Robert Stewart Gavin (born March 15, 1960) is a Canadian former

professional A professional is a member of a profession or any person who works in a specified professional activity. The term also describes the standards of education and training that prepare members of the profession with the particular knowledge and ski ...

ice hockey Ice hockey (or simply hockey) 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. In ice hockey, two o ...

left winger who played in the

NHL The National Hockey League (NHL; french: Ligue nationale de hockey—LNH, ) is a professional ice hockey league in North America comprising 32 teams—25 in the United States and 7 in Canada. It is considered to be the top ranked professional ...

between 1980 and 1993. Gavin was selected 74th overall by the

Toronto Maple Leafs The Toronto Maple Leafs (officially the Toronto Maple Leaf Hockey Club and often referred to as the Leafs) are a professional ice hockey team based in Toronto. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Divi ...

in the

1980 NHL Entry Draft The 1980 NHL Entry Draft was the 18th NHL Entry Draft. It was held at the Montreal Forum. This was the first time that an NHL arena hosted the draft.The Montreal Canadiens:100 Years of Glory, D'Arcy Jenish, p.241, Published in Canada by Doubleda ...

. Gavin played 768 career

games, scoring 130 goals and 156 assists for 286 points. His best season was in 1985–86 when he scored 26 goals and 55 points with the

Hartford Whalers The Hartford Whalers were a professional ice hockey team based for most of its existence in Hartford, Connecticut. The club played in the World Hockey Association (WHA) from 1972–73 WHA season, 1972 until 1978–79 WHA season, 1979, and in the ...

. A knee injury forced Gavin into early retirement in 1993, though he did stage a one season comeback in the IHL in 1994. After retiring, Gavin entered business, and in 2003 founded his own firm, known as the Gavin Management Group.

Playing career

Gavin played minor hockey in the OHA, mostly with the

Toronto Marlboros The Toronto Marlborough Athletic Club, commonly known as the Toronto Marlboros, was founded in 1903. It operated junior ice hockey and senior ice hockey teams in the Ontario Hockey Association and later the Ontario Hockey League. The Marlboros ...

, save for one game during the 1976–77 season, which was spent with the

Ottawa 67's The Ottawa 67's are a major junior ice hockey team based in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, that plays in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL). Established during Canada's centennial year of 1967 and named in honour of this, the 67's currently play their h ...

, who won the league championship that year (though Gavin did not play the minimum games required to be considered part of the championship team). A 57 point campaign in his final season of OHA action caught the eyes of scouts from the

, and the team drafted Gavin in the fourth round, 74th overall during the

1980 NHL draft The 1980 NHL Entry Draft was the 18th NHL Entry Draft. It was held at the Montreal Forum. This was the first time that an NHL arena hosted the draft.The Montreal Canadiens:100 Years of Glory, D'Arcy Jenish, p.241, Published in Canada by Doubleda ...

. Gavin made the NHL the year following his draft, but after 14 games was sent down to the Maple Leafs' minor league AHL affiliate, the

New Brunswick Hawks The New Brunswick Hawks were a professional ice hockey team based in Moncton, New Brunswick New Brunswick (french: Nouveau-Brunswick, , locally ) is one of the thirteen Provinces and territories of Canada, provinces and territories of Canada. ...

to refine his play. Beginning next season, Gavin played in more and more games for Toronto, and by 1983, he had become the team's designated checker and solidified a role on the penalty kill. Despite improved play from Gavin, the Maple Leafs struggled during his tenure, and in 1984–85 finished last in the entire league. Seeking to improve the team's defensive core after the last-place finish, Gavin was traded to the

for defenceman Chris Kotsopoulos on October 7, 1985. His first season in Hartford was his best professional season statistically, as he scored 55 points playing in 76 contests. Gavin would spend a total of three seasons with the Whalers before being claimed by the

Minnesota North Stars The Minnesota North Stars were a professional ice hockey team in the National Hockey League (NHL) for 26 seasons, from 1967 to 1993. The North Stars played their home games at the Met Center in Bloomington, Minnesota, and the team's colors fo ...

in the 1988 NHL Waiver Draft. Gavin continued his role as a defensive forward with the North Stars, and helped the team reach the Stanley Cup finals in

1991 File:1991 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Boris Yeltsin, elected as Russia's first president, waves the new flag of Russia after the 1991 Soviet coup d'état attempt, orchestrated by Soviet hardliners; Mount Pinatubo erupts in the ...

. However, he injured his knee in 1993, and on the recommendation of his doctors, retired as a player. Upon retirement, Gavin took a position as a scout. However, his knee was responding to treatment better than he expected, and Gavin came out of retirement prior to the 1994–95 season to stage a comeback with the Toronto Maple Leafs. However, he never played above the minor-league IHL, and upon completion of his lone season in the IHL, Gavin retired for a second time.

Post hockey career

During his 15-year professional hockey career, Gavin recognized the need for a program that would ensure that an athlete’s business affairs were organized and that their interests were protected. Therefore, after his retirement from hockey, Gavin sought to develop this program. After gaining experience at a Bay Street firm, completing numerous industry-related courses and achieving the Certified Financial Planner designation, Gavin founded the Gavin Management Group in 2003. With over 18 years of practice in financial management, insurance and tax planning, Gavin's roster of clients include professional athletes and leaders in the corporate community. Gavin has also served as the president of the Toronto Maple Leafs Alumni Association, and remains on their board of directors, where the association’s efforts have raised more than $4,000,000 for various charitable and gift giving endeavours. Gavin continues to be active on the ice, playing with the alumni at charity events throughout the season; and, is also a member of the Masonic Lodge. In his leisure time, Gavin enjoys his private pilot licence, golf and relaxing on his farm in the Ottawa Valley with his family.

Personal life

Gavin has two children, Taylor (b. November 24, 1993) and Max (b. 1989), both mothered by ex-wife, Phyllis Ellis (former Olympic field hockey player and current television actor and producer).

Career statistics

References

External links

*
Profile at hockey-reference.com
{{DEFAULTSORT:Gavin, Stewart 1960 births Canadian ice hockey left wingers Hartford Whalers players Ice hockey people from Ottawa Kansas City Blades players Living people Minnesota Moose players Minnesota North Stars players Nepean Raiders players New Brunswick Hawks players Ottawa 67's players St. Catharines Saints players Toronto Maple Leafs draft picks Toronto Maple Leafs players Toronto Marlboros players Canadian expatriate ice hockey players in the United States