# Gary Gambucci

Gary Allan "Gubbio" Gambucci (born September 22, 1946 in Hibbing, Minnesota) is an American retired ice hockey forward who played in 51 games in the National Hockey League with the Minnesota North Stars and 112 games for the Minnesota Fighting Saints of the World Hockey Association between 1971 and 1976. Internationally Gambucci played for the American national team at four World Championships.

## Playing career

Before turning professional, Gambucci excelled as a scorer for the United States national team at the 1969, 1970 and 1971 1971 World Championships as well as the University of Minnesota hockey team. Gambucci was signed as a free agent by the Montreal Canadiens in the spring of 1971 after scoring seven goals in ten games for Team USA at the 1971 world championships in Bern (he was also elected to the tournament all star team at the world championship "Pool B" qualifying tournament in 1970). The Canadiens immediately traded him and Bob Paradise to the North Stars for cash. However, Gambucci failed to become a regular in Minnesota and left the NHL for the Minnesota Fighting Saints of the rival World Hockey Association following the 1973–74 season. Gambucci retired from professional hockey in 1976 after playing 112 WHA regular season games for the Fighting Saints as well as representing the United States at the 1976 World Championships in Katowice, Poland.

## Career statistics
### Regular season and playoffs

| | | | 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 |
| 1965–66 | University of Minnesota | B1G | 28 | 23 | 17 | 40 | 18 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1966–67 | University of Minnesota | B1G | 29 | 17 | 10 | 27 | 23 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1967–68 | University of Minnesota | B1G | 31 | 12 | 29 | 41 | 31 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1968–69 | Rochester Mustangs | USHL | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1968–69 | American National Team | Intl | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1969–70 | Muskegon Mohawks | IHL | 4 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 5 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1969–70 | Rochester Mustangs | USHL | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1969–70 | American National Team | Intl | 6 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 4 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1970–71 | American National Team | Intl | 50 | 51 | 47 | 98 | 30 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1971–72 | Minnesota North Stars | NHL | 9 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1971–72 | Cleveland Barons | AHL | 56 | 10 | 11 | 21 | 37 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 |
| 1972–73 | Cleveland/Jacksonville Barons | AHL | 75 | 26 | 50 | 76 | 47 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1973–74 | Minnesota North Stars | NHL | 42 | 1 | 7 | 8 | 9 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1973–74 | New Haven Nighthawks | AHL | 2 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1973–74 | Portland Buckaroos | WHL | 21 | 11 | 15 | 26 | 20 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1974–75 | Minnesota Fighting Saints | WHA | 67 | 19 | 18 | 37 | 19 | 12 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 6 |
| 1974–75 | Johnstown Jets | NAHL | 7 | 1 | 7 | 8 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1975–76 | Minnesota Fighting Saints | WHA | 45 | 10 | 6 | 16 | 14 | — | — | — | — | — |
| WHA totals | WHA totals | WHA totals | 112 | 29 | 24 | 53 | 33 | 12 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 6 |
| NHL totals | NHL totals | NHL totals | 51 | 2 | 7 | 9 | 9 | — | — | — | — | — |

### International

| Year | Team | Event | | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM |
| 1969 | United States | WC | | 10 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 6 |
| 1970 | United States | WC-B | | 7 | 11 | 7 | 18 | 4 |
| 1971 | United States | WC | | 10 | 7 | 3 | 10 | 4 |
| 1976 | United States | WC | | 10 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 17 |
| Senior totals | Senior totals | Senior totals | Senior totals | 37 | 20 | 15 | 35 | 31 |

## Awards and honors

| Award | Year |
| All-WCHA Second Team | 1965–66 |
| All-WCHA First Team | 1967–68 |
| AHCA West All-American | 1967–68 |
| United States Hockey Hall of Fame | 2006 |