Martin Gerber

{{Infobox ice hockey player

| name = Martin Gerber

| image = Martin Gerber Oklahoma City Barons.jpg

| caption = Gerber with the Oklahoma City Barons in 2011

| position = Goaltender

| caught = Left

| height_ft = 6

| height_in = 0

| weight_lb = 205

| ntl_team = Switzerland

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|df=yes|1974|9|3}}

| birth_place = Burgdorf, Switzerland

| draft = 232nd overall

| draft_year = 2001

| draft_team = Mighty Ducks of Anaheim

| played_for = SC Langnau
Färjestad BK
Mighty Ducks of Anaheim
Carolina Hurricanes
Ottawa Senators
Toronto Maple Leafs
Atlant Mytishchi
Edmonton Oilers
Växjö Lakers
Rögle BK
EHC Kloten

| career_start = 1994

| career_end = 2017

}}

Martin Gerber (born 3 September 1974) is a Swiss former professional ice hockey goaltender. He was drafted in the eighth round of the 2001 NHL Entry Draft (232nd overall) by the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim. He played in the National Hockey League (NHL) with the Mighty Ducks, Carolina Hurricanes, Ottawa Senators, Toronto Maple Leafs, and Edmonton Oilers, winning the Stanley Cup as a member of the Hurricanes in 2006. Following the 2011–12 season, he played two seasons in the Swedish Elitserien before returning to the Swiss NLA, finishing his playing career with the Kloten Flyers.

Playing career

Gerber began his career in his native Switzerland for SC Langnau. Initially playing in the Nationalliga B, Gerber and the Tigers won promotion to Nationalliga A in 1998. In 2001, he was drafted by the NHL's Mighty Ducks of Anaheim and spent the subsequent season in Sweden playing for Färjestads BK in the Elitserien. He moved to the Ducks organization in 2002 and on 11 October of that year, Gerber played his first NHL game, a 4–2 loss to the Dallas Stars. He went on to play 22 regular season games that season, serving as backup to Jean-Sébastien Giguère. That season, the Mighty Ducks made it to the Stanley Cup Finals, narrowly losing in seven games to the New Jersey Devils.{{cite magazine|title=Devils down Ducks in Game 7 to win third Stanley Cup|url=http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/hockey/2003/playoffs/news/2003/06/09/ducks_devils_ap/|magazine=Sports Illustrated|access-date=2010-11-19|date=2003-09-06|archive-date=3 November 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121103152646/http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/hockey/2003/playoffs/news/2003/06/09/ducks_devils_ap/|url-status=dead}} Gerber continued his role as backup and played 32 games for Anaheim in 2003–04.

On 18 June 2004, Gerber was traded to the Carolina Hurricanes in exchange for Tomáš Malec and a third-round pick in the 2004 NHL Entry Draft.{{cite web |last1=Williams |first1=Terrell |title=HURRICANES ACQUIRE MARTIN GERBER FROM DUCKS |url=http://www.caneshockey.com/news/news.asp?articleid=1245 |publisher=Carolina Hurricanes |access-date=April 13, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040816100124/http://www.caneshockey.com/news/news.asp?articleid=1245 |archive-date=August 16, 2004 |date=June 18, 2004}} During the 2004–05 NHL lockout, Gerber returned to his former European teams, playing 20 games with the SCL Tigers and 30 with Färjestad BK.

Gerber returned to the NHL for the 2005–06 season, and it was a successful one for Gerber, who won 38 games and helped earn Carolina their third division championship. Gerber entered the 2006 Stanley Cup playoffs as the Hurricanes' starting goaltender, but he struggled in the team's opening series and was replaced by rookie Cam Ward, who had been his backup for most of the season. Ward went on to backstop the team to its first Stanley Cup championship as the Hurricanes defeated the Edmonton Oilers in seven games in the Finals.{{cite news|author=Jason Diamos|title=Third Try at Clinching Gives Carolina Its First Cup|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2006/06/20/sports/hockey/20nhl.html|newspaper=NY Times|date=2006-06-20|access-date=2010-11-19}} Gerber, who earned 1 of Carolina's 16 playoff wins, became the second Swiss player in NHL history to win a Stanley Cup; David Aebischer, also a goaltender, was the first in 2001 with the Colorado Avalanche.{{cite web|title=Swiss ice hockey star steps out of the shadows|url=http://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/index/Swiss_ice_hockey_star_steps_out_of_the_shadows.html?cid=3419608|publisher=swissinfo|date=2003-06-10|access-date=2010-11-19}}

