Gerald William Hart (January 1, 1948 – May 12, 2023) was a Canadian professional

ice hockey Ice hockey (or simply hockey in North America) is a team sport played on ice skates, usually on an Ice rink, ice skating rink with Ice hockey rink, lines and markings specific to the sport. It belongs to a family of sports called hockey. Tw ...

player who played 730 games in the

National Hockey League The National Hockey League (NHL; , ''LNH'') is a professional ice hockey league in North America composed of 32 teams25 in the United States and 7 in Canada. The NHL is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United States and Cana ...

(NHL) with the

Detroit Red Wings The Detroit Red Wings (colloquially referred to as the Wings) are a professional ice hockey team based in Detroit. The Red Wings compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Division (NHL), Atlantic Division in the East ...

New York Islanders The New York Islanders (colloquially known as the Isles) are a professional ice hockey team based in Elmont, New York. The Islanders compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference (N ...

Quebec Nordiques The Quebec Nordiques (, pronounced in Quebec French, in Canadian English; translated "Northmen" or "Northerners") were a professional ice hockey team based in Quebec City. The Nordiques played in the World Hockey Association (1972–1979) an ...

, and

St. Louis Blues The St. Louis Blues are a professional ice hockey team based in St. Louis. The Blues compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division (NHL), Central Division in the Western Conference (NHL), Western Conference. Th ...

between 1969 and 1982. He reached the NHL playoff semifinals four times in five seasons with the Islanders. In 1979 he joined the Nordiques, who claimed him in the

1979 NHL expansion draft The 1979 NHL expansion draft was held on June 13, 1979. The draft took place to fill the rosters of the National Hockey League's new teams for the 1979–80 season: the Edmonton Oilers, Hartford Whalers, Quebec Nordiques and Winnipeg Jets. These ...

. Hart retired from the NHL in 1982 and began living off his investments. In October 1992, Hart, along with college roommates Thomas Mattioli and Randolph Nash, opened The Rinx recreation complex in Hidden Pond Park in

Hauppauge, New York Hauppauge ( ) is a hamlet and census-designated place (CDP) in the towns of Islip and Smithtown in western Suffolk County, New York, on Long Island. Its population in 2022 was estimated at 20,401 by the U.S. Census Bureau. Despite the offici ...

with a 20-year land lease from the Town of Islip. On May 26, 2004, Hart sold the popular ice rink and day camp to Francis J. Palamara, a business consultant, who formerly served as Executive Vice President for

Aramark Aramark is an American Foodservice, food service and Facility management, facilities services provider to clients in areas including education, prisons, healthcare, business, and leisure. It operates in North America (United States and Canada) a ...

. Hart died on May 12, 2023, at the age of 75.

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs

Awards and achievements

MJHL The Manitoba Junior Hockey League (MJHL) is a Junior ice hockey, Junior 'A' ice hockey league operating in the Canadian province of Manitoba and one of nine member leagues of the Canadian Junior Hockey League (CJHL). The MJHL consists of thirt ...

First All-Star Team (1967) * Turnbull Cup

Championship (1967) * WCJHL First All-Star Team (1968) * Honoured Member of the

Manitoba Hockey Hall of Fame The Manitoba Hockey Hall of Fame and Museum is a hall of fame and museum for ice hockey in Manitoba, located on the main level of the Canada Life Centre in downtown Winnipeg. It was established in 1985, when the first honoured members were named ...

Suffolk Sports Hall of Fame The Suffolk Sports Hall of Fame is an American sports hall of fame based in Suffolk County on Long Island, New York. The non-profit was established during 1990 to honor outstanding people, living or deceased, who have gained prominence and made s ...

Long Island Long Island is a densely populated continental island in southeastern New York (state), New York state, extending into the Atlantic Ocean. It constitutes a significant share of the New York metropolitan area in both population and land are ...

in the Hockey Category with the Class of 1997.

References

External links

*
Hart's biography
a

1948 births 2023 deaths Baltimore Clippers players Canadian ice hockey defencemen Detroit Red Wings players Canadian expatriate ice hockey players in the United States Flin Flon Bombers players New York Islanders players Nova Scotia Voyageurs players Quebec Nordiques players 20th-century Canadian sportsmen Ice hockey people from Flin Flon St. Louis Blues players Tidewater Wings players {{Canada-icehockey-defenceman-1940s-stub