Dennis Gilbert (ice hockey)

{{Short description|American ice hockey player (born 1996)}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=March 2025}}

{{Infobox ice hockey player

| name = Dennis Gilbert

| image = Dennis Gilbert - Calgary Wranglers - 2022.jpg

| image_size =

| caption = Gilbert with the Calgary Wranglers in 2022

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1996|10|30}}

| birth_place = Buffalo, New York, U.S.

| height_ft = 6

| height_in = 2

| weight_lb = 198

| position = Defense

| shoots = Left

| league = NHL

| team = Ottawa Senators

| prospect_team =

| prospect_league = AHL

| former_teams = Chicago Blackhawks
Colorado Avalanche
Calgary Flames
Buffalo Sabres

| draft = 91st overall

| draft_year = 2015

| draft_team = Chicago Blackhawks

| career_start = 2018

| career_end =

}}

Dennis Gilbert (born October 30, 1996) is an American professional ice hockey defenseman for the Ottawa Senators of the National Hockey League (NHL). He was selected by the Chicago Blackhawks, 90th overall, in the 2015 NHL entry draft.

Early life

Gilbert was born on October 30, 1996,{{cite web |title=Dennis Gilbert |url=https://www.eliteprospects.com/player/267396/dennis-gilbert |publisher=Elite Prospects |access-date=November 18, 2021}} to parents Dennis Sr. and Kim Gilbert.{{cite web |title=#4 DENNIS GILBERT |date=July 9, 2018 |url=https://und.com/roster/dennis-gilbert/ |publisher=University of Notre Dame |access-date=November 18, 2021}} Growing up, he refused to play hockey year round in order to play lacrosse and football.{{cite news |last1=Gleason |first1=Becky |title=Bucky Gleason: Former St. Joe's star Dennis Gilbert gets last laugh after signing with Blackhawks |url=https://buffalonews.com/sports/college/bucky-gleason-former-st-joes-star-dennis-gilbert-gets-last-laugh-after-signing-with-blackhawks/article_4b05aeea-4c8e-5b8e-9d49-140e3ff22c80.html |access-date=November 18, 2021 |publisher=Buffalo News |date=April 20, 2018}}

Playing career

Gilbert played junior hockey with the Buffalo Jr. Sabres in the Ontario Junior Hockey League and the Chicago Steel in the United States Hockey League (USHL) before he was selected in the third round, 90th overall, in the 2015 NHL entry draft by the Chicago Blackhawks.

Gilbert played collegiate hockey for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish at the University of Notre Dame, originally of Hockey East.{{cite web|url=https://buffalonews.com/2019/04/03/chicago-blackhawks-dennis-gilbert-buffalo-ahl-nhl-news/|title=Buffalo native Dennis Gilbert recalled by Blackhawks, plays in first NHL game|website=The Buffalo News|accessdate=April 5, 2019}} In his sophomore season with the Fighting Irish in 2016–17, Gilbert helped guide Notre Dame to the Frozen Four and was announced as the Hockey East's Best Defensive Defenseman and a Hockey East Third Team All-Star.

Gilbert concluded his collegiate career following his junior season with the Fighting Irish in the 2017–18 season, turning professional by signing a three-year, entry-level contract with the Chicago Blackhawks on April 14, 2018.{{cite web| url = https://www.nhl.com/blackhawks/news/blackhawks-agree-to-terms-with-dennis-gilbert/c-297956184 | title = Blackhawks agree to terms with Dennis Gilbert | publisher = Chicago Blackhawks | date = April 14, 2018 | accessdate = April 14, 2018}}

Entering the final year of his entry-level deal on October 10, 2020, Gilbert was traded by the Blackhawks, alongside Brandon Saad, to the Colorado Avalanche in exchange for Anton Lindholm and Nikita Zadorov.{{cite web| url = https://www.nhl.com/avalanche/news/avalanche-acquires-brandon-saad-dennis-gilbert-from-chicago/c-319321936 | title = Avalanche acquires Saad, Gilbert from Chicago | publisher = Colorado Avalanche | date = October 10, 2020 | accessdate = October 10, 2020}}