On 1 July 2006, as a free agent, Gerber signed a contract with the Ottawa Senators.{{cite web|title=Senators sign Gerber to multiyear contract; say goodbye to Hasek|url=https://www.espn.com/espn/wire?section=nhl&id=2507072|publisher=ESPN|date=2006-01-07|access-date=2010-11-19}} However, he struggled throughout the season and was replaced as starting goaltender by Ray Emery. That season, Emery led the Senators to their first appearance in the Stanley Cup Finals, where they would lose to Gerber's former team, the Anaheim Ducks. It was Gerber's third appearance in the Stanley Cup Finals in five years.{{cite web|author=Chris Iorfida|title=Martin Gerber's march|url=http://www.cbc.ca/sports/indepth/feature-hockey-gerber.html|publisher=CBC.ca|date=2008-03-20|access-date=2010-11-19}} Gerber began the 2007–08 season as the Senators' starter when Emery was sidelined after off-season wrist surgery. His play was inconsistent and Emery resumed the starting job once he was healthy again. However, after the team suffered a rapid decline in the standings and head coach John Paddock was fired and replaced by general manager Bryan Murray, Murray declared Gerber as the starting goaltender for the remainder of the season. Gerber entered the 2008–09 season in that role, but his uneven play continued and he was eventually supplanted by the newly signed Alex Auld. On 22 January 2009, Gerber was placed on waivers after having been sent down to the Senators' then-American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Binghamton Senators.{{cite web|title=Senators' Gerber clears waivers|url=https://www.tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=264263&lid=sublink01&lpos=headlines_nhl|publisher=TSN|date=2009-01-23|access-date=2010-11-19}}

Image:Martin Gerber.jpg

On 4 March 2009, Gerber was claimed off waivers by the Toronto Maple Leafs to replace goaltender Vesa Toskala, who was scheduled for season-ending surgery.{{cite web|title=Maple Leafs claim Gerber after placing Toskala on IR|url=http://tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=269716&lid=headline&lpos=secStory_nhl|publisher=TSN|access-date=2010-11-19|date=2009-04-03|archive-date=12 October 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121012031414/http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=269716&lid=headline&lpos=secStory_nhl|url-status=dead}} During a game on 24 March against the Washington Capitals, Gerber was assessed a game-misconduct and immediately suspended for three games for an incident with the on-ice officials, during which Gerber was arguing a call and proceeded to make contact with referee Mike Leggo and a linesman who was attempting to restrain him.{{cite web|title=Leafs' Gerber suspended for three games|url=http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=415355|website=NHL.com|access-date=2010-11-19|date=2009-03-25}}

