Stories of Rod Gilbert

What follows is a collection of stories that highlight some of the great moments from the NHL career of Rod Gilbert. Inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1982, Gilbert played 1,065 regular season and 79 playoff games in the National Hockey League between 1960-61 and 1977-78, all with the New York Rangers.

Below the stories, we have Gilbert’s career stats, a hockey card video and a hockey card collection featuring Rod.

Rod Gilbert Career Stats

NHL Hockey Card Legends: Rod Gilbert [Video]

Rod Gilbert Hockey Card Collection

Rod Gilbert Mistakes The Montreal Forum For A Firing Range And Rogatien Vachon As His Target

On February 24, 1968, Rod Gilbert broke Ed Litzenberger‘s record for most shots on net in an NHL game. Gilbert fired 16 shots at Montreal Canadiens goalie Rogie Vachon with four getting by. Litzenberger (Chicago Blackhawks) previously had the most with 14 shots on net in a December 20, 1959 game against the Toronto Maple Leafs. Ed Chadwick stopped them all.

In the 6-1 win for the Rangers over the Canadiens, Rod scored his 25^th through 28^th goals of the 1967-68 campaign. He also added an assist on the final goal of the game by Jean Ratelle for a five point night. Ratelle added three assists, all on Gilbert goals, for a four point match. Rod’s 16 shots accounted for nearly half of New York’s 37 put toward Vachon.

The 16 shots remained a National Hockey League record until 1991 when Ray Bourque of the Boston Bruins had 19 in a game against the Quebec Nordiques. That total was aided by a full five minute overtime period in a 3-3 tie. Bourque scored just one goal in the game. Marian Hossa of the Atlanta Thrashers is the only other player with a 16 shot game.

On that 1967-68 NHL season, Gilbert was fifth in shots with a total of 282. Leading the way was Bobby Hull of the Blackhawks with 367. This was Rod’s career best up until that point. However, the following year, he topped it with 301, a number that would stand as the most in a season over his Hockey Hall of Fame career.

Milestones: Rod Gilbert Scores 400^th Goal Playing Against Longtime Linemate Jean Ratelle

Rod Gilbert finished up his Hockey Hall of Fame NHL career with 406 regular season goals. His final year in the league, 1977-78, was just a two goal affair over 19 games. But, in 1976-77, Gilbert was still producing at a pretty rapid pace with 27 goals and 48 assists for 75 points.

Gilbert went into that 1976-77 NHL season needing 23 goals to reach the 400 goal plateau. He had 22 on the campaign going into a game against the Boston Bruins at Madison Square Garden on March 3, 1977, his 63^rd game of the year.

In a 4-1 loss to the Bruins, all the scoring was done in the second period. With Boston up 3-0, Gilbert netted number 400 on the power play at 18:23 on Gerry Cheevers, assisted by Steve Vickers and Phil Esposito. It was the only blemish in a 32 save night for Cheevers.

On the opposition, long time linemate Jean Ratelle assisted on the first two Boston goals, the first by Rick Smith and the second by Brad Park, another former Ranger. Of course, Ratelle, Park and Joe Zanussi were traded to the Bruins on November 7, 1975 for Phil Esposito and Carol Vadnais.

Rod Gilbert played 1,065 regular season and 79 playoff games in the National Hockey League between 1960-61 and 1977-78, all with the New York Rangers. Gilbert was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1982.

Rod Gilbert Scores 4 To Give Rangers 5-4 Win Over Red Wings

It was the last of his seven NHL career hat tricks. It was the last of his three NHL career four goal games. It came just over a year after scoring four in a game against the same Detroit Red Wings. On February 2, 1975, Rod Gilbert’s four goals could only help the New York Rangers to a 5-5 tie. On February 7, 1976, his four goal game put the Rangers over their foes, 5-4.

In this game at Detroit Olympia, Rod opened the scoring at 7:57 of the first period with a power play goal on Doug Grant, assisted by Phil Esposito and Steve Vickers whie Detroit’s Dan Maloney was in the box for slashing.

