Bob Gainey
Encyclopedia
Robert Michael "Le Capitaine" Gainey (born December 13, 1953 in Peterborough
, Ontario
) is the former executive vice president and general manager of the Montreal Canadiens
of the National Hockey League
(NHL). He is also a former professional ice hockey
player who played for the Canadiens from 1973 until 1989. After retiring from active play, he became a hockey coach and later an executive with the NHL Minnesota North Stars
/Dallas Stars
organization before returning to Montreal as general manager from 2003 to 2010. Gainey was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1992.
in the Ontario Hockey League
. His lack of scoring was made up by his impressive ability to shut down opposing players. This impressed many scouts in the NHL
and in 1973, he was drafted 8th overall by the Montreal Canadiens
. He was also drafted 7th overall by the Minnesota Fighting Saints
of the WHA
although he would never play a game in the WHA.
and Jacques Lemaire
on the second line. In 1976
, Gainey was chosen to represent Team Canada at the Canada Cup
tournament where he helped Team Canada win the Cup against the Soviets.
A defensive specialist, Gainey played with the Montreal Canadiens
from 1973–74 to 1988–89, winning four consecutive Frank J. Selke Trophies
, awarded to the league's best defensive forward and four consecutive Stanley Cups from 1976
to 1979
.
In 1982
, Canadiens captain Serge Savard
retired from hockey and Gainey was named as his successor. The Canadiens remained successful in the regular season but in the playoffs, they were defeated in the first round three consecutive times from 1981
to 1983
. Next season
, the Canadiens earned a disappointing record finishing with 75 points only. Despite that, they embarked on a surprising playoff run before being eliminated in the semifinals by the New York Islanders
.
Gainey lifted his last Stanley Cup as a player in 1986
against the Calgary Flames
, and scored a playoff total of 5 goals and 10 points. Under Gainey's leadership, the Canadiens posted back to back 100 point seasons in 1988
and 1989
. In 1989, the Canadiens reached the finals again against the Calgary Flames, a rematch from 1986. This time, the Flames won the Stanley Cup in 6 games. Following the loss, Gainey announced his retirement.
In total, Bob Gainey played in 1160 regular season games, scored 239 goals, and registered 263 assists. He was elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame
in 1992. In 1998, Gainey was ranked number 86 on The Hockey News list of the 100 Greatest Hockey Players.
in 1990–91, guiding his team to the sixth game of the Stanley Cup finals in his first season. In January 1992, Gainey also was named general manager. In 1996, a few seasons after the franchise relocated to Dallas, he stepped down as head coach to focus solely on his general manager duties. Gainey turned the franchise into a powerhouse by acquiring players such as Joe Nieuwendyk
, Brett Hull
, Ed Belfour
and Sergei Zubov
. The team won the Presidents' Trophy
in 1998 and 1999. Dallas won the Stanley Cup
in 1999.
In 1997, as Stars general manager, Gainey drafted his son Steve Gainey
77th overall in the annual NHL Entry Draft
. Gainey's name went on the Stanley Cup a 6th time in 1999 as General Manager with Dallas.
Along with Bobby Clarke
and Pierre Gauthier
, Gainey was given the responsibility of selecting Canada's men's ice hockey
squad for the 1998 Winter Olympics
in Nagano, Japan.
Gainey became general manager of the Montreal Canadiens
in May 2003. On January 13, 2006, Gainey fired Canadiens' head coach Claude Julien
and stepped in as head coach on an interim basis. At the same time, he hired Guy Carbonneau
to work as an associate coach, handing the coaching reins over to him for the 2006–07 season. On July 24, 2006, Montreal Canadiens
president Pierre Boivin
extended Gainey's contract to 2009–2010
.
On February 23, 2008, the Canadiens retired Gainey's #23 jersey.
On March 9, 2009, Gainey named himself the interim coach of the Montreal Canadiens after firing Guy Carbonneau. On June 1, 2009, he signed Jacques Martin as the new head coach. On February 8, 2010, he resigned as the Canadiens general manager for personal reasons, and was succeeded by Gauthier. The Canadiens were 28-26-6 at the time of his resignation.
), Colleen, Anna, and Laura; he is a grandfather as the result of Anna giving birth to Jackson Robert Pitfield in March 2009.
Bob Gainey lost his wife Cathy in June 1995 at age 39 from brain cancer, leaving Bob to raise his children alone. Gainey also lost his third-youngest daughter, Laura, at age 25 in December 2006, when she swept overboard while sailing in the North Atlantic
on the barque
Picton Castle
, a sail-training ship based out of Lunenburg
, Nova Scotia
, Canada, destined for Grenada
; Laura's body was never recovered, and the U.S. Coast Guard called off the search on December 11, 3 days after Laura was swept overboard. During this time, Gainey temporarily passed his GM duties on to assistant manager (and eventual successor) Pierre Gauthier
for four weeks.
