Gagner: “You Find Out a Lot About Yourself” on 1,000 NHL Games

For many, Sam Gagner will always be the leg-kicking, backhand toe-dragging Edmonton Oiler of the late 2000s and early 2010s.

Although the vivid memories of his early days in Alberta live on for most Oilers fans, the truth is, the 33-year-old Gagner has had himself quite the career outside of Edmonton. Having bounced around a number of squads over the past eight years – including a second go around with Edmonton – the pride of London, ON. recently skated in his 1,000th career NHL contest, doing so with the Winnipeg Jets on Thursday evening at Canada Life Centre.

His thousand-game NHL career has been far different than most other silver stick-holders, as Gagner actually served three separate stints in the American Hockey League, to which the veteran forward has bounced back tremendously.

“Listen, congrats to him,” Jets’ head coach Rick Bowness said. “How many guys have played 1,000 games. Three hundred and something. How many of those guys have gone to the minors and come back? Not very many of them. A lot of guys have quit or retired or moved on. So you give him a lot of credit for going back to the minors for a couple stints and still perverserving. It’s a major tribute to his character and his love of the game. You’ve got to love that.”

His accomplishments were front and centre prior to puck drop between the Jets and the visiting Vancouver Canucks on Thursday – two clubs that he spent time with over the past handful of seasons.

The teams skated out to The Killers’ ‘Mr. Brightside’ – better known in Winnipeg as Gagner’s goal song, while the man of the hour wore a specially-designed No. 1000 jersey during his pre-game warmup.

Sam Gagner is Mr. 1,000. pic.twitter.com/Q7EviJZiRI

— Carter Brooks (@CBrooksie84) December 30, 2022

“Listen, this organization since I’ve been here is first class,” Bowness added. “They do everything right. I’m very impressed with this organization with everything they do. And tonight was a great night for Sam and his family and recognition of what he’s done. The organization deserves a lot of credit for being first class and doing it right… Again, that’s a tribute to him. They all speak highly of him. Like I said we did our homework on him and never hear a negative word. And those guys who spoke tonight were speaking from their heart and they meant every word. You could tell. That’s a tribute to his character.”

Joined by his wife Rachel and children Cooper, Beckham and Cali on the ice during a special pre-game ceremony, Gagner received his silver stick, as did his three kids, picking up smaller replica pieces – much like that of Blake Wheeler and Paul Stastny’s children over the past two years.

Gagner received congratulatory messages on the jumbotron from former teammates Taylor Hall, Andrew Cogliano, John Tavares, Chris Tanev, Alex Edler, Connor McDavid and Marc Staal, before his parents Dave and Jo-Anne as well as his wife and kids offered messages of their own in advance of the big night.

“Getting to know Gags, his family, his kids – they’re always in the dressing room after wins,” teammate Pierre-Luc Dubois said. “You’ll be stretching and you’ll get a kick in the back and it will be one of his sons wanting to play soccer with you or something. It was great. The video was great, the fan reaction was great to see. Seeing his kids, his wife, the speeches on the jumbotron, I’m sure it was a special moment for him because it felt special for us. It wasn’t the start we wanted to give him, but we’re glad we got that win for him.”

Yes, the Jets did hold off Canucks – who entered the game having won seven-straight road games. A tough start for Winnipeg was forgotten with a remarkable second period that saw two power play goals from Mark Scheifele, and a penalty shot marker from Dubois resulting in a 3-1 lead through 40 minutes. Despite an early Canucks goal in the third, Scheifele finished it off for the Jets with his second hat trick and sixth multi-goal performance of the season.

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Much like that of the game, Gagner’s career has had its good times, as well as its struggles. He reflected on some of the moments of growth prior to puck drop.

“I’ve had my ups and downs, for sure,” Gagner said. “Getting sent down by Vancouver and then the following year by Edmonton again, you question how your career is going to end up. But you keep pushing along, keep trying to adjust to the modern game. It certainly feels good to get there. I wasn’t sure where the number would end up, you just want to keep playing and [I’m] certainly happy to get there.”

His father Dave, who played in 946 NHL games was a 700-point scorer during his career. The younger Gagner was the sixth overall pick back in 2007 and has since amassed 190 goals and 516 points in his 1,000 games – short of his dad’s record. But on the flip side, Dave never did get a silver stick during his playing days.

“I was pretty fortunate to break in early and get a lot of games in under my belt at an early age,“ Gagner added. “Physically, it’s a tough league. You’re playing a lot of games in a short amount of time. But mentally, it’s the hardest. There are a lot of ups and downs, especially with some of the situations I’ve been in, losing teams. It can’t wear on you. You need to find a way to find that enjoyment, to continue to push in those moments. You find out a lot about yourself. The adversity makes you stronger in all aspects of life. Those are the biggest challenges, getting over those mental hurdles. When you get through them, it certainly feels great and it’s rewarding.”