 Aside from hockey, Gardiner excelled in Canadian football, and had joined the Winnipeg Tammany Tigers junior club in 1920. As a defender, Gardiner quickly gained attention for his skill, and helped the Tigers reach the Western Canadian junior rugby championship in Regina, Saskatchewan, though they lost the championship game. The following year he changed positions and played as a right outer wing; the Tigers went through the season undefeated and again played in the Western Canadian championship game; held in Regina like the previous year, the team again lost.