On January 3, 2007, officials in the Cook Islands
named Captain Andrew Scheer to head an investigation into Laura's death. Captain Scheer interviewed the 30-strong crew as well as examine the ship’s logs, emergency equipment and crew qualifications. The tall ship
is registered in the Cook Islands.
Laura's death and the subsequent investigations have received considerable press attention in Canada, including a documentary produced by the CBC News
program the fifth estate
, which was highly critical of safety standards on the Picton Castle.
Peterborough, Ontario
Peterborough is a city on the Otonabee River in southern Ontario, Canada, 125 kilometres northeast of Toronto. The population of the City of Peterborough was 74,898 as of the 2006 census, while the census metropolitan area has a population of 121,428 as of a 2009 estimate. It presently ranks...
, Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
) is the former executive vice president and general manager of the Montreal Canadiens
Montreal Canadiens
The Montreal Canadiens are a professional ice hockey team based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The club is officially known as ...
of 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...
(NHL). He is also a former professional 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...
player who played for the Canadiens from 1973 until 1989. After retiring from active play, he became a hockey coach and later an executive with the NHL Minnesota North Stars
Minnesota North Stars
The Minnesota North Stars were a professional ice hockey team in the National Hockey League for 26 seasons, from 1967 to 1993. The North Stars played their home games at the Met Center in Bloomington, and the team's colors for most of its history were green, yellow, gold and white...
/Dallas Stars
Dallas Stars
The Dallas Stars are a professional ice hockey team based in Dallas, Texas. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The team was founded during the 1967 NHL expansion as the Minnesota North Stars, based in Bloomington, Minnesota. The...
organization before returning to Montreal as general manager from 2003 to 2010. Gainey was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1992.
Early years
Bob Gainey began his hockey career in 1972 with his hometown team the Peterborough PetesPeterborough Petes
The Peterborough Petes are a junior ice hockey team in the Ontario Hockey League. The team has played in Peterborough, Ontario, Canada, since 1956, and is the oldest continuously operating team in the league.-History:...
in the Ontario Hockey League
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...
. His lack of scoring was made up by his impressive ability to shut down opposing players. This impressed many scouts in the NHL
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...
and in 1973, he was drafted 8th overall by the Montreal Canadiens
Montreal Canadiens
The Montreal Canadiens are a professional ice hockey team based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The club is officially known as ...
. He was also drafted 7th overall by the Minnesota Fighting Saints
Minnesota Fighting Saints
The Minnesota Fighting Saints was the name of two professional ice hockey teams based in Saint Paul, Minnesota that played in the World Hockey Association. The first team was one of the WHA's original twelve franchises, playing from 1972–76. The second team was relocated from Cleveland, Ohio, and...
of the WHA
World Hockey Association
The World Hockey Association was a professional ice hockey league that operated in North America from 1972 to 1979. It was the first major competition for the National Hockey League since the collapse of the Western Hockey League in 1926...
although he would never play a game in the WHA.
Professional years
As a rookie, Gainey was committed to a defensive style of play. In his second year, he was paired up with stars Yvan CournoyerYvan Cournoyer
Yvan Serge "The Roadrunner" Cournoyer is a retired Canadian hockey right winger who played in the National Hockey League for the Montreal Canadiens from 1963 to 1979. Cournoyer was born in Drummondville, Quebec. He was nicknamed "The Roadrunner" due to his small size and blazing speed, which he...
and Jacques Lemaire
Jacques Lemaire
Jacques Gerard Lemaire is a former ice hockey forward for the Montreal Canadiens and a long-time coach, most notably with the New Jersey Devils and the Minnesota Wild.-Playing career:...
on the second line. In 1976
1976 Canada Cup
The 1976 Canada Cup was an international ice hockey tournament held September 2–15, 1976, in Ottawa, Toronto, Montreal, Winnipeg and Quebec, Canada as well as in Philadelphia, United States. It was the first of five Canada Cup tournaments held between 1976 and 1991...
, Gainey was chosen to represent Team Canada at the Canada Cup
Canada Cup
The Canada Cup refers to several types of professional sporting events held in Canada: It is also the previous name of the World Cup of Golf and the World Cup of Hockey.* Canada Cup for men's professional ice hockey* Canada Cup...
tournament where he helped Team Canada win the Cup against the Soviets.
A defensive specialist, Gainey played with the Montreal Canadiens
Montreal Canadiens
The Montreal Canadiens are a professional ice hockey team based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The club is officially known as ...
from 1973–74 to 1988–89, winning four consecutive Frank J. Selke Trophies
Frank J. Selke Trophy
The Frank J. Selke Trophy is awarded annually to the National Hockey League forward who demonstrates the most skill in the defensive component of the game. The winner is selected by a poll of the Professional Hockey Writers' Association following the regular season. It has been awarded 33 times to...
