# Dave Gardner (ice hockey)

David Calvin Gardner (August 23, 1952 – March 19, 2023) was a Canadian professional ice hockey centre who played 350 National Hockey League (NHL) games for the Montreal Canadiens, St. Louis Blues, California Golden Seals, Cleveland Barons, and Philadelphia Flyers.

## Career

Gardner was drafted eighth overall by Montreal in the 1972 NHL Amateur Draft from the Toronto Marlboros after having won the Red Tilson Trophy as the Ontario Hockey League's Most Outstanding Player. As a youth, Gardner played in the 1964 Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament with a minor ice hockey team from Leaside.

## Personal life and death

Dave Gardner was the son of Cal Gardner and elder brother of Paul Gardner and the father of Canadian-Swiss player Ryan Gardner.
Gardner resided in the Aurora, Ontario in his latter years.
Gardner died on March 19, 2023, in Newmarket, Ontario, at the age of 70, of complications from a blood infection.

## Career statistics

| | | | Regular season | Regular season | Regular season | Regular season | Regular season | Playoffs | Playoffs | Playoffs | Playoffs | Playoffs |
| Season | Team | League | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM |
| 1969–70 | St. Michael's Buzzers | MetJHL | 36 | 54 | 42 | 96 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1970–71 | Toronto Marlboros | OHA-Jr. | 62 | 56 | 81 | 137 | 7 | 13 | 7 | 10 | 17 | 2 |
| 1971–72 | Toronto Marlboros | OHA-Jr. | 57 | 53 | 76 | 129 | 16 | 10 | 7 | 17 | 24 | 4 |
| 1972–73 | Montreal Canadiens | NHL | 5 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1972–73 | Nova Scotia Voyageurs | AHL | 66 | 28 | 44 | 72 | 15 | 13 | 5 | 6 | 11 | 4 |
| 1973–74 | Montreal Canadiens | NHL | 31 | 1 | 10 | 11 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1973–74 | St. Louis Blues | NHL | 15 | 5 | 2 | 7 | 6 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1974–75 | St. Louis Blues | NHL | 8 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1974–75 | California Golden Seals | NHL | 64 | 16 | 20 | 36 | 6 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1975–76 | California Golden Seals | NHL | 74 | 16 | 32 | 48 | 8 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1976–77 | Cleveland Barons | NHL | 76 | 16 | 22 | 38 | 9 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1977–78 | Cleveland Barons | NHL | 75 | 19 | 25 | 44 | 10 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1978–79 | Springfield Indians | AHL | 10 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1978–79 | Tulsa Oilers | CHL | 20 | 4 | 10 | 14 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1978–79 | Dallas Black Hawks | CHL | 39 | 6 | 27 | 33 | 6 | 9 | 5 | 7 | 12 | 4 |
| 1979–80 | Binghamton Dusters | AHL | 18 | 3 | 9 | 12 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1979–80 | Philadelphia Flyers | NHL | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1979–80 | Maine Mariners | AHL | 37 | 20 | 35 | 55 | 16 | 12 | 2 | 5 | 7 | 4 |
| 1980–81 | HC Ambrì–Piotta | SUI.2 | 37 | 51 | 56 | 107 | 32 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1981–82 | HC Ambrì–Piotta | SUI.2 | 38 | 47 | 41 | 88 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1982–83 | HC Ambrì–Piotta | NDA | 36 | 36 | 22 | 58 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1983–84 | EHC Visp | SUI.2 | 40 | 41 | 36 | 77 | 14 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1984–85 | EHC Visp | SUI.2 | 40 | 51 | 51 | 102 | 38 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1985–86 | EHC Visp | SUI.3 | 22 | 35 | 33 | 68 | 26 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1986–87 | EHC Visp | SUI.3 | 22 | 33 | 36 | 69 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1987–88 | EHC Visp | SUI.3 | 20 | 50 | 22 | 72 | — | 10 | 18 | 8 | 26 | — |
| NHL totals | NHL totals | NHL totals | 350 | 75 | 115 | 190 | 41 | — | — | — | — | — |
| AHL totals | AHL totals | AHL totals | 131 | 52 | 91 | 143 | 33 | 25 | 7 | 11 | 18 | 8 |
| SUI.2 totals | SUI.2 totals | SUI.2 totals | 155 | 190 | 184 | 374 | — | — | — | — | — | — |