Gary Roberts didn't back down from any opponent in his 21 seasons in the NHL. Roberts could kill you with his silky mitts, or, his gnarled up fists. He was a warriro on the ice and a gentleman off the ice. These days, he makes his home in suburban Toronto, where he runs a training facility for hockey players from every walk of life. He focuses on training and teaching good lifestyle habits to NHLers, like Cody Hodgson, James Neal and Steven Stamkos, to name a few. He also works with the elite prospects who wish to achieve their dreams of making it to the NHL.
Last weekend, John Vogl of the Buffalo News interviewed Gary Roberts to get his reaction to the criticism that Vancouver Canucks GM, Mike Gillis, had directed at Hodgson at the Canucks season-ending presser. Quite frankly, I found Gillis' remarks to be arrogant and desperate. Get over it, Mike. Name me another NHL GM who stoops to this level, long after a player is traded away:
"I spent more time on Cody's issues than every other player combined on our team the last three years," Gillis said.
Classy move, piling on a 22 year old kid.
Gillis raised eyebrows from the Pacific to the banks of Lakes Erie and Ontario when he fired this salvo at Hodgson, his former first round draft choice.
thanks, canucks.com
Like a good team mate, Gary Roberts stepped into the scrum and stook up for his friend Hodgson. Like he had done hundreds of times before during his stellar career, in the heat of the battle, Roberts took a stand for a friend.
Roberts told the Buffalo News:
"For me, I'd like to be the guy that looks at Mike Gillis and says, 'You're a moron.' It doesn't really do anybody any good other than the fact that Mike Gillis looks like, as they say on TSN, a dud."
Roberts' comments resonated across the Twittersphere and the terrestrial media world on Monday after the Buffalo News story had run.
Hodgson fans from coast to coast, and all points in between, agreed with Roberts' take that Giollis was just airing his dirty laundry in public.
Today, Roberts offered this mea culpa top TSN:
"I obviously didn't choose the right words. I don't have anything personally against Mike Gillis or the Vancouver Canucks," Roberts said Tuesday. "It was a little unjustified for me to go that far and I apologize for that word I used.
"But in Cody's defence, I've been with this player for three years, I see his commitment, dedication, the type of person he is, the way he treats people. I see how hard he's worked through a very tough time early in his career and I just felt very strongly that I had to take a stand for this young man."
Roberts knows Hodgson. He knows the kid's character and his level of dedication. He knows Hodgson's family. The two are close with one another. Roberts was just sticking up for the kid as he was getting face washed in the court of public opinion. I agree with Roberts. It was easy for Gillis to lambaste CoHo long after he had left VanCity in the trade that saw the Sabres send Zack Kassian and Marc Andre Gragnani to the Canucks in exchange for Hodgson and Alex Sulzer.
We need more guys of high character and unwavering integrity like Gary Roberts in the NHL today. Roberts is a great life coach and a tremendously important mentor to NHLers like Hodgson. He teaches them how to live like a pro.
Fast forward to the 2:20 mark to hear CoHo's appreciation and respect for Roberts first hand.
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