Gilbert’s second of the game and 25^th of the 1975-76 NHL season was scored at 14:17 of the first, assisted by Wayne Dillon and Steve Vickers, to make the score 3-2 New York. Dan Maloney tied the game early in the second but Gilbert quickly regained the lead with his hat trick goal just over three minutes later. The second period ended with the Rangers up 4-3.

1:17 into the third period, Rod struck with what would stand as the game winning goal. Vickers had his third of three assists in the game with Doug Jarrett also getting a helper. Gilbert scored the four goals on just four shots. The Rangers put a modest 22 shots on Grant while Detroit had nearly double with 42.

Rod Gilbert Had This Opportunity Just Once And Did It Right

1,065 regular season games. 406 regular season goals. One penalty shot. 1963-64 was just Rod Gilbert’s second full season in the NHL with the New York Rangers. On November 27, 1963, the Rangers hosted the Detroit Red Wings at Madison Square Garden with both teams starting the season with a struggle.

Larry Jeffrey put the Wings up 1-0, scoring on Jacques Plante at 10:45 of the first, assisted by Gordie Howe and Eddie Joyal. Before the period was over, Gilbert got his chance to go head-to-head with Terry Sawchuk while the crowd and the rest of the players watched in anticipation.

Gilbert was successful, putting one past Sawchuk and tying the score at 1-1. Over his lengthy, legendary career, Rod would not get the chance again. It was his fourth goal of the 1963-64 NHL season (just the 15^th of his career). He would go on to score 24 that year, his first of 12 times surpassing the 20 goal plateau.

It was the only time Gilbert got his name on the scoresheet in the game. After a scoreless second frame, Don Johns and Don McKenney scored for the Rangers while Norm Ullman put one in for Detroit and the game ended in a 3-2 win for the home team. Jacques Plante was oustanding for New York, stopping 34 of 36 shots in the win.

Rod Gilbert Sparks Rangers Comeback In 1964 Setting Up 3 Third Period Goals

On January 22, 1964, the cellar-dwelling Boston Bruins went to Madison Square Garden and gave the New York Rangers a scare. Just 1:25 into the game, Boston had a 2-0 lead on goals by Andy Hebenton and Johnny Bucyk. At the end of 40, the Bruins still held a 3-2 lead.

However, in the third, the Rangers scored three goals in a span of 3:29 to squash Boston’s hopes. The first, scored at 2:11, was put past Boston goalie Ed Johnston by Dave Richardson, assisted by Rod Gilbert and Phil Goyette. At 5:29, Earl Ingarfield gave the Rangers a 4-3 lead. Just eleven seconds after that, Goyette scored his first of two in the game, assisted by Gilbert and Harry Howell, the game winner in what would be a 6-4 final.

Rod also assisted on Goyette’s second goal of the game and 15^th of the 1963-64 NHL season. The three assists went with a second period goal, his 18^th of the season, for a four point game. Goyette came away with three points on the two goals and assist on the Richardson goal.

Jacques Plante was in net for the Rangers and made 33 saves on 37 shots in the win. The game featured a late third period fight between Vic Hadfield of the Rangers and Jerry Toppazzini of the Bruins.

Rod Gilbert’s 4 Goal Performance At Home Can’t Give Rangers Win Over Lowly Wings In 1975 Game

On February 2, 1975, the New York Rangers hosted the Detroit Red Wings at Madison Square Garden. The Rangers lost just 15 of their first 50 games in 1974-75 while the Wings won just 13 over that time. Still, the Blue Shirts could muster just a tie on this night, despite Rod Gilbert putting in a four goal performance.

Gilbert scored his 26^th and 27^th of the season on Detroit goalie Jim Rutherford in the first period. These went with a Jerry Butler goal to give the Rangers a 3-0 lead. Rod added his 28^th of the season and third of the game at 4:02 of the second to make the score 4-0. However, Detroit came back with four straight goals of their own to make it a 4-4 tie going into the third.

Rod put the Blue Shirts back up by a goal with his 29^th of the season and fourth of the game at 5:10 of the third. But, Bill Hogaboam scored his second of the match for the Red Wings just 46 seconds later and the game ended in a 5-5 tie. Hogaboam added an assist for a three point game to lead the Wings.