During the off-season, Gerber signed a contract with Atlant Moscow Oblast of the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL), coincidentally the same team that fellow former Senators goaltender Ray Emery played for the previous season before returning to the NHL in 2009.{{cite web|title=Gerber follows Emery path to Russia|url=http://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/2009/07/23/gerber_khl_russia/|publisher=Rogers Sportsnet|date=2009-07-23|access-date=2010-11-19|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090726100856/http://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/2009/07/23/gerber_khl_russia/|archive-date=26 July 2009|url-status=dead|df=dmy-all}} On 13 December 2009, while playing for Atlant, Gerber suffered an apparent fracture of the fourth vertebrae when an opposing forward slid into him. Gerber's neck injury was initially thought to be a compression fracture of a cervical vertebra and it was believed that he would miss upwards of six months.{{cite news|author=Greg Wyshynski|title=Goalie Martin Gerber suffers significant neck injury in KHL|url=https://ca.sports.yahoo.com/nhl/blog/puck_daddy/post/Goalie-Martin-Gerber-suffers-significant-neck-in?urn=nhl-208347|work=Yahoo! Sports|date=2009-12-13|access-date=2010-11-19}} However, after more comprehensive testing the following day, no fractures were found and it was diagnosed as a spinal contusion; he would only be sidelined for a few weeks.{{cite news|author=Noah Love|title=Gerber not as seriously injured as initially thought|url=http://network.nationalpost.com/np/blogs/postedsports/archive/2009/12/14/gerber-not-as-seriously-injured-as-initially-thought.aspx|newspaper=National Post|date=2009-12-14|access-date=2010-11-19}}{{dead link|date=January 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}

On 6 August 2010, Gerber signed a one-year contract with the Edmonton Oilers.{{cite web | url = https://www.cbc.ca/sports/hockey/oilers-sign-gerber-to-1-year-deal-1.925213 | title = Oilers sign Gerber to 1-year deal | publisher = CBC.ca | date = 2010-08-06 | access-date = 2010-06-09}} He was assigned to the team's AHL affiliate, the Oklahoma City Barons. He was recalled on 18 November after Oilers' goaltender Nikolai Khabibulin was placed on injured reserve.{{cite web|title=Nikolai Khabibulin placed on IR|url=https://www.espn.com/nhl/news/story?id=5822401|publisher=ESPN|date=2010-11-18|access-date=2010-11-19}} Gerber made his first start for the Oilers on 25 November, recording a 3–2 victory over the visiting Colorado Avalanche. He stopped 35 of 37 shots and drew an assist on the game-winning goal scored by Taylor Hall.{{cite web|title=Hall scores game-winner in third period as Oilers edge Avs|url=https://www.tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=342876|publisher=TSN|date=2010-11-25|access-date=2010-11-25}} Gerber started one more game, a 4–1 victory at Ottawa, before Khabibulin was re-activated and Gerber was returned to the Barons. Gerber was again re-called in late February after another injury to Khabibulin. Picking up where he left off in late November, Gerber stopped 34 shots in a 2–1 shootout win over the Nashville Predators on 1 March, improving to a 3–0 record with Edmonton.{{cite web|title=Omark scores winner in shootout as Oilers defeat Predators|url=https://www.tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=356108|publisher=TSN|date=2011-03-01|access-date=2011-03-01}}

On 12 July 2011, Gerber signed a one-year contract with Växjö Lakers of the Swedish Elitserien.{{cite web |url=http://www.vaxjolakers.se/website1/sv/nyhetsmall/nyhetsmall.php?item=cms_12-s1/882&group=cms_12_grp-s1/3 |title=Martin Gerber klar för ett år |publisher=Växjö Lakers |language=sv |date=2011-07-12 |access-date=2011-07-12 }}{{dead link|date=December 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} Playing 42 games, he finished the 2011–12 season ranked fifth in the save percentage with .928 and seventh in goals against average (GAA) with 2.18, although Växjö failed to qualify for the playoffs. For the 2012–13 season, he signed with fellow Elitserien club Rögle BK.{{cite web |url=http://www.roglebk.se/natmagasinet/visa/1830_varldsmalvakt_forstarker_rogle |title=Världsmålvakt förstärker Rögle |publisher=Rögle BK |work=roglebk.se |last=Erikzon |first=Olof |language=sv |date=2012-05-18 |access-date=2012-05-18 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120525093550/http://www.roglebk.se/natmagasinet/visa/1830_varldsmalvakt_forstarker_rogle |archive-date=25 May 2012 |df=dmy-all }} After one season with Rögle, Gerber returned to Switzerland in signing a two-year contract with Kloten Flyers. He retired from professional hockey after his contract with Kloten expired.

