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1976
AMATEUR DRAFT
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1976 NHL DRAFT PICK
Paul Gardner
Selected in first round
No. 11 overall by Kansas City Scouts

Born March 5, 1956
Position: Center
Height: 5-11   Weight: 180
BEFORE THE DRAFT
Last Team: Oshawa (OMJHL)                            
Birthplace: Fort Erie, Ontario (Canada)
Hometown: Toronto, Ontario
PRE-DRAFT STATISTICS
Year TeamLeague GPG ATP PIM
1973-74 Toronto St. Michael'sJr. B 44 8744 131--
1974-75 OshawaOMJHL 6427 3663 54
1975-76 OshawaOMJHL 6569 75144 75

PRE-DRAFT AWARDS AND HONORS
OHA Metro Jr. B MVP:
1973-74 (Toronto St. Michael's)
Oshawa MVP: 1975-76
Miscellaneous: Rated in The Hockey News draft preview issue as OMJHL's No. 3 prospect for the 1976 NHL draft. ... Set Oshawa record (since broken) with 144 points in 1975-76.
NHL CAREER
Debut: November 13, 1976 (Colorado at Montreal)
Numbers:  21 (Colo.); 18 (Tor.); 20, 30 (Pitt.); 30 (Wash.); 28 (Buff.)
Stanley Cup: Never won.  Playing Status: Retired June 1986
CAREER NHL STATISTICS
YearsTeamsGPGATPPIM
1976-1985 COL, TOR, PIT, WAS, BUF447 201201402 207
CAREER NHL PLAYOFF STATISTICS
YearsTeamsGPGATPPIM
1979-1982 Toronto, Pittsburgh16 268 14

NHL AWARDS AND HONORS
Colorado Rookie of Year:
1976-77
Pittsburgh McCracken Award (Unsung Hero): 1980-81
NHL Power Play Goals Leader: 1981-82 (Pittsburgh) (21 PPG), 1982-83 (Pittsburgh) (20 PPG)
Pittsburgh Goals Leader: 1981-82 (36, tie)
Pittsburgh Playoffs Points Leader: 1982 (6)
Pittsburgh Playoffs Assists Leader: 1982 (5)
Scouting Career: Named Washington pro scout prior to 1990-91 season and remained in that position through 1991-92 season. ... Served as Nashville pro scout during 1997-98 season while preparing for team's inaugural season in 1998-99.
Coaching Career: Named Nashville assistant coach on Aug. 6, 1997, and remained in that position into 2002-03 season.
Miscellaneous: Was property of Kansas City organization when franchise relocated to Colorado on July 15, 1976. ... Scored goal in his first NHL game and scored twice in his second NHL game. ... Missed end of 1977-78 season and 1978 playoffs with fractured vertebra, an injury suffered in January 1978. ... Missed part of 1978-79 season with knee injury that required surgery. ... Set Pittsburgh single-game record (since broken) with four goals vs. Philadelphia on Dec. 13, 1980. ... Named NHL Player of Week for week of Dec. 7-13, 1980. ... Set Pittsburgh record (since broken) with at least one assist in 10 consecutive games during 1980-81 season. ... Was Pittsburgh's nominee for 1980-81 Masterton Trophy. ... Missed part of 1981-82 season with broken jaw, an injury suffered when he was punched by Jimmy Mann during Pittsburgh's Jan. 13, 1982, game at Winnipeg. Gardner had cross-checked Winnipeg's Doug Smail earlier in the game, and Pittsburgh coach Eddie Johnston complained that Mann was sent on the ice by Winnipeg coach Tom Watt to target Gardner. Mann sucker-punched Gardner, breaking his jaw in two places. The NHL suspended Mann for 10 games without pay as a result of the incident, which cost Gardner a total of 21 games and a legitimate shot at a 50-goal season. ... Retired in June 1986 due to back problems.
NON-NHL CAREER
Post-Draft Teams: Rhode Island (AHL); New Brunswick (AHL); Springfield (AHL); Baltimore (AHL); Binghamton (AHL); Rochester (AHL); Portland (AHL)
InLine Hockey: New England (RHI)
NON-NHL AWARDS AND HONORS
AHL Calder Cup:
1994 (Portland) (as assistant coach)
Hockey News Minor-League Player of Year: 1984-85 (Bing.),
1985-86 (Rochester)
AHL Cunningham Award (MVP): 1984-85 (Bing.), 1985-86 (Roch.)
AHL Sollenberger Trophy (Points Leader): 1984-85 (Binghamton) (130 points), 1985-86 (Rochester) (112 points)
AHL Hunt Trophy (Sportsmanship/Dedication): 1984-85 (Bing.)
AHL All-Star First Team: 1984-85 (Binghamton), 1985-86 (Rochester)
WHA Draft Pick: 1976 (by Toronto, No. 24 overall in Round 3)
AHL Goals Leader: 1984-85 (Binghamton) (51 goals), 1985-86 (Rochester) (61 goals)
1983-84: Played on AHL regular-season champion (Baltimore).
1984-85: Played on AHL regular-season champion (Binghamton).
Coaching Career: Named Rochester (AHL) player-assistant coach on July 31, 1985, and remained in position through 1985-86 season. ... Named Newmarket (AHL) head coach on Aug. 11, 1986, and remained in position until May 2, 1990. ... Named Baltimore (AHL) assistant coach prior to 1992-93 season, relocated with team to Portland prior to 1993-94 season and remained in position until Aug. 6, 1997.
Management Career: Served as Newmarket (AHL) alternate governor during 1989-90 season.
Education: Attended University of Toronto during off-seasons of his playing days.
Miscellaneous: Played on Toronto's charity softball team during his time with Maple Leafs. ... Missed part of 1983-84 season when he broke both heels after falling off a ladder in a December 1983 accident at home. ... Missed part of 1985 AHL playoffs with pulled back muscle suffered in April 1985. ... Set AHL single-season record (since broken) with 130 points in 1984-85. ... Planned on returning to Pittsburgh for business career after his retirement, but plans changed when he was offered first head coaching job with Newmarket. ... Played five games for New England (RHI) InLine team during 1994 season. ... Came out of retirement at age 40 to play one game for Portland (AHL) while working as team's assistant coach during 1996-97 season.
Personal: Full name is Paul Malone Gardner. ... Son of former NHL player Cal Gardner. ... Younger brother of former NHL player Dave Gardner. ... Uncle of former major junior and Swiss League player Ryan Gardner.
HOW HE GOT AWAY
TRADE: Colorado traded Gardner to Toronto in exchange for Don Ashby and Trevor Johansen on March 13, 1979.

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SNAPSHOT '76
Total Selected: 135
Forwards: 83
Defense: 39
Goaltenders: 13
Major Junior: 97
College Players: 26
Canadian: 103
Euro-Canadian: 1
USA Citizens: 23
U.S.-Born: 23
European: 8
Reached NHL: 73
Won Stanley Cup: 8
Hall of Fame: 1
All-Star Game: 12
Year-end All-Star: 2
Olympians: 6
Picks Traded: 15
 
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