Link Gaetz
Encyclopedia
Link Gaetz, aka "the Missing Link", (born October 2, 1968 in Vancouver, British Columbia
) is a former professional
ice hockey
player known for his battles when he was an up-and-coming enforcer in the National Hockey League
and his troubles on and off the ice while in the minor leagues. Throughout his career he battled with alcoholism which was the main factor in his demise from the NHL.
. According to former North Stars General Manager Lou Nanne, Gaetz was drafted by the Minnesota North Stars
as protection for Mike Modano
, Minnesota's #1 overall pick that year. Four months after being drafted by the North Stars, Gaetz was arrested and changed with drunk driving on October 13, 1988.During his brief time with the North Stars, Gaetz wore #36, used Cooper equipment, and used a Canadien 6001 wood stick. After 17 games over two seasons with the Minnesota North Stars, Gaetz was lost to the San Jose Sharks
in the 1991 Expansion Draft
and quickly became a fan favorite.
decided that he had enough, and traded the 23-year-old defenseman to the Edmonton Oilers
for a tenth round pick in the 1994 NHL Entry Draft. "I'm just throwing my hands in the air" is how Lombardi described Gaetz's off the ice issues. From there Gaetz would never play another game in the NHL and found himself playing in a wide variety of cities and leagues all over Canada and the United States. The Sharks used the tenth round pick (240th overall) to draft Tomas Pisa.
and San Jose Sharks
. He would later go on to play in various low level pro leagues across North America over the next 15 years, including time with the North American League
, Central Hockey League
, Sunshine Hockey League
, West Coast Hockey League
, American Hockey League
, East Coast Hockey League, International Hockey League, Colonial Hockey League, Quebec Semi-Pro Hockey League (Now the Ligue Nord-Américaine de Hockey
) and the short lived Canadian Elite Hockey League
. He also spent some time in 1994 with Roller Hockey International
playing 8 games (1G, 3A, 4PTS, 46 PIM) for the Sacramento River Rats where he was kicked off the team for beating up the trainer
of the Ligue Nord-Américaine de Hockey
(LNAH) in 2004–05. On March 13, 2005, in a game against the Verdun Dragons
, Gaetz did not take a shift during the first or second period. During the second intermission, Gaetz changed out of his jersey and skates and went out to the concession stand to buy a hamburger
and "promptly ate it". Thetford Mines Prolab considered this disrespectful to the players, and suspended Gaetz for the remainder of the season.
, a made-for-TV event held in July 2005 which featured enforcers from various minor leagues fighting on ice in full equipment as if they were in a game-time matchup. Gaetz's opening matchup was against then-Sherbrooke St-Francois forward Steve Reid
. Gaetz would go down twice in the opening round and did not participate past the opening fight due to "concussion-like symptoms"
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
) is a former professional
Professional
A professional is a person who is paid to undertake a specialised set of tasks and to complete them for a fee. The traditional professions were doctors, lawyers, clergymen, and commissioned military officers. Today, the term is applied to estate agents, surveyors , environmental scientists,...
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 known for his battles when he was an up-and-coming enforcer in 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...
and his troubles on and off the ice while in the minor leagues. Throughout his career he battled with alcoholism which was the main factor in his demise from the NHL.
NHL career
Link Gaetz was drafted in the 2nd round, 40th overall in the 1988 NHL Entry Draft1988 NHL Entry Draft
The 1988 NHL Entry Draft was held at the Forum in Montreal, Quebec.-Selections by round:Below are listed the selections in the 1988 NHL Entry Draft...
. According to former North Stars General Manager Lou Nanne, Gaetz was drafted by the 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...
as protection for Mike Modano
Mike Modano
Michael Thomas Modano, Jr. is a retired American professional ice hockey player, who most notably played for the Minnesota North Stars/Dallas Stars franchise. He is the all-time goal-scoring and points leader amongst American-born players in the NHL, as well as the last active player in the NHL...
, Minnesota's #1 overall pick that year. Four months after being drafted by the North Stars, Gaetz was arrested and changed with drunk driving on October 13, 1988.During his brief time with the North Stars, Gaetz wore #36, used Cooper equipment, and used a Canadien 6001 wood stick. After 17 games over two seasons with the Minnesota North Stars, Gaetz was lost to the San Jose Sharks
San Jose Sharks
The San Jose Sharks are a professional ice hockey team based in San Jose, California, United States. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League...
in the 1991 Expansion Draft
1991 NHL Dispersal and Expansion Drafts
The 1991 NHL Dispersal and Expansion Drafts were held via telephone conference call on May 30, 1991. The dispersal draft took place to fill the roster of the league's only expansion team for the 1991–92 season, the San Jose Sharks, first from the Minnesota North Stars pool of players. An expansion...
and quickly became a fan favorite.
