Bob Gassoff

Robert Allen Gassoff (April 17, 1953 – May 29, 1977) was a professional ice hockey player, born in Quesnel, British Columbia. From an early age he was passionate about hockey, playing first on a rink on the family farm on the Quesnel Hydraulic Road and then on a variety of local junior leagues. He played four seasons in the NHL for the St. Louis Blues. He was killed in a motorcycle accident on the country property of his friend and teammate Garry Unger near Gray Summit, Missouri; his number three was subsequently retired by the Blues.

Bob Gassoff
Born (1953-04-17)April 17, 1953
Quesnel, British Columbia, Canada
Died May 29, 1977(1977-05-29) (aged 24)
near Gray Summit, Missouri, U.S.
Height 5 ft 10 in (178 cm)
Weight 190 lb (86 kg; 13 st 8 lb)
Position Defence
Shot Left
Played for St. Louis Blues
NHL Draft 48th overall, 1973
St. Louis Blues
WHA Draft 33rd overall, 1973
Minnesota Fighting Saints
Playing career 1973–1977

Motorcycle accident

Gassoff was killed in a motorcycle accident on the Sunday of Memorial Day weekend in 1977. He and his pregnant wife, Diane, had been invited to a postseason barbecue at teammate Garry Unger's 200-acre (0.81 km2) farm near Gray Summit, Mo. At roughly 6:00 p.m., Gassoff joined several others in riding motorcycles around Unger's property. Unger later said that he remembered wondering if it was a good idea for Gassoff to ride the motorcycle because he had been drinking and did not have any riding experience. Gassoff drove out of Unger's property on a gravel road that merged into a winding road leading up a hill to Villa Ridge, Missouri. Gassoff was not wearing a helmet and had no license plate on his motorcycle and decided to take a short run up the hill and come right back. On his way back down the hill, he collided head-on with a car driven by a man named Douglas Klekamp. The crash killed Gassoff, and Klekamp walked away uninjured. In October 1977, Gassoff's widow filed a $3 million lawsuit against Unger, his wife, and Klekamp, whom the suit alleged was one of Unger's employees running an errand for the Ungers. Unger describes Gassoff's death as one of the most devastating moments of his life.

Family

Gassoff's parents, Albert and Denise, were staunch supporters of his interest in hockey and encouraged him from a very early age. Gassoff's brother, Brad, was also an NHL hockey player. His brother Ken, born October 9, 1954, was drafted by the New York Rangers in the 1974 NHL amateur draft and by the Houston Aeros in the 1974 WHA Amateur Draft.[1] Gassoff's son Bob Gassoff Jr. (born two months after the fatal motorcycle accident in 1977) eventually also became a hockey player, briefly playing minor league professional hockey for the Peoria Rivermen (ECHL) after a four year college hockey career with the University of Michigan Wolverines men's ice hockey team. He became a Navy SEAL after retiring from hockey.[2]

Tributes

Following his death, the Bob Gassoff Trophy was created to be presented annually to the most improved defenseman in the Central Hockey League (CHL).[3]

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs
Regular season Playoffs
Season Team League GPGAPtsPIM GPGAPtsPIM
1970–71 Vernon Lakers BCJHL ————— —————
1971–72 Medicine Hat Tigers WHL 6411617314 702229
1972–73 Medicine Hat Tigers WHL 68115162388 1721012152
1973–74 St. Louis Blues NHL 2803384 —————
1973–74 Denver Spurs WHL 4541014301 —————
1974–75 St. Louis Blues NHL 6041418222 20000
1974–75 Denver Spurs CHL 1921113114 —————
1975–76 St. Louis Blues NHL 8011213306 30006
1976–77 St. Louis Blues NHL 7761824254 401110
NHL totals 245114758866 901116

See also

References
  1. "1974 NHL Amateur Draft -- Ken Gassoff".
  2. "The bond between Bobby Gassoff Jr. And his dad's Blues led to an improbable post-hockey career as a Navy SEAL".
  3. Bob Gassoff Trophy award winners at hockeydb.com
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