Scott Gomez Scott Carlos Gomez ( born December 23 , 1979 ) is an American professional ice hockey center of both Mexican and Colombian descent , currently playing for the San Jose Sharks of the National Hockey League ( NHL ) . Playing career . In the 1998 NHL Entry Draft , Scott Gomez was selected with the 27th pick of the first round by the New Jersey Devils . His father is Carlos , a Mexican - American , and his mother is Dalia , a Colombian - American . At the time , he was playing for the Tri - City Americans of the WHL , and had just been named to the WHL ' s All - Rookie Team . In the season after he was drafted , he justified the Devils ' decision by scoring 108 points in 58 games for the Americans . This earned him a spot on the WHL West First All - Star Team . The year before , Gomez led the South Surrey Eagles of the Tier II Junior " A " British Columbia Hockey League to the Gold medal game of the 1997 Royal Bank Cup against the hometown Summerside Western Capitals , but Gomez and his South Surrey Eagles were defeated 4 - 3 . After this impressive WHL performance , Gomez was brought to New Jersey for the 1999 – 2000 NHL season , making him the first native Alaskan to play in the NHL . In his rookie NHL season he had 51 assists and 70 points for the Devils . For his efforts , he was awarded the Calder Trophy as the league ' s top rookie and played in the NHL All - Star Game . Gomez scored 10 points in the 2000 NHL playoffs as the Devils won their second Stanley Cup . In his sophomore season , Gomez totaled 63 points . The Devils again made their way to the Stanley Cup Finals , but were defeated by the Colorado Avalanche in seven games . In the 2001 – 02 season , Gomez ' s numbers dropped , as he scored just 10 goals and 48 points . The Devils bowed out of the playoffs in the first round that season , losing to the Carolina Hurricanes . Gomez did not play a game in that series due to injury . The 2002 – 03 NHL season was an improvement for Gomez and the Devils . Gomez tallied 55 points and again helped the Devils win the Stanley Cup , this time scoring 12 points during the playoffs . The 2003 – 04 season was an even better year for Gomez , as he scored 70 points , the most since his rookie year . He also tied for the NHL lead in assists , with 56 . However , the Devils lost in the playoffs to the Philadelphia Flyers . During the NHL lockout that forced the cancellation of the 2004 – 05 season , Gomez returned to his native hometown of Anchorage , Alaska and played for the Alaska Aces of the ECHL . Throughout the season " Scotty " was the face of the Alaska franchise , and the ECHL ; he led the ECHL in scoring and won league Most Valuable Player honors . Gomez ' s season ended early when he was seriously injured by Bakersfield Condors enforcer Ashlee Langdone , who checked him into an open bench door during game 4 of the Pacific Division Semifinals . Gomez sustained a broken pelvis from the incident . Despite the lockout , Gomez returned to form in 2005 – 2006 and set career highs in goals scored and points , tallying a total of 84 points . Along with linemates Brian Gionta , Patrik Eliáš and , before Eliáš ' comeback , Zach Parise , Gomez helped rally the Devils from a poor beginning of the season by finishing the season on an 11 game winning streak and clinching the division title in the last game . Gomez finished the 2006 Stanley Cup Playoffs with five goals and four assists in nine games . On July 25 , 2006 , Devils General Manager Lou Lamoriello accepted an arbitrator ' s ruling of a $ 5 , 000 , 000 , one - year contract for Gomez for the 2006 – 2007 season . Hence , he would go on to be an unrestricted free agent in the summer of 2007 . During the 2006 – 07 NHL season he led the Devils to the second round of the playoffs and totalled 60 points . Gomez scored the final goal ever at Continental Airlines Arena on May 5 , 2007 . On July 1 , 2007 , Gomez signed a $ 51 . 5 million , seven - year contract with the New York Rangers . On the same day , the Rangers signed Chris Drury , who also wears the number 23 . To settle who would wear number 23 while playing for the Rangers , a puck was flipped , with Drury winning and earning the right to continue wearing number 23 , while Gomez changed his number to 19 . Coincidentally , Drury won the Calder Trophy the year before Gomez won the same award . When asked about his decision to leave the Devils , Gomez said On February 1 , 2008 , in a game against his former club , the Devils , Gomez recorded his 500th career point by assisting on a Chris Drury goal . On October 1 , 2008 Scott Gomez and the New York Rangers won the Victoria Cup by beating Metallurg Magnitogorsk by the score of 4 - 3 . On October 3 , 2008 , Gomez was named an alternate captain of the New York Rangers . On June 30 , 2009 , Gomez was traded by the Rangers , along with Tom Pyatt and Michael Busto , to the Montreal Canadiens in exchange for Christopher Higgins , Doug Janik , Ryan McDonagh , and Pavel Valentenko . This trade reunited Gomez with former Devils teammate Brian Gionta , who signed with the Habs after the Gomez trade . Montreal ' s acquisition of Gomez drew considerable attention and criticism across various news sources largely because of his lack of production since signing his contract , one of the longest and highest in the NHL . With the Canadiens , Gomez wore the number 91 for the 2009 - 2010 season ( reverse 19 ) as his former two numbers are retired by the Montreal Canadiens organization ( Number 19 of Larry Robinson and the number 23 of Bob Gainey ) . For the start of the 2010 – 11 season , Gomez decided to switch his number from 91 to 11 ( previously worn by long - time Habs captain Saku Koivu ) . Gomez decided to wear number 11 because he wore it during his childhood . Hockey camp . Starting in the summer of 2008 Scott Gomez will be running a hockey camp in Andover , [ [ Massachusetts ] ] along with former [ [ New Jersey Devils ] ] teammate , [ [ Jay Pandolfo ] ] . External links . [ [ Category : Born in 1979 ] ] [ [ Category : Alaska Aces players ] ] [ [ Category : American ice hockey players ] ] [ [ Category : Calder Trophy winners ] ] [ [ Category : ECHL All - Star Team ] ] [ [ Category : 2006 Olympian ] ] [ [ Category : Montreal Canadiens players ] ] [ [ Category : National Hockey League All - Stars ] ] [ [ Category : National Hockey League first round draft picks ] ] [ [ Category : New Jersey Devils draft picks ] ] [ [ Category : New Jersey Devils players ] ] [ [ Category : New York Rangers players ] ] [ [ Category : Olympic ice hockey players of the United States ] ] [ [ Category : Stanley Cup champions ] ] [ [ Category : Tri - City Americans alumni ] ] [ [ Category : Surrey Eagles alumni ] ] [ [ Category : San Jose Sharks players ] ] [ [ Category : 1999 debut ] ]