Gary Roberts (ice hockey)

Infobox Ice Hockey Player
team= Tampa Bay Lightning
league = NHL
former_teams = Pittsburgh Penguins
Florida Panthers
Toronto Maple Leafs
Carolina Hurricanes
Calgary Flames


image_size = 250px
position = Left Wing
shoots = Left
height_ft = 6
height_in = 2
weight_lb = 212
nationality = CAN
birth_date = birth date and age|1966|5|23
birth_place = North York, ON
draft = 12th overall
draft_year = 1984
draft_team = Calgary Flames
career_start = 1986

Gary Roberts (born May 23, 1966) is a Canadian professional ice hockey left wing with the Tampa Bay Lightning of the National Hockey League (NHL).

Playing career

Roberts played junior hockey for the OHL's Ottawa 67's beginning in 1982. In his second year, the 67's won the Memorial Cup. After the season, Roberts was drafted by the Calgary Flames in the 1984 NHL Entry Draft. Roberts won the Memorial Cup a second time as a member of the Guelph Platers in 1986. Roberts split the next season between the Calgary Flames of the NHL and their AHL affiliate, the Moncton Golden Flames. Roberts made his NHL stay permanent beginning with the 1987-88 season. In Roberts's second full NHL season, he helped the Flames win the Stanley Cup.

Injuries and early retirement

At the conclusion of the 1995-96 season, Roberts won the NHL's Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy for his comeback. On June 17, 1996, at the age of 30, Roberts announced his retirement from hockey, before returning to hockey after the next season.

Return to hockey

In his first NHL season away from Calgary, Roberts scored 20 goals and added 29 assists for 49 points in 61 games. He played for Carolina for three seasons before signing with the Toronto Maple Leafs. In Toronto, Roberts was reunited with his childhood friend and old Calgary teammate, Joe Nieuwendyk. Roberts did not play his first game of the 2002-03 season until February 15, 2003, after missing most of the season following surgeries on both shoulders during the summer of 2002.Cite web|url=http://espn.go.com/nhl/news/2003/0215/1509682.html|title=Roberts returns from offseason shoulder surgery|accessdate=2007-11-20|year=2003] Three days later, Roberts and the Maple Leafs agreed to a one-year contract extension through the 2003-04 season.Cite web|url=http://espn.go.com/nhl/news/2003/0218/1511002.html|title=Roberts reaches new deal just days after return|accessdate=2007-11-20|year=2003] On January 13, 2004, Roberts and teammate Tom Fitzgerald each played in the 1,000th games of their careers.Cite web|url=http://www.nhlpa.com/WebStats/PlayerBiography.asp?ID=4793|title=Gary Roberts NHLPA Player Bio|accessdate=2007-11-20] Due to the 2004-05 NHL lockout, he did not play in the 2004-05 NHL season. On August 1, 2005, both Roberts and Nieuwendyk signed $4.5 million (USD) contracts with the Florida Panthers.Cite web|url=http://sports.espn.go.com/nhl/news/story?id=2121880|title=Both players receive two-year deals|accessdate=2007-11-20|year=2005]

On February 27, 2007, Roberts was traded to the Pittsburgh Penguins for defenseman Noah Welch.Cite web|url=http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/news_story/?ID=197768&hubname=nhl|title=Panthers trade Roberts to Penguins|accessdate=2007-11-20|year=2007] Roberts re-signed with the Pittsburgh Penguins for a one-year, $2.5 million (USD) deal.Cite web|url=http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/news_story/?ID=211557&hubname=nhl|title=Penguins re-sign Roberts, Recchi|accessdate=2007-11-20|year=2007|author=McKenzie, Bob]

During the second period of the Penguins game against the Buffalo Sabres on December 29, 2007, Roberts became tangled up with Tim Connolly and landed awkwardly, breaking his left fibula.Cite web|url=http://www.sportsnetwork.com/default.asp?c=sportsnetwork&page=nhl/news/adn4119409.htm|title= Conklin, Pens blank Sabres; Roberts breaks leg|accessdate=2008-01-11|year=2007] Roberts refused to be carried off in a stretcher. He had been honored before the game for having scored his 900th career point.Cite web|url=http://canadianpress.google.com/article/ALeqM5h_1Vk0zJy5NqHtEmKOpEKRUceLPQ|title= Penguins' forward Gary Roberts breaks left leg, out indefinitely|accessdate=2008-01-11|year=2007] Roberts scored two goals against the Ottawa Senators on April 9 2008, becoming the oldest player in the NHL to register multiple goals in one playoff game. [cite web | last = Hodge | first = Dave | url = http://watch.tsn.ca/featured/clip45082#clip45082 | title = Thumbs Up, Thumbs Down | publisher = TSN | date = 2008-04-10 | accessdate = 2008-04-12] Pittsburgh fans often substituted his name in Chuck Norris jokes and wore "WWGRD" ("What Would Gary Roberts Do?") wristbands, as a tribute to Roberts' hard work and dedication to the game.

On June 28, 2008, the Tampa Bay Lightning acquired exclusive negotiation rights with Roberts and Ryan Malone from the Penguins for a third-round draft pick in 2009. Two days later, the Lightning signed Roberts to a one-year contract that pays him a minimum of $1.25 million, with $10,000 extra for every game played in the regular season, a possible bonus of $820,000. Malone had signed a seven-year contract one day earlier. [cite news| url=http://tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=242037&lid=sublink01&lpos=headlines_nhl | title=Malone and Roberts sign on with Lightning | publisher=TSN.ca | date=2008-06-30 | accessdate=2008-06-30]

Achievements

*1985 – Minto Cup winner - Whitby Warriors (lacrosse)
*1985 – OHL Second All-Star Team
*1986 – OHL Second All-Star Team
*1989 – Stanley Cup winner - Calgary Flames
*1992 – Played in NHL All-Star Game
*1993 – Played in NHL All-Star Game
*1996 – Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy
*2004 – Played in NHL All-Star Game

Career statistics

References

ee also

* Power forward (ice hockey)
* List of NHL players

External links

*hockeydb|4598|Gary Roberts

Persondata
NAME = Roberts, Gary
ALTERNATIVE NAMES =
SHORT DESCRIPTION = ice hockey player
DATE OF BIRTH = May 23, 1966
PLACE OF BIRTH = North York, Ontario, Canada
DATE OF DEATH =
PLACE OF DEATH =