Bob Gainey

Features

• Robert Michael "Bob" Gainey was born Dec. 13, 1953 in Peterborough, Ontario, living in the family home at James and Mark streets in Peterborough's East City.
• Received first pair of skates at age 5; began hockey as a six-year-old defenceman with Immaculate Conception of the Peterborough Community Church Hockey League.
• Married Cathy Collins, an usherette at the Memorial Centre, with whom he had four children -- Anna, Steven, Laura and Colleen. On June 21, 1995, Cathy, 39, lost her five-year battle with cancer . On Dec. 8, 2006, Laura, 25, was swept overboard while sailing on a tall ship in the North Atlantic. Five days later, the United States Coast Guard ended the search for her.


• As a forward, led his junior B hockey team to the Ontario championship in spring 1971.
• Reached the hockey gold medal final game of the Canada Winter Games in 1971.
• Signed in fall 1971 by the Peterborough Petes of the Ontario Major Junior Hockey League (OMJHL), playing four games during the 1971-72 season, registering three points.
• Flourished during the 1972-73 OMJHL season with 22 goals and 21 assists in 52 games.


• Selected 8th overall, the first choice of the Montreal Canadiens, in the 1973 National Hockey League (NHL) entry draft, scoring two goals and registering five assists with the Nova Scotia Voyageurs of the American Hockey League before being called up to the Canadiens.
• Although he never played in the World Hockey Association (WHA), was also drafted 7th overall in 1973 by the Minnesota Fighting Saints.
• Played 1,160 regular season games for the Montreal Canadiens from 1973 to 1989, scoring 239 goals and collecting 262 assists for 501 points.
• Captained the Montreal Canadiens from 1981 until his retirement in 1989.
• Won five Stanley Cup championships with the Canadiens (1976, 1977, 1978, 1979 and 1986). Playoff totals were 25 goals and 48 assists for 73 points.
• Won Frank J. Selke Trophy as National Hockey League's best defensive forward four times (1978, 1979, 1980, 1981).
• Won Conn Smythe Trophy as the most valuable player of the National Hockey League playoffs (1979).


• Coached the Epinal Ecureuil hockey team in France immediately following his retirement as a player.


• Hired as head coach of the Minnesota North Stars in 1990, led the North Stars to the 1991 Stanley Cup final and was subsequently named the club's general manager as the North Stars relocated to Dallas and became the Dallas Stars.
• In 1997, drafted his son Steven 77th overall in the NHL Entry Draft.
• Dallas Stars win the Stanley Cup in 1999. Gainey brings the coveted trophy to Peterborough, the stops including Immaculate Conception School which he attended as a child.


• Assistant general manager of the Canadian team at the 1996 World Cup of Hockey.
• Named one of three general managers (Bob Clarke and Pierre Gauthier were the others) of the Canadian Olympic hockey team for the Nagano Winter Olympics in 1998.


• Rejoins the Montreal Canadiens organization in June 2003 as executive vice-president and general manager -- just the 15th in the hockey's club storied history.
• After firing Canadiens head coach Claude Julien on Jan. 13, 2006, steps in as head coach on an interim basis, later handing over the head coaching position to Guy Carbonneau prior to the 2006-07 season.
• Contract with the Canadiens extended through the 2009-2010 season on July 24, 2006.


• Described by Russian hockey pioneer Victor Tikhonov as the world's most complete hockey player.
• Inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1992 alongside Marcel Dionne, Woody Dumart and Lanny McDonald.
• Received an honourary Doctor of Laws degree from Peterborough's Trent University in February 1996.
• In 1998, ranked #86 on The Hockey News' list of the 100 Greatest Hockey Players.
• Served as honourary chair of the Peterborough Anson House fundraising campaign.
• Canadiens retire Bob Gainey's jersey #23 Feb. 23, 2008 at the Bell Centre in Montreal.
• Hosts gala fundraising event March 17, 2008 at Showplace Peterborough for the Gainey Foundation established in the name of his wife Cathy and daughter Laura.