, awarded to the league's best defensive forward and four consecutive Stanley Cups from 1976
1976 Stanley Cup Finals
-References:...
to 1979
1979 Stanley Cup Finals
The 1979 Stanley Cup Final NHL championship series was contested by the New York Rangers and the defending champion Montreal Canadiens, making their fourth straight appearance. It was New York's first appearance since . The Canadiens would win the best-of-seven series four games to one, to win...
.
In 1982
1981-82 NHL season
The 1981–82 NHL season was the 65th season of the National Hockey League. The William M. Jennings Trophy made its debut this year as the trophy for the goaltenders from the team with the fewest goals against...
, Canadiens captain Serge Savard
Serge Savard
Serge Aubrey "The Senator" Savard, OC, CQ is a retired professional ice hockey defenceman, most famously with the Montreal Canadiens of the National Hockey League . He is also a local businessman in Montreal, and is nicknamed the Senator.-Playing career:Savard played minor league hockey with the...
retired from hockey and Gainey was named as his successor. The Canadiens remained successful in the regular season but in the playoffs, they were defeated in the first round three consecutive times from 1981
1980-81 NHL season
The 1980–81 NHL season was the 64th season of the National Hockey League. This was the first season that the Calgary Flames played in Calgary, Alberta. Previously, they were the Atlanta Flames and played in Atlanta, Georgia. The New York Islanders won their second consecutive Stanley Cup, defeating...
to 1983
1982-83 NHL season
-NHL awards:-All-Star teams:Source: NHL.-Scoring leaders:Note: GP = Games played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = PointsSource: NHL.-Leading goaltenders:...
. Next season
1983-84 NHL season
The 1983–84 NHL season was the 67th season of the National Hockey League. The Edmonton Oilers de-throned the four-time defending Stanley Cup champion New York Islanders four games to one in the Cup finals.-League business:...
, the Canadiens earned a disappointing record finishing with 75 points only. Despite that, they embarked on a surprising playoff run before being eliminated in the semifinals by the New York Islanders
New York Islanders
The New York Islanders are a professional ice hockey team based in Uniondale, New York. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
.
Gainey lifted his last Stanley Cup as a player in 1986
1986 Stanley Cup Finals
The 1986 Stanley Cup Final NHL championship series was contested by the Calgary Flames in their first Final appearance and the Montreal Canadiens in their 32nd. The Canadiens would win the best-of-seven series four games to one, to win their twenty-third Stanley Cup, and their seventeenth in their...
against the Calgary Flames
Calgary Flames
The Calgary Flames are a professional ice hockey team based in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The club is the third major-professional ice hockey team to represent the city of Calgary, following the...
, and scored a playoff total of 5 goals and 10 points. Under Gainey's leadership, the Canadiens posted back to back 100 point seasons in 1988
1987-88 NHL season
-NHL awards:-All-Star teams:-Scoring Leaders:Note: GP = Games played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points, PIM = Penalties in minutes, PPG = Powerplay Goals, SHG = Shorthanded Goals, GWG = Game Winning Goals-Leading goaltenders:...
and 1989
1988-89 NHL season
-NHL awards:-All-Star teams:-Scoring Leaders:Note: GP = Games played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points, PIM = Penalties in minutes, PPG = Powerplay Goals, SHG = Shorthanded Goals, GWG = Game Winning Goals-Leading goaltenders:...
. In 1989, the Canadiens reached the finals again against the Calgary Flames, a rematch from 1986. This time, the Flames won the Stanley Cup in 6 games. Following the loss, Gainey announced his retirement.
In total, Bob Gainey played in 1160 regular season games, scored 239 goals, and registered 263 assists. He was elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame
Hockey Hall of Fame
The 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 1992. In 1998, Gainey was ranked number 86 on The Hockey News list of the 100 Greatest Hockey Players.
Post hockey playing years
After his retirement, Gainey moved to France where he was player/coach for the Epinal Dolphins. Gainey returned to North America a year later and became head coach of the Minnesota North StarsMinnesota North Stars
The Minnesota North Stars were a professional ice hockey team in the National Hockey League for 26 seasons, from 1967 to 1993. The North Stars played their home games at the Met Center in Bloomington, and the team's colors for most of its history were green, yellow, gold and white...
in 1990–91, guiding his team to the sixth game of the Stanley Cup finals in his first season. In January 1992, Gainey also was named general manager. In 1996, a few seasons after the franchise relocated to Dallas, he stepped down as head coach to focus solely on his general manager duties. Gainey turned the franchise into a powerhouse by acquiring players such as Joe Nieuwendyk
Joe Nieuwendyk
Joseph Nieuwendyk is the general manager of the Dallas Stars of the National Hockey League and a retired Canadian ice hockey player...
