About Mike Gartner
Michael Alfred Gartner (born 29 October 1959) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player who was a right winger for 19 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Washington Capitals, Minnesota North Stars, New York Rangers, Toronto Maple Leafs and Phoenix Coyotes. He also played one season in the World Hockey Association (WHA) for the Cincinnati Stingers. Gartner began his career with the WHA in its final year in 1978, where he recorded 27 goals in his only season in the league as a nineteen-year old player. In 1979, he was drafted as the fourth overall pick in the draft by the Capitals. With his blazing speed and shot, Gartner became a dependable player for the then-fledging franchise, recording the first of a record fifteen consecutive 30-goal seasons in 1979; he peaked in goals with 50 in the 1984–85 season. Gartner was traded to Minnesota in the middle of the 1988–89 season; when he departed Washington, he led the franchise in goals and assists. Gartner was traded to New York in the midst of the 1989–90 season and became the sixteenth player to reach 500 goals in 1991. Late in the 1993–94 season, he was traded to Toronto, where he reached the Conference Finals for the only time that year. He concluded his career in Phoenix that saw reach 700 goals, the fifth player to do so. Internationally, Gartner won the Canada Cup twice with Team Canada. While Gartner never won a major award or reached the Stanley Cup Final as a player, he recorded over 700 goals and 600 assists in over 1,400 games, a mark achieved by only five players at the time he retired. He was named to the NHL All-Star Game seven times. Gartner was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2001 in his first year of eligibility and had his number retired by the Capitals in 2008. He became a member of the Hall of Fame Selection Committee in 2009, rising to chair of the committee in 2022. In 2017, Gartner was named one of the 100 Greatest NHL Players in the league's 100-year history. After his 15-year tenure on the committee concluded in 2024, he was named to serve as the new chairman of the board of the Hall in July 2025. Gartner was drafted in the first round, fourth overall, by the Washington Capitals in the 1979 NHL entry draft. In 1979–80, Gartner won the Capitals' Rookie of the Year and MVP awards, and was voted by their fans as the team's Most Promising Player. He recorded an assist in his NHL debut on 11 October 1979, versus the Buffalo Sabres, and wore number eleven for the Caps. He was a two-time Canada Cup champion with Team Canada.
Biography source: Wikipedia. The profile adds birthday-specific historical context from the Celebs Birthday Today editorial database.