George Edward "Bud" Gardner (October 8, 1942 – November 6, 2006) was the first-ever goaltender

Goaltender

In ice hockey, the goaltender is the player who defends his team's goal net by stopping shots of the puck from entering his team's net, thus preventing the opposing team from scoring...

 for 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...

's Vancouver Canucks

Vancouver Canucks

The Vancouver Canucks are a professional ice hockey team based in Vancouver, :British Columbia, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The Canucks play their home games at Rogers Arena, formerly known as General Motors Place,...

. Gardner played for the Canucks after breaking into the NHL with the Detroit Red Wings

Detroit Red Wings

The Detroit Red Wings are a professional ice hockey team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League , and are one of the Original Six teams of the NHL, along with the Toronto Maple Leafs, Montreal Canadiens, New York...

. With the Wings, Gardner had to compete with Roger Crozier

Roger Crozier

Roger Allan Crozier was a Canadian professional hockey goaltender who played fourteen seasons in the National Hockey League for the Detroit Red Wings, Buffalo Sabres and Washington Capitals....

 and Roy Edwards

Roy Edwards

Allan Roy Edwards was a Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender who played 206 games in the National Hockey League. He was born in Seneca Township, Ontario. On June 6, 1967 Pittsburgh Penguins selected him in the expanstion draft, but traded Edwards to the Detroit Red Wings the next day...

 for playing time. In Vancouver, he played in 42 games over two seasons before jumping to the new World Hockey Association

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...

. In 1972-73, he spent much of the season as the number 1 goalie for the Los Angeles Sharks

Los Angeles Sharks

The Los Angeles Sharks were an ice hockey team that played in the World Hockey Association from 1972 to 1974. Their primary home arena was the Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena but they sometimes played at the Long Beach Sports Arena when the Sports Arena had other contractual obligations...

, and teamed with Russ Gillow

Russ Gillow

Russ Gillow is a retired professional ice hockey player who played 109 games in the World Hockey Association with the Los Angeles Sharks and San Diego Mariners...

to help the Sharks to a 3rd place finish and allow the 3rd fewest goals in the WHA.