, Brett Hull
Brett Hull
Brett Andrew Hull is a former Canadian-American NHL player and the former Executive Vice President of the Dallas Stars. He is the son of Bobby Hull and nephew of Dennis Hull, both former NHL players. Hull is also known as "The Golden Brett," which is a play off of his father's nickname, "The...
, Ed Belfour
Ed Belfour
Edward John Belfour is a former Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender.Belfour was born in Carman, Manitoba and grew up playing hockey. He played junior hockey for the Winkler Flyers before going to the University of North Dakota where he helped the school win the NCAA championship in the...
and Sergei Zubov
Sergei Zubov
Sergei Alexandrovich Zubov is a former Russian professional ice hockey defenceman who played for the Dallas Stars, New York Rangers and Pittsburgh Penguins of the National Hockey League as well as SKA St. Petersburg of the Kontinental Hockey League...
. The team won the Presidents' Trophy
Presidents' Trophy
The Presidents' Trophy is an award presented by the National Hockey League to the team that finishes with the most points in the league during the regular season. If two teams tie for the most points, then the trophy goes to the team with the most wins. The winning team is also awarded C$350,000...
in 1998 and 1999. Dallas won the 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...
in 1999.
In 1997, as Stars general manager, Gainey drafted his son Steve Gainey
Steve Gainey
Steve Gainey is a professional ice hockey forward who is currently playing for the Hamilton Bulldogs of the AHL. He is the son of former NHL player and executive Bob Gainey.-Playing career:...
77th overall in the annual NHL Entry Draft
NHL Entry Draft
The NHL Entry Draft is an annual meeting in which every franchise of the National Hockey League systematically select the rights to available amateur ice hockey players who meet draft eligibility requirements...
. Gainey's name went on the Stanley Cup a 6th time in 1999 as General Manager with Dallas.
Along with Bobby Clarke
Bobby Clarke
Robert Earle Clarke, OC , better known as Bobby Clarke or, in later life, Bob Clarke, is a Canadian former professional ice hockey centre who played his entire National Hockey League career with the Philadelphia Flyers and is currently an executive with the team...
and Pierre Gauthier
Pierre Gauthier
For the Canadian politician see Pierre Gauthier Pierre Gauthier is an ice hockey administrator in the National Hockey League...
, Gainey was given the responsibility of selecting Canada's men's 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...
squad for the 1998 Winter Olympics
1998 Winter Olympics
The 1998 Winter Olympics, officially the XVIII Olympic Winter Games, was a winter multi-sport event celebrated from 7 to 22 February 1998 in Nagano, Japan. Seventy-two nations and 2,176 participans contested in seven sports and 72 events at 15 venues. The games saw the introduction of Women's ice...
in Nagano, Japan.
Gainey became general manager of the Montreal Canadiens
Montreal Canadiens
The Montreal Canadiens are a professional ice hockey team based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The club is officially known as ...
in May 2003. On January 13, 2006, Gainey fired Canadiens' head coach Claude Julien
Claude Julien (ice hockey)
Claude Julien is Canadian professional ice hockey head coach of the Boston Bruins of the National Hockey League . He previously served as the head coach for the Montreal Canadiens and the New Jersey Devils...
and stepped in as head coach on an interim basis. At the same time, he hired Guy Carbonneau
Guy Carbonneau
Guy Carbonneau is a Canadian retired professional ice hockey player in the National Hockey League. He is also the president of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League 's Chicoutimi Saguenéens. He has two daughters Anne-Marie and Kristina, with wife Line Carbonneau. Anne-Marie married his former...
to work as an associate coach, handing the coaching reins over to him for the 2006–07 season. On July 24, 2006, Montreal Canadiens
Montreal Canadiens
The Montreal Canadiens are a professional ice hockey team based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The club is officially known as ...
president Pierre Boivin
Pierre Boivin
Pierre Boivin, OC is a French Canadian businessman and current president of the Montreal Canadiens since September 2, 1999, succeeding Ronald Corey...
extended Gainey's contract to 2009–2010
2009–10 NHL season
The 2009–10 NHL season was the 93rd season of operation of the National Hockey League , and the 100th season since the founding of the predecessor National Hockey Association . It ran from October 1, 2009, including four games in Europe on October 2 and 3—until April 11, 2010, with the 2010...
.
On February 23, 2008, the Canadiens retired Gainey's #23 jersey.
On March 9, 2009, Gainey named himself the interim coach of the Montreal Canadiens after firing Guy Carbonneau. On June 1, 2009, he signed Jacques Martin as the new head coach. On February 8, 2010, he resigned as the Canadiens general manager for personal reasons, and was succeeded by Gauthier. The Canadiens were 28-26-6 at the time of his resignation.
