensive player, and took home the Hart Trophy as league MVP in 1965.
In 1972, a second career, this time in the WHA, followed. Hull would be named MVP in that league twice, scoring 303 goals in 411 games for the Winnipeg Jets. When the Jets joined the NHL he would make a short return at the age of 41, and finished his career playing with the Hartford Whalers alongside legends like Gordie Howe and Dave Keon.
As a player, there were few better in the history of the game. Hull is one of just 20 players to score 600 goals in the NHL, and is second all-time in the WHA. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1983.
That legacy as a player, though, is not all he will be remembered for. In 1986 he was convicted of assaulting a police officer during a domestic dispute with his wife. His second wife accused him of abuse years later. Last year, the Blackhawks removed Hull as a team ambassador.
Injury Notes: Canadiens, Blues, Brodin
The Montreal Canadiens will be without defenseman David Savard and forward Sean Monahan when they take on the Seattle Kraken tonight. Per the team, Savard is dealing with an upper-body injury and is day-to-day. At the same time, Monahan has a lower-body injury and will be reevaluated when the team returns to Montreal after their road trip concludes tonight.
Savard is second among Canadiens defensemen this season in points (eight) and average time on ice (22:17). While his defensive play hasn’t been what it was during the end of his time in Columbus, he’s a vital minute-muncher on a youthful Montreal defense. His usage is the highest it’s been in more than five years, so it’ll be testing for the Habs rookies to see if they can handle some increased minutes in his absence. Monahan is also in the middle of a well-documented resurgence, sitting in fourth place on the Habs with 17 points in 25 games this year. He’s also been great in the faceoff circle, winning over 55% of his draws and leading the team in total faceoff wins (177).
- While the St. Louis Blues are on their way to a convincing road win on Long Island, they did it without a pair of key players in winger Pavel Buchnevich and defenseman Torey Krug. Buchenvich was out with a lower-body injury, while Krug missed the game with an upper-body injury. Head coach Craig Berube noted pre-game that both players need further evaluations before “knowing whether the injuries would be more short-term or long-term.”
- Minnesota Wild head coach Dean Evason said today that although defenseman Jonas Brodin won’t make his return to the lineup tomorrow, the Swede looked “great” today and is close to returning. Brodin, who is day-to-day with a lower-body injury, has missed a combined five games this year with this injury and an earlier illness. While known for his defensive prowess, he’s still in the middle of a down year offensively, with just four assists in 19 games.
Borje Salming Passes Away At 71
After coming to see his legions of fans in Toronto one last time, Borje Salming has passed away at the age of 71. The legendary NHL defenseman was present at the recent Hockey Hall of Fame induction ceremony and honored at a Maple Leafs game. Team president Brendan Shanahan released the following statement:
The Toronto Maple Leafs mourn the loss of Börje Salming. Börje was a pioneer of the game and an icon with an unbreakable spirit and unquestioned toughness. He helped open the door for Europeans in the NHL and defined himself through his play on the ice and through his contributions to the community.
Börje joined the Maple Leafs 50 years ago and will forever be a part of our hockey family. We extend our deepest condolences to his wife, Pia, his children Theresa, Anders, Rasmus, Bianca, Lisa, and Sara, and brother Stieg.
Salming was diagnosed with ALS (also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease) in August. After losing the ability to speak, he made the journey from Sweden to Toronto and stood flanked by Darryl Sittler and Mats Sundin while receiving a long standing ovation from the Maple Leafs crowd.
One of the greatest defensemen of all time, Salming finished in the top five of Norris Trophy voting for seven consecutive seasons after arriving in North America. One of the first European players to ever cross the ocean to play in the NHL, he would play 17 seasons in the league, all but one with the Maple Leafs. In total, he suited up 1,148 times in the regular season and recorded 787 points, including a career-high 78 in 1976-77, when he finished fourth in the Hart Trophy vote.
At the 1976 Canada Cup, Salming received a standing ovation from the Toronto crowd despite wearing a Swedish jersey and about to play Canada. He was arguably the most beloved player in Maple Leafs history, and one that changed the dynamic of the NHL for good.
European players would flood the league after trailblazers like Salming found success, with Sweden becoming one of the most well-represented nations in the NHL. He became the first Swedish player inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1996, and would go into the IIHF Hockey Hall of Fame in 1998. In 2017, he was included as one of the NHL’s ‘100 Greatest Players.’ His No. 21 was retired by the Maple Leafs in 2016.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
Injury Notes: Allison, Bowers, Knyzhov
A trio of roster transactions involving injured players were made tonight, starting with the Philadelphia Flyers. According to CapFriendly, the team has moved forward Wade Allison to injured reserve, signifying he’ll miss at least five more days with a lower-body injury.
Allison was placed on injured reserve retroactive to November 12 and will miss at least the team’s upcoming three-game road trip against Columbus, Boston, and Montreal. The 25-year-old left Saturday’s game against Ottawa after laying a hit on Senators defenseman Jacob Bernard-Docker, and The Athletic’s Charlie O’Connor reported yesterday that Allison won’t miss too much time. Through 14 games this season, Allison has contributed three goals and an assist.
- The Colorado Avalanche have moved forward Shane Bowers to injured reserve, according to CapFriendly, freeing up a roster spot for any potential call-ups. On Saturday, Bowers was given a six-week timeline by head coach Jared Bednar after sustaining an upper-body injury 1:46 into his NHL career. The team did not have any extra roster spots for healthy players, with all non-dressed players out with injuries.