Accident
On April 2, 1992 at 10am, Gaetz was thrown from the passenger seat of a Camaro driven by a friend, Patrick Bell. Bell, later charged with driving under the influence, had lost control on an off-ramp at 80 mph. Gaetz arrived at the Peninsula Hospital with back and facial injuries, and was semi-comatose for eight days. His mother, Sonja Koskinen, flew down from Vancouver to hear doctors say her son might die. His brain stem had been injured, and Gaetz awoke with his left side partially paralyzed and no memory of the accident. He left the hospital after six weeks. Over the next two months, he worked with therapists to regain movement and speech, and he confounded doctors by returning to the ice late that summer, skating twice daily. Gaetz would later be released from the hospital but several months later would later be arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol. On September 10, 1993, Sharks General Manager Dean LombardiDean Lombardi
Dean Lombardi is President and General Manager of the NHL's Los Angeles Kings. He previously served as GM of the San Jose Sharks, a position he held for seven seasons .-Early life:...
decided that he had enough, and traded the 23-year-old defenseman to the Edmonton Oilers
Edmonton Oilers
The Edmonton Oilers are a professional ice hockey team based in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division in the Western Conference of the National Hockey League ....
for a tenth round pick in the 1994 NHL Entry Draft. "I'm just throwing my hands in the air" is how Lombardi described Gaetz's off the ice issues. From there Gaetz would never play another game in the NHL and found himself playing in a wide variety of cities and leagues all over Canada and the United States. The Sharks used the tenth round pick (240th overall) to draft Tomas Pisa.
Minor leagues
Gaetz played only 65 career NHL games, but he accumulated 412 penalty minutes while playing for 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...
and San Jose Sharks
San Jose Sharks
The San Jose Sharks are a professional ice hockey team based in San Jose, California, United States. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League...
. He would later go on to play in various low level pro leagues across North America over the next 15 years, including time with the North American League
North American League
The North American League is an independent baseball league that began play in the 2011 season...
, Central Hockey League
Central Hockey League
The Central Hockey League is a mid-level professional hockey league, owned by Global Entertainment Corporation. Its current champions are the Bossier-Shreveport Mudbugs, which defeated the Colorado Eagles four games to three in the 2011 playoffs....
, Sunshine Hockey League
Sunshine Hockey League
The Sunshine Hockey League was a low-minors professional ice hockey league which operated from 1992 to 1995. The league was based in Florida and consisted of five teams in its inaugural 1992-93 season....
, West Coast Hockey League
West Coast Hockey League
The West Coast Hockey League was a professional minor ice hockey league active in the western United States from 1995 to 2003. The number of teams ranged from six to nine. The teams were located in Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Nevada and Washington...
, American Hockey League
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...
, East Coast Hockey League, International Hockey League, Colonial Hockey League, Quebec Semi-Pro Hockey League (Now the Ligue Nord-Américaine de Hockey
Ligue Nord-Américaine de Hockey
The Ligue Nord-Américaine de Hockey was founded in 2004 and is a low-level professional league based in the Canadian province of Quebec. It was called the Quebec Semi-Pro Hockey League from 1996 until it turned pro in 2004...
) and the short lived Canadian Elite Hockey League
Canadian Elite Hockey League
The Canadian Elite Hockey League was a semi-professional hockey league that played one season in 2005-2006. The CEHL was founded by Harold MacKay, a prominent member of the local hockey community...
. He also spent some time in 1994 with Roller Hockey International
Roller Hockey International
Roller Hockey International was a professional inline hockey league that operated in North America from 1993 to 1999. It was the first major professional league for inline hockey....
playing 8 games (1G, 3A, 4PTS, 46 PIM) for the Sacramento River Rats where he was kicked off the team for beating up the trainer
The Hamburger Incident
When he was playing with the Thetford Mines ProlabThetford Mines Prolab
The Thetford-Mines Isothermic is a hockey team based in Thetford Mines, Quebec. The team is part of the Ligue Nord-Américaine de Hockey...
of the Ligue Nord-Américaine de Hockey
Ligue Nord-Américaine de Hockey
The Ligue Nord-Américaine de Hockey was founded in 2004 and is a low-level professional league based in the Canadian province of Quebec. It was called the Quebec Semi-Pro Hockey League from 1996 until it turned pro in 2004...
(LNAH) in 2004–05. On March 13, 2005, in a game against the Verdun Dragons
Verdun Dragons
The Verdun Dragons were a hockey team based in Verdun, Quebec. The team was part of the Ligue nord-américaine de hockey . The Dragons played at the Verdun Auditorium. They won the Futura Cup against the Saint-Georges Garaga in 2003-2004....
, Gaetz did not take a shift during the first or second period. During the second intermission, Gaetz changed out of his jersey and skates and went out to the concession stand to buy a hamburger
Hamburger
A hamburger is a sandwich consisting of a cooked patty of ground meat usually placed inside a sliced bread roll...
and "promptly ate it". Thetford Mines Prolab considered this disrespectful to the players, and suspended Gaetz for the remainder of the season.
Battle Of The Hockey Enforcers
Gaetz was one of two former NHL players to take part in the Battle of the Hockey EnforcersBattle of the Hockey Enforcers
The Battle of the Hockey Enforcers was a sporting event held in Prince George, British Columbia, Canada, on August 29, 2005.The event consisted of ice hockey enforcers fighting on the ice in full hockey gear, as sometimes seen in regular games...
, a made-for-TV event held in July 2005 which featured enforcers from various minor leagues fighting on ice in full equipment as if they were in a game-time matchup. Gaetz's opening matchup was against then-Sherbrooke St-Francois forward Steve Reid
Steve Reid
Steve Reid was an American jazz drummer who played with a wide range of artists including Miles Davis, Ornette Coleman, James Brown, Fela Kuti and Sun Ra, and as a session drummer for Motown.- Biography :...
. Gaetz would go down twice in the opening round and did not participate past the opening fight due to "concussion-like symptoms"