Awards and ahievements
- Frank J. Selke TrophyFrank J. Selke TrophyThe Frank J. Selke Trophy is awarded annually to the National Hockey League forward who demonstrates the most skill in the defensive component of the game. The winner is selected by a poll of the Professional Hockey Writers' Association following the regular season. It has been awarded 33 times to...
winner in 19781977-78 NHL seasonGame 5 was Fred Shero's last game as head coach of the Flyers and Gerry Cheevers left the ice without shaking hands with any of the Flyers. -Finals:Boston Bruins vs...
, 19801979-80 NHL seasonThe 1979–80 NHL season was the 63rd season of the National Hockey League. This season saw the addition of four teams from the disbanded World Hockey Association as expansion franchises. The Edmonton Oilers, Winnipeg Jets, New England Whalers , and Quebec Nordiques joined the NHL, bringing the total...
, 19811980-81 NHL seasonThe 1980–81 NHL season was the 64th season of the National Hockey League. This was the first season that the Calgary Flames played in Calgary, Alberta. Previously, they were the Atlanta Flames and played in Atlanta, Georgia. The New York Islanders won their second consecutive Stanley Cup, defeating...
, 19821981-82 NHL seasonThe 1981–82 NHL season was the 65th season of the National Hockey League. The William M. Jennings Trophy made its debut this year as the trophy for the goaltenders from the team with the fewest goals against...
. - Selected to the NHL All-Star Game in 1977, 1978, 1980, 1981.
- Conn Smythe TrophyConn Smythe TrophyThe Conn Smythe Trophy is awarded annually to the player judged most valuable to his team during the National Hockey League's Stanley Cup playoffs. The Conn Smythe Trophy has been awarded 46 times to 40 players since the 1964–65 NHL season...
winner in 19791978-79 NHL seasonThe 1978–79 NHL season was the 62nd season of the National Hockey League. The Montreal Canadiens beat the New York Rangers in the Stanley Cup finals four games to one for their fourth Cup in a row...
. - Stanley CupStanley CupThe 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...
championships in 19761976 Stanley Cup Finals-References:...
, 19771977 Stanley Cup FinalsThe 1977 Stanley Cup Final championship series was contested by the Boston Bruins and the defending champion Montreal Canadiens. The Bruins were making their first appearance in the Final series since their loss in the 1974 Final. The Canadiens would win the best-of-seven series four games to none,...
, 19781978 Stanley Cup FinalsThe 1978 Stanley Cup Final championship series was contested by the Boston Bruins and the defending champion Montreal Canadiens, making their third-straight appearance. The series was a rematch of the 1977 final...
, 19791979 Stanley Cup FinalsThe 1979 Stanley Cup Final NHL championship series was contested by the New York Rangers and the defending champion Montreal Canadiens, making their fourth straight appearance. It was New York's first appearance since . The Canadiens would win the best-of-seven series four games to one, to win...
, 19861986 Stanley Cup FinalsThe 1986 Stanley Cup Final NHL championship series was contested by the Calgary Flames in their first Final appearance and the Montreal Canadiens in their 32nd. The Canadiens would win the best-of-seven series four games to one, to win their twenty-third Stanley Cup, and their seventeenth in their...
, 19991999 Stanley Cup FinalsThe 1999 Stanley Cup Final NHL championship series was contested by the Eastern Conference champion Buffalo Sabres and the Western Conference champion Dallas Stars. It was the 106th year of the Stanley Cup. The Sabres were led by captain Michael Peca, coach Lindy Ruff and goalie Dominik Hasek. The...
(as GM). - Inducted into the 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 1992. - In 1998, Gainey was ranked number 86 on The Hockey News list of the 100 Greatest Hockey Players.
- His #23 was retired by the Montreal CanadiensMontreal CanadiensThe Montreal Canadiens are a professional ice hockey team based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The club is officially known as ...
on February 23, 2008.
