Rod Gilbert (HHOF ’82)
An up-and-comer in the Ranger’s system, young Rod Gilbert was supposed to play for the Rangers in a 1962 playoff game. However, Gilbert hit a piece of debris and fell into the boards, breaking a vertebra. He had surgery to fuse the injured bones and returned, going on to score 31 points as a rookie. Wearing a brace because of his continuing back problems, he finally had surgery and forfeited the rest of the 1965-66 season. However, he eventually recovered and began to show form again. In 1971, he had 97 points and in 1972 he represented Canada at the Summit Series. Between 1972 and 1975, he scored 75+ points in every season. By the time he retired he had 406 goals and 1,021 points, both records in the NHL top 100.
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