Jim Rutherford turned away 44 of 49 shots, including eleven by Gilbert. Gilles Villemure stopped 20 of 25 shots for the Rangers. Jean Ratelle, Dale Rolfe and Steve Vickers had two assists each. Hank Nowak of the Wings dropped the gloves with Ron Greschner in the first and Bert Wilson in the third while also assisting on a Pierre Jarry goal.

First and Last: Rod Gilbert (New York Ranger for Life)

The Rod Gilbert rookie card appears in the 1961-62 Topps NHL set. Rod played just a single regular season game for the Blue Shirts that year, along with four in the Stanley Cup playoffs. It wasn’t until 1962-63 that he became a regular at Madison Square Garden.

The final hockey card of Gilbert’s playing days was included in the 1977-78 O-Pee-Chee and Topps sets. Rod played just 19 games for the Rangers that year before retiring as a player.

Gilbert played 1,065 regular season and 79 playoff games in the National Hockey League between 1960-61 and 1977-78, all with the New York Rangers. He went to the Stanley finals with the team in 1971-72 and was the Bill Masterton Trophy winner in 1975-76.

A Second Team All-Star in 1967-68 and a First Team selection in 1971-72, Gilbert played an important role for Team Canada at the 1972 Summit Series against the Soviet Union, appearing in six of eight games. He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1982 and his number 7 was the first jersey number ever retired by the New York Rangers.

Rod Gilbert NHL Career Stats

Regular Season

Season	Team	GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
1960-61	New York Rangers	1	0	1	1	2
1961-62	New York Rangers	1	0	0	0	0
1962-63	New York Rangers	70	11	20	31	20
1963-64	New York Rangers	70	24	40	64	62
1964-65	New York Rangers	70	25	36	61	52
1965-66	New York Rangers	34	10	15	25	20
1966-67	New York Rangers	64	28	18	46	12
1967-68	New York Rangers	73	29	48	77	12
1968-69	New York Rangers	66	28	49	77	22
1969-70	New York Rangers	72	16	37	53	22
1970-71	New York Rangers	78	30	31	61	65
1971-72	New York Rangers	73	43	54	97	64
1972-73	New York Rangers	76	25	59	84	25
1973-74	New York Rangers	75	36	41	77	20
1974-75	New York Rangers	76	36	61	97	22
1975-76	New York Rangers	70	36	50	86	32
1976-77	New York Rangers	77	27	48	75	50
1977-78	New York Rangers	19	2	7	9	6
	Totals	1065	406	615	1021	508

Playoffs

Season	Team	GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
1960-61	New York Rangers	0	0	0	0	0
1961-62	New York Rangers	4	2	3	5	4
1962-63	New York Rangers	0	0	0	0	0
1963-64	New York Rangers	0	0	0	0	0
1964-65	New York Rangers	0	0	0	0	0
1965-66	New York Rangers	0	0	0	0	0
1966-67	New York Rangers	4	2	2	4	6
1967-68	New York Rangers	6	5	0	5	4
1968-69	New York Rangers	4	1	0	1	2
1969-70	New York Rangers	6	4	5	9	0
1970-71	New York Rangers	13	4	6	10	8
1971-72	New York Rangers	16	7	8	15	11
1972-73	New York Rangers	10	5	1	6	2
1973-74	New York Rangers	13	3	5	8	4
1974-75	New York Rangers	3	1	3	4	2
1975-76	New York Rangers	0	0	0	0	0
1976-77	New York Rangers	0	0	0	0	0
1977-78	New York Rangers	0	0	0	0	0
	Totals	79	34	33	67	43

NHL Hockey Card Legends: Rod Gilbert [Video]

Rod Gilbert Hockey Card Collection

1962-63 Topps

1963-64 Topps

1965-66 Topps

1966-67 Topps

1967-68 Topps

1968-69 O-Pee-Chee

1969-70 O-Pee-Chee

1972-73 O-Pee-Chee

1972-73 O-Pee-Chee (All-Star)

1975-76 O-Pee-Chee

1976-77 O-Pee-Chee

1977-78 O-Pee-Chee