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 | ||
| 1971–72 | Peterborough Petes Peterborough Petes The Peterborough Petes are a junior ice hockey team in the Ontario Hockey League. The team has played in Peterborough, Ontario, Canada, since 1956, and is the oldest continuously operating team in the league.-History:... |
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... |
1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 31 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1972–73 | Peterborough Petes | OHA | 52 | 22 | 21 | 43 | 99 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1973–74 | Montreal Canadiens Montreal Canadiens The Montreal Canadiens are a professional ice hockey team based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The club is officially known as ... |
NHL | 66 | 3 | 7 | 10 | 34 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | ||
| 1973–74 1973–74 AHL season The 1973–74 AHL season was the 38th season of the American Hockey League. The league renamed its divisions, and the "East" Division became the "North" Division, and the "West" Division became the "South" Division. Twelve teams played 76 games each in the schedule. The Rochester Americans finished... |
Nova Scotia Voyageurs Nova Scotia Voyageurs The Nova Scotia Voyageurs were a professional ice hockey team, based in Halifax, Nova Scotia. They played in the American Hockey League, from 1971 to 1984. The Voyageurs played their first two seasons , as the Montreal Voyageurs.... |
AHL American Hockey League The American Hockey League is a 30-team professional ice hockey league based in the United States and Canada that serves as the primary developmental circuit for the National Hockey League... |
6 | 2 | 5 | 7 | 4 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1974–75 | Montreal Canadiens | NHL | 80 | 17 | 20 | 37 | 49 | 11 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 4 | ||
| 1975–76 | Montreal Canadiens | NHL | 78 | 15 | 13 | 28 | 57 | 13 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 20 | ||
| 1976–77 | Montreal Canadiens | NHL | 80 | 14 | 19 | 33 | 41 | 14 | 4 | 1 | 5 | 25 | ||
| 1977–78 | Montreal Canadiens | NHL | 66 | 15 | 16 | 31 | 57 | 15 | 2 | 7 | 9 | 14 | ||
| 1978–79 | Montreal Canadiens | NHL | 79 | 20 | 18 | 38 | 44 | 16 | 6 | 10 | 16 | 10 | ||
| 1979–80 | Montreal Canadiens | NHL | 64 | 14 | 19 | 33 | 32 | 10 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 | ||
| 1980–81 | Montreal Canadiens | NHL | 78 | 23 | 24 | 47 | 36 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | ||
| 1981–82 | Montreal Canadiens | NHL | 79 | 21 | 24 | 45 | 24 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 8 | ||
| 1982–83 | Montreal Canadiens | NHL | 80 | 12 | 18 | 30 | 43 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | ||
| 1983–84 | Montreal Canadiens | NHL | 77 | 17 | 22 | 39 | 41 | 15 | 1 | 5 | 6 | 9 | ||
| 1984–85 | Montreal Canadiens | NHL | 79 | 19 | 13 | 32 | 40 | 12 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 13 | ||
| 1985–86 | Montreal Canadiens | NHL | 80 | 20 | 23 | 43 | 20 | 20 | 5 | 5 | 10 | 12 | ||
| 1986–87 | Montreal Canadiens | NHL | 47 | 8 | 8 | 16 | 19 | 17 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 6 | ||
| 1987–88 | Montreal Canadiens | NHL | 78 | 11 | 11 | 22 | 14 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 6 | ||
| 1988–89 | Montreal Canadiens | NHL | 49 | 10 | 7 | 17 | 34 | 16 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 8 | ||
| NHL totals | 1160 | 239 | 262 | 501 | 585 | 182 | 25 | 48 | 73 | 151 | ||||
International
| Year | Team | Event | GP | G | A | P | PIM | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1976 1976 Canada Cup The 1976 Canada Cup was an international ice hockey tournament held September 2–15, 1976, in Ottawa, Toronto, Montreal, Winnipeg and Quebec, Canada as well as in Philadelphia, United States. It was the first of five Canada Cup tournaments held between 1976 and 1991... |
Canada | Can-Cup Canada Cup The Canada Cup refers to several types of professional sporting events held in Canada: It is also the previous name of the World Cup of Golf and the World Cup of Hockey.* Canada Cup for men's professional ice hockey* Canada Cup... |
5 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 2 | |
| 1981 1981 Canada Cup The 1981 Canada Cup was the second best-on-best ice hockey world championship and involved the world's top six hockey nations. Tournament games were held in Edmonton, Winnipeg, Montreal and Ottawa. The Soviet Union defeated Canada in a single game final to win its first title, while Soviet... |
Canada | Can-Cup | 7 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 2 | |
| 1982 1982 World Ice Hockey Championships The 1982 Ice Hockey World Championships took place in Finland from the 15 April to the 29 April. The games were played in Helsinki and Tampere. Eight teams took part, and each played each other once. The four best teams then played each other once more. This was the 48th World Championships, and... |
Canada | WC | 10 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 0 | |
