Anaheim Ducks goaltender John Gibson reached his 500th career game on Tuesday night as Anaheim took on the Dallas Stars at Honda Center. He made 26 saves in his milestone game to help the team secure a 2-1 win. He is now 9-9-2 on the season and boasts a 202-215-63 record across his NHL career.
He became the first goaltender in Ducks’ history to reach this milestone and finds himself in elite company as just the fifth netminder to do so with one team (Marc-Andre Fleury, Jonathan Quick, Connor Hellebuyck, and Andre Vasilevskiy reached 500 with their respective teams). Let’s take a look back on the goaltender’s journey with the Ducks as he continues to solidify himself in franchise history.
Gibson’s Amateur Career
Gibson, a native of Pittsburgh, PA, began his amateur career in USA Hockey’s National Team Development Program (NTDP). He was a star in the NTDP, having a save percentage (SV%) of .926 and a goals-against average (GAA) of 2.38 across 17 games. While in the program, he committed to play at the University of Michigan but later rescinded that commitment to join the Kitchener Rangers of the Ontario Hockey League. He played two seasons with the team, helping lead the Rangers to the postseason both times. In his first season, he tallied a .928 SV% in the regular season, increasing it to .938 in the postseason. In his second season with Kitchener, he dropped his GAA from 2.67 to 2.41 and continued to be a wall in the net. He was selected to the OHL’s Second-Team All-Star in his time there due to his incredible performance.
Related: Gibson Makes 26 Saves in Ducks’ 2-1 Win Over Stars
Gibson also represented the United States at the 2013 World Junior Championship, where he put up his best amateur performance – a .955 SV% and just 1.36 GAA, leading all goaltenders across the tournament. He was named to the tournament’s All-Star Team and given the title of Most Valuable Player. His team took home gold in part due to his efforts. That same year, he also joined Team USA’s senior group in the IIHF World Championship and posted a .951 SV% and 1.56 GAA in the team’s bronze medal win.
Gibson and the Anaheim Ducks
Gibson was selected by the Ducks 39th overall in the 2011 NHL Entry Draft. He made his professional hockey debut with the team’s American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Norfolk Admirals, and had his first NHL start with the Ducks at just 20 years old after an injury to Freddy Andersen. His first NHL win was nothing short of stellar – a 3-0 shutout victory against the Vancouver Canucks. He added himself to the history books in his first game, becoming the youngest goaltender to record a shutout in his debut since Daren Puppa in 1985.
That same season, Gibson made his Stanley Cup Playoff debut in the Western Conference semifinal, saving 28 shots for a shutout. While he had a solid start for the Ducks, he would bounce around between the AHL and NHL for a few years due to the reliability of Andersen, injuries, and a need for continued development on Gibson’s part. He became the team’s undisputed starter in 2016 after being selected to the NHL’s All-Star Game and All-Rookie Team, winning the William M. Jennings Trophy, and in the wake of Andersen’s trade to the Toronto Maple Leafs.
The goaltender signed an eight-year, $51.2 million contract in 2018 due to his impressive performance with the Ducks. He was selected to appear at both the 2019 and 2022 All-Star Games, despite his game starting to decline in the 2020-21 season. For the first time, Gibson had just a .904 SV% and 3.00 GAA. He was backing up a faltering Ducks team that did not always have his back defensively. He posted a new franchise record for career saves – 11,813 – surpassing Guy Hebert, but Gibson’s performance alone could not get them to the playoffs for the fifth year in a row. This season, he has played 23 games, alternating with Lukas Dostal. His SV% sits at .915 with a 2.69 GAA.
Gibson & the Team Remark on His Milestone
During post-game media, fellow players and Gibson himself had nothing but good things to say about this 500-game milestone. “I mean, it’s special,” Gibson said, all smiles. “I think it’s something that you would be able to look back and reminisce on maybe towards the end of the career…but just trying to win hockey games so it was nice to get the win on top of it.”
Trevor Zegras, who tallied a goal in the team’s win, spoke highly of his goaltender. “He’s amazing. I have been saying that since I got here, he is one of the best athletes [and] humans that I have been around, and to get to experience that moment with him…was pretty special.” Head coach Greg Cronin also praised Gibson, saying, “He’s so calm. When you have a goalie that has that calmness, it kind of has a domino effect mentally. I think he’s having a great year. I’m really happy for him and happy for the team.”
With just one season left on his current contract, Gibson’s time in Anaheim may be nearing its end. Nonetheless, he has officially solidified himself as one of the greatest players in Ducks history. Gibson and the Ducks will have a bit of a break before facing their freeway rivals, the Los Angeles Kings, on Saturday.
