Gary Roberts (born May 23, 1966) is a professional
ice hockey player in the National Hockey League
(NHL) currently playing for the Pittsburgh Penguins.
Roberts played junior hockey for the OHL's Ottawa
67's beginning in 1982. In his second year, the 67's
won the Memorial Cup. After the season, Roberts was
drafted by the Calgary Flames in the 1984 NHL Entry
Draft. Roberts won the Memorial Cup a second time as
a member of the Guelph Platers in 1986. Roberts
split the next season between the Calgary Flames of
the NHL and their AHL affiliate, the Moncton Golden
Flames. Roberts made his NHL stay permanent
beginning with the 1987-88 season. In Roberts's
second full NHL season, he helped the Flames win the
Stanley Cup.
At the conclusion of the 1995-96 season, Roberts won
the NHL's Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy for his
comeback. On June 17, 1996, at the age of 30,
Roberts announced his retirement from hockey, before
returning to hockey after the next season.
In his first NHL season away from Calgary, Roberts
scored 20 goals and added 29 assists for 49 points
in 61 games. He played for Carolina for three
seasons before signing with the Toronto Maple Leafs.
In Toronto, Roberts was reunited with his childhood
friend and old Calgary teammate, Joe Nieuwendyk.
Roberts did not play his first game of the 2002-03
season until February 15, 2003, after missing most
of the season following surgeries on both shoulders
during the summer of 2002. Three days later, Roberts
and the Maple Leafs agreed to a one-year contract
extension through the 2003-04 season. On January 13,
2004, Roberts and teammate Tom Fitzgerald each
played in the 1,000th games of their careers. Due to
the 2004-05 NHL lockout, he did not play in the
2004-05 NHL season. On August 1, 2005, both Roberts
and Nieuwendyk signed $4.5 million (USD) contracts
with the Florida Panthers.
On February 27, 2007, Roberts was traded to the
Pittsburgh Penguins for defenseman Noah Welch.
Roberts re-signed with the Pittsburgh Penguins for a
one-year, $2.5 million (USD) deal.
During the second period of the Penguins game
against the Buffalo Sabres on December 29, 2007,
Roberts became tangled up with Tim Connolly and
landed awkwardly, breaking his left fibula. In a
showing of grit and character, Roberts refused to be
carried off in a stretcher. He had been honored
before the game for having scored his 900th career
point. Roberts scored two goals against the Ottawa
Senators on April 9, becoming the oldest player in
the NHL to register multiple goals in one playoff
game.