| 1986 1986 World Ice Hockey Championships The 1986 Ice Hockey World Championships took place in the Soviet Union from 12 April to 28 April. The games were played at the Palace of Sports of the Central Lenin Stadium in Moscow, and eight teams took part. Each team played each other once, and then the four best teams played each other again.... |
Canada | WC | 10 | 0 | 6 | 6 | 2 | |
| Senior int'l totals | 32 | 5 | 10 | 15 | 6 | |||
NHL managing record
| Team | |Regular season | MIN Minnesota North Stars The Minnesota North Stars were a professional ice hockey team in the National Hockey League for 26 seasons, from 1967 to 1993. The North Stars played their home games at the Met Center in Bloomington, and the team's colors for most of its history were green, yellow, gold and white... |
1992–93 | 84 | 36 | 38 | 10 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 82 | 5th in Norris | Did not qualify | ||||||||||
| DAL Dallas Stars The Dallas Stars are a professional ice hockey team based in Dallas, Texas. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The team was founded during the 1967 NHL expansion as the Minnesota North Stars, based in Bloomington, Minnesota. The... |
1993–94 | 84 | 42 | 29 | 13 | |||||||
| 97 | 3rd in Central Central Division (NHL) The NHL's Central Division was formed in 1993 as part of the Western Conference in a league realignment, the predecessor of which was the Norris Division.The Central Division consists of the Western Conference's easternmost teams.-Current lineup:... |
Conference Semi-finals | ||||||||||
| DAL | 1994–95 | 48 | 17 | 23 | 8 | — | 42 | 5th in Central | Conference Quarter-finals | |||
| DAL | 1995–96 | 82 | 26 | 42 | 14 | — | 66 | 6th, Central | Did not qualify | |||
| DAL | 1996–97 | 82 | 48 | 26 | 8 | — | 104 | 1st, Central | Conference Quarter-finals | |||
| DAL | 1997–98 | 82 | 49 | 22 | 11 | — | 109 | 1st, Central | Conference Finals | |||
| DAL | 1998–99 | 82 | 51 | 19 | 12 | — | 114 | 1st, Pacific | 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... champion |
|||
| DAL | 1999–2000 | 82 | 43 | 23 | 10 | 6 | 102 | 1st, Pacific | 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... Final |
|||
| DAL | 2000–01 | 82 | 48 | 24 | 8 | 2 | 106 | 1st, Pacific | Conference Semi-finals | |||
| DAL | 2001–02 | 82 | 23 | 17 | 6 | 4 | ||||||
| MTL | 2003–04 | 82 | 41 | 30 | 7 | 4 | 93 | 4th, Northeast | Conference Semi-finals | |||
| MTL | 2004–05 | Season cancelled due to 2004–05 NHL lockout | ||||||||||
| MTL | 2005–06 | 82 | 42 | 31 | — | 9 | 93 | 3rd, Northeast | Conference Quarter-finals | |||
| MTL | 2006–07 | 82 | 42 | 34 | — | 6 | 90 | 4th, Northeast | Did not qualify | |||
| MTL | 2007–08 | 82 | 47 | 25 | — | 10 | 104 | 1st, Northeast | Conference Semi-finals | |||
| MTL | 2008–09 2008–09 NHL season The 2008–09 NHL season was the 92nd season of operation of the National Hockey League . It was the first season since prior to the 2004–05 lockout in which every team played each other at least once during the season, following three seasons where teams only played against two divisions in the... |
82 | 41 | 30 | — | 11 | 93 | 2nd, Northeast | Conference Quarter-finals | |||
| MTL | 2009–10 2009–10 NHL season The 2009–10 NHL season was the 93rd season of operation of the National Hockey League , and the 100th season since the founding of the predecessor National Hockey Association . It ran from October 1, 2009, including four games in Europe on October 2 and 3—until April 11, 2010, with the 2010... |
82 | 28 | 26 | — | 6 | 93 | 2nd, Northeast | Conference Quarter-finals | |||
| Total | 1228 | 624 | 439 | 107 | 58 | |||||||
NHL coaching record
| Team | |Regular season | MIN Minnesota North Stars The Minnesota North Stars were a professional ice hockey team in the National Hockey League for 26 seasons, from 1967 to 1993. The North Stars played their home games at the Met Center in Bloomington, and the team's colors for most of its history were green, yellow, gold and white... |
1990–91 | 80 | 27 | 39 | 14 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 68 | 4th in Norris Norris Division The NHL's Norris Division was formed in 1974 as part of the Prince of Wales Conference. The division moved to the Clarence Campbell Conference in 1981, with the Detroit Red Wings being the only member to remain from the previous season. The division existed for 19 seasons until 1993. The... |
Lost in 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... Finals |
|||||
| MIN | 1991–92 | 80 | 32 | 42 | 6 | ||
| 70 | 4th in Norris | Lost in first round | |||||
| MIN | 1992–93 | 84 | 36 | 38 | 10 | ||
| 82 | 5th in Norris | Missed playoffs | |||||
| DAL Dallas Stars The Dallas Stars are a professional ice hockey team based in Dallas, Texas. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The team was founded during the 1967 NHL expansion as the Minnesota North Stars, based in Bloomington, Minnesota. The... |
1993–94 | 84 | 42 | 29 | 13 | ||
| 97 | 3rd in Central Central Division (NHL) The NHL's Central Division was formed in 1993 as part of the Western Conference in a league realignment, the predecessor of which was the Norris Division.The Central Division consists of the Western Conference's easternmost teams.-Current lineup:... |
Lost in second round | |||||
| DAL | 1994–95 | 48 | 17 | 23 | 8 | ||
