Gilles Gilbert obit

Former Red Wings Goaltender Gilbert Dies at 74

 

He was not on the list.

Long-time NHL goaltender Gilles Gilbert played a role in one of the most memorable goals in league history and not in a way that made him happy.

Gilbert was in the net for the Boston Bruins when Guy Lafleur scored a dramatic Game 7 goal against him  to change the Montreal Canadiens’ fortunes in the 1979 playoffs. The tally came with 1:14 left in regulation. Most older hockey fans have seen video of Lafleur, on the rush, whistling a slap shot past Gilbert. The YouTube video of the goal embedded in this story has been seen by 414,000 people.

Lafleur died last year at age 70 and Gilbert, who spent his last three NHL seasons with the Detroit Red Wings, died Sunday at 74.

The Lafleur goal against Gilbert tied the game 4-4.  The power play occurred because the Bruins had too many men on the ice.  Yvon Lambert scored in overtime to finish off the Bruins and put the Habs in the Stanley Cup Final. They beat the New York Rangers for their fourth consecutive Stanley Cup championship.

“I think I ruined his career,” Lafleur told the Province in 2016. “When I scored that tying goal on him in 1979, and we ended up beating the Bruins in the semifinals, Gilles was a good goalie. Unfortunately for him, after that tying goal, he didn’t go too far.”

A year later, the Bruins traded Gilbert to the Detroit Red Wings for Rogie Vachon.

Gilbert played parts of 14 NHL seasons, including his last three (1980-81, 1981-82 and 1982-83) with the Red Wings. The Red Wings were a struggling franchise at the time.  The Quebec native owned a 192-143-60 record in his NHL career. Over a three year period (1973-76), he won 90 games with the Bruins. But he had 21-48-16 mark with the Red Wings. He never was able to push his save percentage above .865 with the Red Wings.

Gilbert was beset by injuries and a skin rash in 1982-83, but gave the Red Wings a shot at the playoffs with some strong play down the stretch.

The Red Wings had sent him to the minors and Gilbert found his game. He went 3-3-1 in one stretch and played well enough to win in two of the losses.

“It opened my eyes and changed my philosophy,” Gilbert told the Windsor Star during his surge. “I’ve put the first part of this year, and the past two or three years behind me and decided I would help as much as I could if I got another chance.”

The Red Wings missed the playoffs and released Gilbert on July 17, 1983.  He was 34 and never played another pro game.

 

Regular season and playoffs

Regular season             Playoffs

Season Team            League            GP            W            L            T            MIN            GA            SO            GAA            SV%            GP            W            L            MIN            GA            SO            GAA            SV%

1966–67            Trois-Rivières Reds            QJHL            43            23            18            2            2540            188            1            4.44            —            14            9            5            850            65            0            4.59            —

1966–67            Thetford Mines Canadiens            M-Cup            —            —            —            —            —            —            —            —            —            5            3            1            276            18            0            3.91            —

1967–68            Trois-Rivières Reds            QJHL            —            —            —            —            —            —            —            —            —            —            —            —            —            —            —            —            —

1968–69            London Knights OHA-Jr.        37            —            —            —            2200            167            1            4.55            —            —            —            —            —            —            —            —            —

1969–70            Iowa Stars    CHL            39            17            16            5            2340            127            2            3.26            —            4            2            2            245            14            0            3.43            —

1969–70            Minnesota North Stars            NHL            1            0            1            0            60            6            0            6.00            .846            —            —            —            —            —            —            —            —

1970–71            Minnesota North Stars            NHL            17            5            9            2            931            59            0            3.80            .889            —            —            —            —            —            —            —            —

1971–72            Minnesota North Stars            NHL            4            1            2            1            218            11            0            3.03            .891            —            —            —            —            —            —            —            —

1971–72            Cleveland Barons            AHL            41            20            15            5            2319            140            2            3.62            —            4            1            2            187            18            0            5.78            —

1972–73            Minnesota North Stars            NHL            22            10            10            2            1320            67            2            3.05            .904            1            0            1            60            4            0            4.00            .900

1973–74            Boston Bruins   NHL            54            34            12            8            3210            158            6            2.95            .900            16            10            6            977            43            1            2.64            .912

1974–75            Boston Bruins   NHL            53            23            17            11            3029            158            3            3.13            .893            3            1            2            188            12            0            3.83            .859

1975–76            Boston Bruins   NHL            55            33            8            10            3123            151            3            2.90            .887            6            3            3            360            19            2            3.17            .868

1976–77            Boston Bruins   NHL            34            18            13            3            2040            97            1            2.85            .884            1            0            1            20            3            0            9.00            .571

1977–78            Boston Bruins   NHL            25            15            6            2            1326            56            2            2.53            .885            —            —            —            —            —            —            —            —

1978–79            Boston Bruins   NHL            23            12            8            2            1254            74            0            3.54            .869            5            3            2            314            16            0            3.06            .901

1979–80            Boston Bruins   NHL            33            20            9            3            1933            88            1            2.73            .890            —            —            —            —            —            —            —            —

1980–81            Detroit Red Wings            NHL            48            11            24            9            2618            175            0            4.01            .866            —            —            —            —            —            —            —            —

1981–82            Detroit Red Wings            NHL            27            6            10            6            1478            105            0            4.26            .849            —            —            —            —            —            —            —            —

1982–83            Detroit Red Wings            NHL            20            4            14            1            1137            85            0            4.49            .850            —            —            —            —            —            —            —            —

1982–83            Adirondack Red Wings   AHL            4            3            0            0            198            11            0            3.33            .890            —            —            —            —            —            —            —            —

NHL totals            416            192            143            60            23677            1290            18            3.27            .883            32            17            15            1919            97            3            3.03            .895