About Bob Gainey
Robert Michael Gainey (born December 13, 1953) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player and executive. He played 16 seasons as a left winger in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Montreal Canadiens. Regarded as a shutdown player since his play with the Peterborough Petes of the Ontario Hockey League, Gainey was drafted by both the NHL and World Hockey Association as a first round draft pick in 1973, with Gainey choosing to play with the Canadiens. In the 1977–78 season, he was the inaugural winner of the Frank J. Selke Trophy for his skill as a defensive forward and he would be awarded the trophy in the following three seasons; he is the only player to win the Selke Trophy in four consecutive seasons. In the 1979 Stanley Cup playoffs, he scored 16 points in 16 games and was awarded the Conn Smythe Trophy for his playoff performance. A four-time All-Star, Gainey was named team captain prior to the 1981–82 season, where he served until his retirement from the NHL in 1989; he played one season as player-coach of the French team Epinal Squirrels. As a player, Gainey won the Stanley Cup five times. In 2008, the Canadiens retired his number 23 jersey, the 14th player to receive the honor. After retiring as a player, he became a hockey coach for the Minnesota North Stars, which reached the Final in 1991 on a string of upsets before losing in six games. He was named general manager of the team in 1992 and stayed at the position when the team moved to Dallas in 1993. He stepped down as coach in the middle of the 1995–96 season but stayed on as general manager. In his time with Dallas, the team was awarded the Presidents' Trophy twice while reaching the Stanley Cup Final twice, winning once in 1999 for Gainey's sixth Stanley Cup championship. He departed the Stars to become general manager of the Canadiens in 2003, where he served for the next seven years until he resigned in 2010. Currently, Gainey serves as a team consultant for the St. Louis Blues as well as a volunteer senior advisor for the Peterborough Petes of the Ontario Hockey League. Gainey was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1992. In 2017, he was named one of the '100 Greatest NHL Players' in history. In 2017 Gainey was named one of the '100 Greatest NHL Players' in history. Bob Gainey began his hockey career in 1972 with his hometown team, the Peterborough Petes of the Ontario Hockey League. As a rookie, Gainey was committed to a defensive style of play. After retiring from active play, he became a hockey coach and later an executive with the Minnesota North Stars/Dallas Stars organization before returning to Montreal as general manager from 2003 to 2010.
Biography source: Wikipedia. The profile adds birthday-specific historical context from the Celebs Birthday Today editorial database.