| 42 | 5th in Central | Lost in first round | |||||
| DAL | 1995–96 | 39 | 11 | 19 | 9 | ||
| (66) | 6th in Central | (Stepped Down) | |||||
| MTL Montreal Canadiens The Montreal Canadiens are a professional ice hockey team based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The club is officially known as ... |
2005–06 | 41 | 23 | 15 | |||
| 3 | (93) | 3rd in Northeast Northeast Division (NHL) The NHL's Northeast Division was formed in 1993 as part of the Eastern Conference in a league realignment, the predecessor of which was the Adams Division... |
Lost in first round | ||||
| MTL | 2008–09 2008–09 NHL season The 2008–09 NHL season was the 92nd season of operation of the National Hockey League . It was the first season since prior to the 2004–05 lockout in which every team played each other at least once during the season, following three seasons where teams only played against two divisions in the... |
16 | 6 | 6 | |||
| 4 | (93) | 2nd in Northeast | Lost in first round | ||||
| Total | 472 | 194 | 211 | 60 | 7 | ||
Personal
Bob Gainey, with his wife Cathy, were parents to one son and three daughters: Steve (whom he drafted in the 1997 NHL Entry Draft1997 NHL Entry Draft
The 1997 NHL Entry Draft was held at the Civic Arena in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, on 21 June 1997.-Selections by round:Club teams are located in North America unless otherwise noted.- Round one :-Round two:-Round three:-Round four:...
), Colleen, Anna, and Laura; he is a grandfather as the result of Anna giving birth to Jackson Robert Pitfield in March 2009.
Bob Gainey lost his wife Cathy in June 1995 at age 39 from brain cancer, leaving Bob to raise his children alone. Gainey also lost his third-youngest daughter, Laura, at age 25 in December 2006, when she swept overboard while sailing in the North Atlantic
Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...
on the barque
Barque
A barque, barc, or bark is a type of sailing vessel with three or more masts.- History of the term :The word barque appears to have come from the Greek word baris, a term for an Egyptian boat. This entered Latin as barca, which gave rise to the Italian barca, Spanish barco, and the French barge and...
Picton Castle
Picton Castle (ship)
The Picton Castle is a is a fully certified and registered tall ship whose mission is deep-ocean sail training and long distance education. The Picton Castle is perhaps best known for her World Circumnavigations, though she has visited the Great Lakes twice, sailed numerous times on tours on the...
, a sail-training ship based out of Lunenburg
Lunenburg
Lunenburg was the form customary in 18th-century English for Lüneburg, the city and region in Germany. It therefore occurs in several placenames in North America.-Canada:*Lunenburg, Nova Scotia*Lunenburg, Nova Scotia...
, Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the most populous province in Atlantic Canada. The name of the province is Latin for "New Scotland," but "Nova Scotia" is the recognized, English-language name of the province. The provincial capital is Halifax. Nova Scotia is the...
, Canada, destined for Grenada
Grenada
Grenada is an island country and Commonwealth Realm consisting of the island of Grenada and six smaller islands at the southern end of the Grenadines in the southeastern Caribbean Sea...
; Laura's body was never recovered, and the U.S. Coast Guard called off the search on December 11, 3 days after Laura was swept overboard. During this time, Gainey temporarily passed his GM duties on to assistant manager (and eventual successor) Pierre Gauthier
Pierre Gauthier
For the Canadian politician see Pierre Gauthier Pierre Gauthier is an ice hockey administrator in the National Hockey League...
for four weeks.
On January 3, 2007, officials in the Cook Islands
Cook Islands
The Cook Islands is a self-governing parliamentary democracy in the South Pacific Ocean in free association with New Zealand...
named Captain Andrew Scheer to head an investigation into Laura's death. Captain Scheer interviewed the 30-strong crew as well as examine the ship’s logs, emergency equipment and crew qualifications. The tall ship
Tall ship
A tall ship is a large, traditionally-rigged sailing vessel. Popular modern tall ship rigs include topsail schooners, brigantines, brigs and barques. "Tall Ship" can also be defined more specifically by an organization, such as for a race or festival....
is registered in the Cook Islands.
Laura's death and the subsequent investigations have received considerable press attention in Canada, including a documentary produced by the CBC News
CBC News
CBC News is the department within the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation responsible for the news gathering and production of news programs on CBC television, radio and online services...
program the fifth estate
The fifth estate
the fifth estate is a Canadian television newsmagazine, which airs on the English language CBC Television network. The name is a play on the fact that the media are sometimes referred to as the Fourth Estate, and was chosen to highlight the program's determination to go beyond everyday news into...
, which was highly critical of safety standards on the Picton Castle.