- The San Jose Sharks have also moved defenseman Nikolai Knyzhov to long-term injured reserve. Knyzhov, 24, has not played hockey since suiting up for all 56 games of the shortened 2020-21 season. A groin injury kept him out for the entirety of 2021-22, and an Achilles injury is expected to keep him out until mid-February.
Buffalo Sabres To Name Captain Prior To Regular Season
The Buffalo Sabres haven’t officially had a captain since just prior to this season when they stripped the title from the injured Jack Eichel prior to an early-season trade to the Vegas Golden Knights. That year-long absence will come to an end soon, though, as newly-extended general manager Kevyn Adams told reporters today that the team will announce their leadership group for 2022-23, including a team captain, prior to the regular season.
As mentioned by The Buffalo News’ Lance Lysowski in the linked story above, veteran winger Kyle Okposo is the leading candidate for the role, supported by rumors over the offseason. Okposo had his best offensive year as a Sabre despite largely playing in a fourth-line role, cracking the 20-goal mark for the first time since 2015-16 and had 45 points, his highest total in a Sabres jersey. Forming solid chemistry with Zemgus Girgensons, also expected to be named an alternate captain as the longest-tenured Sabre, Okposo’s taken on a de facto leadership role and is becoming an integral part of the team’s voice.
While Okposo has been an alternate captain in Buffalo for the past five seasons, Alex Tuch also jumps out as an obvious candidate for the job. Acquired in the Eichel trade, the Buffalo native had 38 points in 50 games as a Sabre this past year and cemented himself as a top-six fixture.
Speaking today on the team’s leadership group, head coach Don Granato said the following:
I’ll just point out our three older, I think our three oldest guys, are Girgensons, Okposo and Craig Anderson. And they do a tremendous job. They have that presence. And they are in it, obviously, as competitors, but they really have a deep care for helping some other guys achieve more. They don’t fear that this guy might replace me. Which is very uncommon. Whether that is an unconscious thought, or a subconscious thought. Sometimes it’s hard for the older players to really, really help a guy who might replace them or take some ice time away from them. And those three guys there, they love it.
Tuscon Roadrunners Promote Steve Potvin
The Tucson Roadrunners will have a new head coach this season after Jay Varady took a position with the Detroit Red Wings, but it won’t be an unfamiliar face. Steve Potvin, who has been with the club since 2017, has been promoted to head coach for the 2022-23 season.
This will actually be his second stint as head coach of the club, after serving in the same role for 2020-21 when Varady was with the Arizona Coyotes. Last season, when Varady moved back down the organizational depth chart, Potvin was given the role of associate head coach, and was still intimately involved in decision making.
Bill Armstrong, Coyotes general manager, released the following statement:
Steve is a very good coach who has great familiarity with our players in Tucson. He has done a tremendous job developing our prospects the past six seasons and we are thrilled to name him as our head coach with the Roadrunners.
Developing young players is now an extremely important part of the puzzle for Armstrong and the Coyotes front office, as they move through another rebuild by stripping the NHL roster of talent. A lot of those premium prospects haven’t reached the AHL level yet, however, meaning it not necessarily this season that is so crucial.
Still, building a “culture of winning” in the minor leagues is considered extremely important for player development these days, meaning Potvin will be tasked with getting the Roadrunners back to their previous level. The team did not qualify for the postseason this year and finished 13-20-3 in the shortened 2020-21 campaign, after leading the Pacific Division in 2019-20 when the year was shut down. Potvin has been a part of both sides of those results, and he’ll try to move the needle back toward success in the coming season.
Minor Notes: Cross, Chaulk, Henault
The 2021-22 campaign was an extremely successful one for the Springfield Thunderbirds, who fell just short of winning the 2022 Calder Cup. Newly affiliated with the St. Louis Blues, the Thunderbirds made the Calder Cup Final in the first season this iteration of the Springfield AHL franchise even made the playoffs.
Now, the team announced today that the man who captained them there is sticking around. Veteran defenseman Tommy Cross is staying in Springfield on a one-year AHL contract, continuing what’s been a long minor-league career for him. Now 32, the Connecticut native was a 2007 second-round pick of the Boston Bruins who, although he didn’t get a solid NHL role, stayed in the organization until 2018. He did get into four NHL games (three regular-season, one playoff) in Boston, registering a combined two assists. He was a captain in their organization as well, serving in the role for Providence from 2015-2018. One of the most well-respected leaders in the minors, Cross will get another chance at lifting the Calder Cup for the first time.
- Colin Chaulk stepped into the head coaching role for the Bakersfield Condors when Jay Woodcroft got the call-up to Edmonton mid-season. Today, Bakersfield announced he’ll be sticking around, stripping away the interim tag and naming him the ninth head coach in team history. The Condors won their best-of-three First Round series against the Abbotsford Canucks, but were swept 3-0 in the Division Semifinals by the Stockton Heat.
- The Baby Rangers are making moves. Via a team release, the Hartford Wolf Pack announced a one-year AHL contract for defenseman Louka Henault. The 2001-born Henault is an undrafted free agent, and after serving as the captain of the OHL’s Windsor Spitfires last season, will head to Hartford professionally. In his last season of juniors, Henault scored eight goals, 57 assists, and 65 points in 63 regular-season games, adding 16 points in 25 playoff games.