Troy Gamble

Career

After winning the Del Wilson Trophy as Top Goaltender in the Western Hockey League for 1984-85 and being named a WHL All-Star First Team after leading the WHL in shutouts and GAA (2.86) while playing for the Medicine Hat Tigers, Gamble was drafted by the Vancouver Canucks in the second round, 25th overall, in the 1985 draft. Gamble would play another junior season for Medicine Hat before being traded mid year to the Spokane Chiefs during the 86-87 season. He would also make his NHL debut for Vancouver on November 22, 1986, a 5-2 loss to the Edmonton Oilers. Vancouver returned him to juniors for the 87-88 season to allow him more playing time and to gain more experience before beginning his NHL career.

In the summer of 1988, the Canucks sent the 21-year-old Gamble and Jack McIlhargey to Russia to support a relationship that would later result in Soviet stars Igor Larionov and Vladimir Krutov joining the Canucks. Gamble endured rigorous off-season training with Dynamo Moscow for two weeks and another two weeks with Spartak.

Gamble’s NHL career began well, as in his rookie season of 1990-91 he would post a 16-16-6 record and a 3.45 GAA, while appearing in 47 games, outplaying incumbent starter Kirk McLean, who posted a 10-22-3 record with a 3.99 GAA. Gamble would even start in the post-season for the Canucks playing a memorable Smythe Division semifinals match-up against the Los Angeles Kings. However, due to reoccurring concussion problems Gamble’s career was derailed from PCS symptoms including nausea and recurring headaches.

Gamble spent the majority of his career in the minors. He played for 5 teams after his 1991 success and retired following the 1995-96 season as a member of the Houston Aeros. After retirement, Gamble took a manager's job with M-I SWACO, a Texas-based company specializing in global oil and gas production. The work took him on trips through the Middle East, including three years' residence in Libya.

Gamble still resides in the Houston area and does color commentary for select Aeros games on their radio and internet broadcasts.

Family tragedy

On March 11, 2010 it was reported that Troy’s son Garrett Gamble was killed in Afghanistan while serving as a member of the United States Marine Corps After attending Stephen F. Austin High in Sugar Land, Texas Gamble joined the Marine Corps and a family friend stated that “This was something he wanted to do, even before he got out of high school,” and that “He was anxious to go.” In October 2009 Gamble was sent to Afghanistan as a SAW gunner near the front lines. Tragically Gamble, 20, was killed after stepping on a land mine device while on patrol in Helmand province, Afghanistan.