Following two seasons in Colorado, Gilbert left as a free agent and was signed to a two-year, $1.525 million contract with the Calgary Flames on July 13, 2022.{{cite web| url = https://www.nhl.com/flames/news/flames-sign-four-free-agents-re-sign-pair-of-defencemen/c-334966020 | title = Flames sign four free agents, re-sign pair of defenceman | publisher = Calgary Flames | date = July 13, 2022 | accessdate = July 13, 2022}}

At the conclusion of his contract with the Flames, Gilbert opted to leave as a free agent and was signed to a one-year, $825,000 contract with hometown club, the Buffalo Sabres, on July 1, 2024.{{cite web| url = https://www.nhl.com/sabres/news/buffalo-sabres-sign-dennis-gilbert-contract-nhl-free-agency | title = Buffalo native Gilbert joins Sabres | publisher = Buffalo Sabres | date = July 1, 2024 | accessdate = July 1, 2024}}

On March 7, 2025, Gilbert was traded to the Ottawa Senators along with Dylan Cozens and a second-round pick in the 2026 NHL entry draft in exchange for Josh Norris and Jacob Bernard-Docker.{{Cite web |last=Staff |first=Sportsnet |date=March 7, 2025 |title=Senators acquiring Dylan Cozens from Sabres for Josh Norris |url=https://www.sportsnet.ca/nhl/article/senators-acquiring-dylan-cozens-from-sabres-for-josh-norris/ |access-date=March 7, 2025 |website=Sportsnet.ca |language=en}}

Career statistics

border="0" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="0" style="text-align:center; width:60em"
bgcolor="#e0e0e0"

! colspan="3" bgcolor="#ffffff" |

! rowspan="100" bgcolor="#ffffff" |

! colspan="5" | Regular season

! rowspan="100" bgcolor="#ffffff" |

! colspan="5" | Playoffs

bgcolor="#e0e0e0"

! Season

! Team

! League

! GP !! G !! A !! Pts !! PIM

! GP !! G !! A !! Pts !! PIM

2011–12

| St. Joseph's Collegiate

| USHS

| 27

4592

| —

bgcolor="#f0f0f0"

| 2012–13

| St. Joseph's Collegiate

| USHS

| 28

1282021

| —

2013–14

| Buffalo Jr. Sabres

| OJHL

| 35

4131736

| 10

0338
bgcolor="#f0f0f0"

| 2014–15

| Chicago Steel

| USHL

| 59

4232789

| —

2015–16

| Notre Dame

| HE

| 37

281034

| —

bgcolor="#f0f0f0"

| 2016–17

| Notre Dame

| HE

| 40

0222222

| —

2017–18

| Notre Dame

| B1G

| 39

461016

| —

bgcolor="#f0f0f0"

| 2018–19

| Rockford IceHogs

| AHL

| 63

591467

| —

2018–19

| Chicago Blackhawks

| NHL

| 1

0002

| —

bgcolor="#f0f0f0"

| 2019–20

| Rockford IceHogs

| AHL

| 30

16746

| —

2019–20

| Chicago Blackhawks

| NHL

| 21

12338

| —

bgcolor="#f0f0f0"

| 2020–21

| Colorado Avalanche

| NHL

| 3

0005

| —

2020–21

| Colorado Eagles

| AHL

| 17

1784

| —

bgcolor="#f0f0f0"

| 2021–22

| Colorado Eagles

| AHL

| 52

6172341

| —

2022–23

| Calgary Wranglers

| AHL

| 26

23541

| —

bgcolor="#f0f0f0"

| 2022–23

| Calgary Flames

| NHL

| 23

13427

| —

2023–24

| Calgary Flames

| NHL

| 34

16716

| —

bgcolor="#f0f0f0"

| 2024–25

| Buffalo Sabres

| NHL

| 25

05550

| —

bgcolor="#e0e0e0"

! colspan="3" | NHL totals

! 107 !! 3 !! 16 !! 19 !! 138

! — !! — !! — !! — !! —

Awards and honors

class="wikitable"

! Award

! Year

ALIGN="center" bgcolor="#e0e0e0"

| colspan="3" | USHL

All-Rookie Team

| 2015

ALIGN="center" bgcolor="#e0e0e0"

| colspan="3" | College

HE Best Defensive Defenseman

| 2017

HE Third All-Star Team

| 2017

References

{{reflist}}