1977-78 O-Pee-Chee 25 Rod Gilbert Hockey Card (Front)
1977-78 O-Pee-Chee 25 Rod Gilbert Hockey Card (Back)
1977-78 O-Pee-Chee NHL Checklist
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Card Notes
Rod’s nickname is “Rocky”.
En Français
Son surnom est “Rocky”.
Details
True, due to his injuries that came about from his aggressive play in the corners, Rod Gilbert did pick up the nickname “Rocky”. He, at times, was dubbed “Blackie” for his jet black hair and, later, was simply called “Mr. Ranger”.
This 1977-78 O-Pee-Chee hockey card would be the last to feature Gilbert during his playing career. He played just 19 games in 77-78 before calling it a career as a player. Even in his final full season, 1976-77, Rod remained productive, scoring 27 goals and totaling 75 points. His 48 assists led the team while he finished five points behind team leader Phil Esposito.
Over his career, Gilbert reached the 20 goal plateau 12 times. He surpassed 30 goals on five occasions, topping out with 43 in 1971-72. That year, he tied Frank Mahovlich for seventh in goal scoring while placing sixth for assists and fifth in the race for the Art Ross Trophy.
Between 1960-61 and 1977-78, Rod Gilbert appeared in 1,065 regular season and 79 playoff games in the National Hockey League, all with the New York Rangers. His number 7 was the first to ever be retired by the Rangers. Gilbert was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1982.