Gagner wouldn’t change a thing

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This article was published 13/04/2023 (877 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

DENVER — They often say every day in the NHL is a good day. Perhaps nobody embodies that more than veteran forward Sam Gagner.

Gagner has certainly had his share of memorable moments playing in the best league in the world. Selected in the first round, sixth overall, by the Edmonton Oilers in 2007, the London, Ont., native got his start in the NHL at the age of 18.

He’s played 16 seasons, hitting the 1,000-game mark with the Jets earlier this year — his first in Winnipeg. He has scored 192 goals and added 327 assists over that stretch and is universally respected across the league as a player with high character and respect for the game.

“The biggest thing for me is that I love the game. I realize how much the game has given me. I like to live by, ‘You love the game, it will love you back,’” Gagner said inside Ball Arena, weeks after hip surgery that ended his season and hours ahead of the Jets’ final regular season game against the Colorado Avalanche. “The lessons that the game has taught me I wouldn’t take back any of it. The adversity or the hardships that I have gone through, they have taught me so much. They will help me in whatever I end up doing later in life.”

There have also been down moments for the now 33-year-old, including three separate trips to the American Hockey League, the most recent coming during the 2019-20 season, with Gagner ultimately having to prove each time he could still play at a high level. When Winnipeg signed him in the off-season, he started the year hot, with three goals in his first six games, but things eventually derailed.

His play eventually cooled and Gagner was relegated to the press box as a healthy scratch. Meanwhile, he was dealing with the constant pain of playing with injured hips, something that would ultimately prove too much as he elected for surgery last month, bringing his year to a close.

Through it all, Gagner has maintained a high level of optimism and has brought perspective to a club that often could use it. He’ll continue with the Jets for however long they last in the playoffs, offering support during the season’s most intense moments.

It’s for those reasons Gagner is the Jets’ nominee for the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy, which is voted on by the Winnipeg chapter of the Professional Hockey Writers Association.

“I certainly appreciate the recognition. A lot of it has to do with my parents and the way I was brought up. Also, just the support that I have gotten through the course of my career, through some of the ups and downs,” Gagner said. “You find out a lot about yourself and the people who support you during those times. I am fortunate to have been in the league as long as I have been. You gain perspective as you go along, and just continue to try to work at it.”

While Gagner has only been with the Jets for a season, the experience he’s brought to the locker room is undeniable. Same with the respect he has from his teammates.

“You can see why he’s been in the game for so long,” said Jets centre Adam Lowry. “He’s only a few years older than me, but it seems like he’s been in the NHL forever because he came in at such a young age. Now he contributes in so many different roles and that also speaks to his adaptability and his willingness to do whatever it takes to help the team find success.”

Gagner will get a second surgery in the coming weeks and plans to play next season. Whether that will be in Winnipeg or somewhere else remains to be seen.

“That’s the intent,” Gagner said. “I still have a lot of game left. When you look at it, I’ve been around a long time, but I’m only 33 years old and I still feel like I can contribute. Get this done and hopefully be ready for training camp next year.”

Jeff.Hamilton@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @jeffkhamilton