{{MedalTableTop|name = | Martin Gerber 2013 World Championship Final.JPG | 200px }}

{{MedalCountry | {{Flagicon|Switzerland}} Switzerland}}

=Goaltender mask=

To start the 2007–08 season, Gerber wore an all-black mask while his other mask was being painted; he played so well wearing the black mask that he decided not to replace it, wearing it for the remainder of the season. Fans endearingly called him "Darth Gerber". In response, Gerber tried out a new Darth Vader-inspired mask design to begin the 2008–09 season when he was with the Ottawa Senators.{{cite web| url = https://www.tsn.ca/story/?id=250552 | title = Sens' Gerber has new mask, new outlook on season | publisher = The Sports Network | date = 2008-09-24 | access-date = 2009-01-02}} The mask was worn by Gerber during his first few games with Toronto before he switched to a new one paying homage to old masks of past Maple Leafs' goaltenders.

International play

During his playing career, Gerber was a mainstay on the Switzerland national team, having represented his country in eight IIHF World Championships and two Winter Olympics since 2000. At the 2006 Winter Olympics, Gerber made 49 saves to shut-out a heavily-favoured Canada 2–0 in one of the biggest upsets in modern Olympic hockey history regarded as one of the greatest accomplishments in Swiss hockey.{{cite news|title=Do You Believe in... Switzerland? Canada Does.|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2006/02/19/sports/olympics/19hockey.html|newspaper=NY Times|access-date=2010-11-19|date=2006-02-19}} Gerber has appeared in 40 games at the World Championships. Switzerland failed to medal in any of these tournaments, their highest finish being fifth in 2010, though their play has seen their IIHF World Rank increase from ninth in 2003 to seventh in 2010.

