Bruce Gardiner
Encyclopedia
Bruce Gardiner is a Canadian
retired professional ice hockey
player. Since 2003, he has worked for the Barrie
, ON
police department.
and started his National Hockey League
career with the Ottawa Senators
in 1997. He also played for the Tampa Bay Lightning
, Columbus Blue Jackets
(which he scored the first franchise goal), and New Jersey Devils
. He left the NHL after the 2002 season and moved to the Russian Super League with Lada Togliatti
and then to Finland
's SM-liiga
with the Espoo Blues
. He then had one more year in North America, playing for the Adirondack Frostbite
of the United Hockey League before retiring in 2005.
Gardiner scored the first goal in Columbus Blue Jackets' franchise history.
Police Service since 2003, though he was facing charges after an investigation by the Ontario Provincial Police
which were dropped on June. 17th, 2010.
along with some friends. On December 11, 1987, he was awarded the Medal of Bravery
. The story was later reenacted on the television show Heart of Courage.
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
retired 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. Since 2003, he has worked for the Barrie
Barrie
Barrie may refer to:* Barrie, city in Ontario, Canada* Barrie , Canadian federal electoral district* Barrie , provincial electoral district* Barrie—Simcoe—Bradford, former Canadian electoral district...
, ON
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....
police department.
Playing career
Gardiner was drafted 131st overall by the St. Louis Blues in the 1991 NHL Entry Draft1991 NHL Entry Draft
The 1991 NHL Entry Draft was held on June 22 at the Memorial Auditorium in Buffalo, New York. A total of 264 players were drafted. The draft was famous for the controversy surrounding star first overall draft pick, touted by some observers to be The Next One, Eric Lindros, who was drafted by the...
and started his 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...
career with the Ottawa Senators
Ottawa Senators
The Ottawa Senators are a professional ice hockey team based in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
in 1997. He also played for the Tampa Bay Lightning
Tampa Bay Lightning
The Tampa Bay Lightning are a professional ice hockey team based in Tampa, Florida. They are members of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . They have one Stanley Cup championship in their history, in 2003–04. They are often referred to as the...
, Columbus Blue Jackets
Columbus Blue Jackets
The Columbus Blue Jackets are a professional ice hockey team based in Columbus, Ohio, United States. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League...
(which he scored the first franchise goal), and New Jersey Devils
New Jersey Devils
The New Jersey Devils are a professional ice hockey team based in Newark, New Jersey, United States. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
. He left the NHL after the 2002 season and moved to the Russian Super League with Lada Togliatti
HC Lada Togliatti
HC Lada is a Russian professional ice hockey team based in Togliatti, Russia. They were members of the Kharlamov Division of the Kontinental Hockey League.Due to a lack of a satisfactory arena the KHL expelled the team...
and then to Finland
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
's SM-liiga
SM-liiga
The SM-liiga is the top professional ice hockey league in Finland. As of March 2008, it is ranked by the IIHF as the second strongest league in Europe. It was created in 1975 to replace the SM-sarja, which was fundamentally an amateur league. The SM-liiga is not directly overseen by the Finnish Ice...
with the Espoo Blues
Espoo Blues
The Blues are an ice hockey team in the SM-liiga. They play in Espoo, Finland at the Barona Areena.-Team history:The club was established in February 1984 as Kiekko-Espoo and played their first season in 1984-1985 in the Finnish Second Division...
. He then had one more year in North America, playing for the Adirondack Frostbite
Adirondack Frostbite
The Adirondack Frostbite were a professional ice hockey team in the United Hockey League. They played their home games at the Glens Falls Civic Center in Glens Falls, New York....
of the United Hockey League before retiring in 2005.
Gardiner scored the first goal in Columbus Blue Jackets' franchise history.
Retirement from hockey
Gardiner has been with the BarrieBarrie, Ontario
Barrie is a city in Southern Ontario, Canada, located on the western shore of Lake Simcoe, approximately 90 km north of Toronto. Although located in Simcoe County, the city is politically independent...
Police Service since 2003, though he was facing charges after an investigation by the Ontario Provincial Police
Ontario Provincial Police
The Ontario Provincial Police is the Provincial Police service for the province of Ontario, Canada.-Overview:The OPP is the the largest deployed police force in Ontario, and the second largest in Canada. The service is responsible for providing policing services throughout the province in areas...
which were dropped on June. 17th, 2010.
Personal life
On May 4, 1986, Gardiner, who was 14 years old at the time, helped rescue two men and two boys from possible hypothermia on the Mattagami RiverMattagami River
The Mattagami River is a river in the James Bay drainage basin in Cochrane District, Timiskaming District and Sudbury District in Northeastern Ontario, Canada....
along with some friends. On December 11, 1987, he was awarded the Medal of Bravery
Medal of Bravery
The Medal of Bravery is a decoration that is, within the Canadian system of honours, the third highest award for bravery, and one of the three Canadian Bravery Decorations gifted by the Canadian monarch, generally through his or her viceroy-in-Council...
. The story was later reenacted on the television show Heart of Courage.
Career statistics
--- Regular Season --- ---- Playoffs ----
Season Team Lge GP G A Pts PIM GP G A Pts PIM
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1987-88 Barrie Flyers Bantam AA OMHA -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --
1988-89 Barrie Colts Jr.B. OHA-B 41 17 28 45 29 -- -- -- -- --
1989-90 Barrie Colts Jr.B. OHA-B 40 19 26 45 89 13 10 11 21 32
1990-91 Colgate University NCAA 27 4 9 13 72 -- -- -- -- --
1991-92 Colgate University NCAA 23 7 8 15 77 -- -- -- -- --
1992-93 Colgate University NCAA 33 17 12 29 64 -- -- -- -- --
1993-94 Colgate University NCAA 33 23 23 46 70 -- -- -- -- --
1993-94 Peoria Rivermen IHL 3 0 0 0 0 -- -- -- -- --
1994-95 Prince Edward Island Sena AHL 72 17 20 37 132 7 4 1 5 4
1995-96 Prince Edward Island Sena AHL 38 11 13 24 87 5 2 4 6 4
1996-97 Ottawa Senators NHL 67 11 10 21 49 7 0 1 1 2
1997-98 Ottawa Senators NHL 55 7 11 18 50 11 1 3 4 2
1998-99 Ottawa Senators NHL 59 4 8 12 43 3 0 0 0 4
1999-00 Ottawa Senators NHL 10 0 3 3 4 -- -- -- -- --
1999-00 Tampa Bay Lightning NHL 41 3 6 9 37 -- -- -- -- --
2000-01 Columbus Blue Jackets NHL 73 7 15 22 78 -- -- -- -- --
2001-02 Albany River Rats AHL 45 5 18 23 71 -- -- -- -- --
2001-02 New Jersey Devils NHL 7 2 1 3 2 -- -- -- -- --
2002-03 Tolyatti Lada RSL 30 4 8 12 106 10 1 0 1 20
2003-04 Blues FNL 22 6 5 11 60 -- -- -- -- --
2004-05 Adirondack Frostbite UHL 18 7 12 19 27 -- -- -- -- --
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
NHL Totals 312 34 54 88 263 21 1 4 5 8