Gary Bergman
Gary Bergman | |||
---|---|---|---|
Born |
Kenora, Ontario, Canada | October 7, 1938||
Died |
December 8, 2000 Detroit, United States | (aged 62)||
Height | 6 ft 0 in (183 cm) | ||
Weight | 188 lb (85 kg; 13 st 6 lb) | ||
Position | Defence | ||
Shot | Left | ||
Played for | |||
National team | Canada | ||
Playing career | 1960–1976 |
Gary Gunnar Bergman (October 7, 1938 – December 8, 2000) was a
Playing career
Minor league career
The professional hockey world had its first look at Bergman in 1957 when the
NHL career
Bergman joined the Detroit Red Wings for the 1964–65 season and looked very comfortable as a freshman. In 58 games, Bergman held back his offensive instincts while focusing on his defensive work. Gradually he gained confidence and seniority on the team. He played solidly when the Wings reached the 1966 Stanley Cup finals and lost to the Montreal Canadiens in six games. Bergman was the man tangled up with Montreal’s Henri Richard when Richard scored the Stanley Cup-winning goal against Detroit in overtime during Game 6 of the 1965–66 final series. Bergman, like all Wings from that season, was convinced Richard pushed the puck in with his glove and the goal should not have counted. He said this after the game,
"I took him down and held his stick in my hand, there was no way he could score."
Bergman continued to improve his defensive and offensive roles on the team throughout the early 1970s. His well-rounded play made him useful on both the power-play and penalty-killing units for the Wings. Although he incurred his share of penalties, Bergman wasn't considered a surly opponent on the ice. He rarely looked for trouble but also never backed down from an onrushing opponent, whether he was a fancy scorer or a power forward. While all eyes were on young superstars like
After 10 years as a Wing, Bergman was traded to the Minnesota North Stars for fellow veteran blueliner Ted Harris on November 7, 1973. One thought as to why he was traded stemmed from Bergman speaking out when he disagreed with the decisions of the general manager Ned Harkness, Jan. 1971-1974. He would post 26 points to go along with his consistent defensive play in the 1973–74 season for the North Stars.
Alex Delvecchio, Gary's former teammate, captain, and the Red Wings coach was named GM in May 1974. He reacquired Gary on October 1, 1974, for Detroit's third-round draft pick in 1975 (who ended up being Alex Pirus). He would score 30 points for his former team before being traded again the following year. Along with Bill McKenzie, Bergman was traded on August 22, 1975, for Peter McDuffe and Glen Burdon to the newly formed Kansas City Scouts where he would spend his final NHL season. In 1975–76, Bergman would record his second-highest point total of his NHL career, scoring five goals and tacking on 33 assists to finish with 38 total points.
Bergman retired with 367
1972 Summit Series
In 1972 Bergman received a huge compliment when
"Harry called me Sunday morning. Janie and the kids and I were just going out the door to church, and I had to stop. Janie was saying, 'Would you get off the damn phone, we have to get to church.' It was Harry Sinden on the phone asking me if I'd be part of the team."
Bergman played an important defensive role in all eight games against the Soviets
On December 8, 2000, Bergman died from an eight-month battle from cancer.
He would posthumously be honored for his defensive efforts in 2005, when the team was honored, en masse, as members of the
Awards and achievements
- Turnbull Cup (MJHL) championship (1959)
- Memorial Cup championship (1959)
- Selected to Team Canada for the 1972 Summit Series
- Played in 1973)
- Honoured Member of the Canada's Sports Hall of Fame
- Honoured Member of the Manitoba Hockey Hall of Fame
Career statistics
Regular season and playoffs
Regular season
|
Playoffs | |||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Season | Team | League | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | ||
1957–58 | Winnipeg Braves
|
MJHL | 30 | 4 | 2 | 6 | 73 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 14 | ||
1957–58 | Winnipeg Warriors | WHL
|
2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
1958–59 | Winnipeg Braves | MJHL | 29 | 15 | 15 | 30 | 114 | 24 | 4 | 20 | 24 | 46 | ||
1959–60 | Winnipeg Warriors | WHL | 58 | 1 | 9 | 10 | 147 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
1960–61 | Buffalo Bisons | AHL | 67 | 5 | 14 | 19 | 104 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 12 | ||
1961–62 | Cleveland Barons
|
AHL | 68 | 10 | 30 | 40 | 164 | 6 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 14 | ||
1962–63 | Quebec Aces | AHL | 8 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 14 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
1962–63 | Cleveland Barons | AHL | 47 | 4 | 19 | 23 | 127 | 7 | 1 | 5 | 6 | 10 | ||
1963–64 | Springfield Indians | AHL | 60 | 13 | 24 | 37 | 106 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
1964–65 | Detroit Red Wings | NHL
|
58 | 4 | 7 | 11 | 85 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 4 | ||
1965–66 | Detroit Red Wings | NHL | 61 | 3 | 16 | 19 | 96 | 12 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 14 | ||
1965–66 | Memphis Wings | CPHL | 5 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 4 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
1966–67 | Detroit Red Wings | NHL | 70 | 5 | 30 | 35 | 129 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
1967–68 | Detroit Red Wings | NHL | 74 | 13 | 28 | 41 | 109 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
1968–69 | Detroit Red Wings | NHL | 76 | 7 | 30 | 37 | 80 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
1969–70 | Detroit Red Wings | NHL | 69 | 6 | 17 | 23 | 122 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | ||
1970–71 | Detroit Red Wings | NHL | 68 | 8 | 25 | 33 | 149 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
1971–72 | Detroit Red Wings | NHL | 75 | 6 | 31 | 37 | 138 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
1972–73 | Detroit Red Wings | NHL | 68 | 3 | 28 | 31 | 71 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
1973–74 | Detroit Red Wings | NHL | 11 | 0 | 6 | 6 | 18 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
1973–74 | Minnesota North Stars | NHL | 57 | 3 | 23 | 26 | 66 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
1974–75 | Detroit Red Wings | NHL | 76 | 5 | 25 | 30 | 104 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
1975–76 | Kansas City Scouts | NHL | 75 | 5 | 33 | 38 | 82 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
NHL totals | 838 | 68 | 299 | 367 | 1249 | 21 | 0 | 5 | 5 | 20 |
International
Year | Team | Event | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1972
|
Canada | SS | 8 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 13 |
External links
- Biographical information and career statistics from NHL.com, or Eliteprospects.com, or Hockey-Reference.com, or The Internet Hockey Database
- Gary Bergman's biography at Canadian Sports Hall of Fame
- Gary Bergman’s biography at Manitoba Hockey Hall of Fame