Career statistics

=Regular season and playoffs=

border="0" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="0" style="width:90%; text-align:center;"
bgcolor="#e0e0e0" ! colspan="3" bgcolor="#ffffff" \| ! rowspan="99" bgcolor="#ffffff" \| ! colspan="10" bgcolor="#e0e0e0" \| Regular season ! rowspan="99" bgcolor="#ffffff" \| ! colspan="8" bgcolor="#e0e0e0" \| Playoffs
bgcolor="#e0e0e0" ! Season ! Team ! League ! GP !! W !! L !! T !! OTL !! MIN !! GA !! SO !! GAA !! SV% ! GP !! W !! L !! MIN !! GA !! SO !! GAA !! SV%
1992–93 \| SC Signau \| SWI-5 \| —	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	— \| —	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
bgcolor="#f0f0f0" \| 1993–94 \| SC Thun \| SWI-4 \| —	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	— \| —	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
1994–95 \| SC Langnau \| SWI-2 \| 5	—	—	—	—	222	18	0	4.86	— \| 1	—	—	—	—	—	4.50	—
bgcolor="#f0f0f0" \| 1995–96 \| SC Langnau \| SWI-U20 \| —	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	— \| —	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
1996–97 \| SC Langnau \| SWI-2 \| 38	—	—	—	—	2286	121	0	3.18	— \| 8	—	—	488	29	0	3.56	—
bgcolor="#f0f0f0" \| 1997–98 \| SC Langnau \| SWI-2 \| 40 \| —	—	—	—	2430	141	—	3.48	— \| 16	—	—	961	42	0	2.62	—
1998–99 \| SC Langnau \| NDA \| 42	—	—	—	—	2522	203	—	4.83	— \| —	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
bgcolor="#f0f0f0" \| 1999–00 \| SC Langnau \| NDA \| 44	—	—	—	—	2652	161	—	3.64	— \| —	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
2000–01 \| SC Langnau \| NLA \| 44	—	—	—	—	2671	114	3	2.56	.927 \| —	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
bgcolor="#f0f0f0" \| 2001–02 \| Färjestad BK \| SEL \| 44	—	—	—	—	2664	87	4	1.96	.922 \| 10	—	—	657	18	2	1.64	.941
2002–03 \| Cincinnati Mighty Ducks \| AHL \| 1	1	0	0	—	60	2	0	2.00	.951 \| —	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
bgcolor="#f0f0f0" \| 2002–03 \| Mighty Ducks of Anaheim \| NHL \| 22	6	11	3	—	1203	39	1	1.94	.929 \| 2	0	0	20	1	0	3.00	.833
2003–04 \| Mighty Ducks of Anaheim \| NHL \| 32	11	12	4	—	1698	64	2	2.26	.918 \| —	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
bgcolor="#f0f0f0" \| 2004–05 \| SC Langnau \| NLA \| 20	6	10	4	—	1217	57	0	2.81	— \| —	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
2004–05 \| Färjestad BK \| SEL \| 30	20	6	4	—	1827	58	4	1.90	.929 \| 15	9	6	900	36	1	2.40	.925
bgcolor="#f0f0f0" \| 2005–06 \| Carolina Hurricanes \| NHL \| 60	38	14	—	6	3492	162	3	2.78	.906 \| 6	1	1	221	13	1	3.53	.856
2006–07 \| Ottawa Senators \| NHL \| 29	15	9	—	3	1969	74	1	2.78	.906 \| —	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
bgcolor="#f0f0f0" \| 2007–08 \| Ottawa Senators \| NHL \| 57	30	18	—	4	3197	145	2	2.72	.910 \| 4	0	4	238	14	0	3.53	.912
2008–09 \| Ottawa Senators \| NHL \| 14	4	9	—	1	839	40	1	2.86	.899 \| —	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
bgcolor="#f0f0f0" \| 2008–09 \| Binghamton Senators \| AHL \| 14	6	7	—	0	783	38	1	3.03	.902 \| —	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
2008–09 \| Toronto Maple Leafs \| NHL \| 12	6	5	—	0	706	38	0	3.23	.905 \| —	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
bgcolor="#f0f0f0" \| 2009–10 \| Atlant Mytishchi \| KHL \| 30	15	6	—	6	1751	64	2	2.19	.914 \| —	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
2010–11 \| Oklahoma City Barons \| AHL \| 42	20	16	—	4	2472	107	4	2.60	.911 \| 6	2	3	335	10	1	1.79	.931
bgcolor="#f0f0f0" \| 2010–11 \| Edmonton Oilers \| NHL \| 3	3	0	—	0	185	4	0	1.30	.958 \| —	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
2011–12 \| Växjö Lakers \| SEL \| 42	—	—	—	—	2417	88	4	2.18	.928 \| —	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
bgcolor="#f0f0f0" \| 2012–13 \| Rögle BK \| SEL \| 43	11	31	—	0	2457	116	1	2.83	.916 \| —	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
2013–14 \| Kloten Flyers \| NLA \| 34	17	14	—	0	2085	76	3	2.19	.927 \| 15	6	8	885	33	1	2.24	.934
bgcolor="#f0f0f0" \| 2014–15 \| Kloten Flyers \| NLA \| 33	14	12	—	1	1888	79	2	2.51	.915 \| —	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
2015–16 \| Kloten Flyers \| NLA \| 47	19	23	—	2	2790	137	0	2.95	.902 \| —	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
bgcolor="#f0f0f0" \| 2016–17 \| EHC Kloten \| NLA \| 30	11	11	—	5	1756	95	0	3.24	.910 \| —	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
bgcolor="#e0e0e0" ! colspan=3 \| NLA totals ! 294 !! — !! — !! — !! — !! 17,581 !! 922 !! — !! 3.15 !! — ! 15 !! 6 !! 8 !! 885 !! 33 !! 1 !! 2.24 !! .934
bgcolor="#e0e0e0" ! colspan=3 \| NHL totals ! 229 !! 113 !! 78 !! 7 !! 14 !! 12,915 !! 566 !! 10 !! 2.63 !! .911 ! 12 !! 1 !! 5 !! 479 !! 28 !! 1 !! 3.50 !! .890