{{Short description|Canadian ice hockey player (born 1984)}} {{Infobox ice hockey player | position = Defence | shoots = Left | image = Josh Gorges 2017-11-14.jpg | caption = Gorges with the Buffalo Sabres in 2017 | image_size = 230px | height_ft = 6 | height_in = 1 | weight_lb = 204 | played_for = San Jose Sharks<br>Montreal Canadiens<br>Buffalo Sabres | league = NHL | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1984|8|14|mf=y}} | birth_place = Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada | draft = Undrafted | career_start = 2005 | career_end = 2018 }}
'''Joshua Daniel Gorges''' (born August 14, 1984) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey defenceman. He is of German ancestry; his grandparents emigrated from Germany to Canada. Gorges played in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the San Jose Sharks, Montreal Canadiens and Buffalo Sabres.
==Playing career== As a youth, Gorges played in the 1998 Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament with a minor ice hockey team from Kelowna.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.publicationsports.com/ressources/files/439/Joueurs_Pro.pdf|title=Pee-Wee players who have reached NHL or WHA|year=2018|website=Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament|access-date=2019-02-12|archive-date=2019-03-06|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190306085544/https://www.publicationsports.com/ressources/files/439/Joueurs_Pro.pdf|url-status=dead}}</ref>
Gorges played major junior for his hometown Kelowna Rockets of the Western Hockey League (WHL) from 2000 through 2004. After going undrafted in 2002, he signed as a free agent with the San Jose Sharks. Gorges was named Team WHL captain for the 2003 RE/MAX Canada–Russia Challenge.<ref>{{cite web|title=Gorges named Team WHL captain |url=http://www.chl.ca/CHLRussiaChallenge/1120d.html |publisher=Canadian Hockey League |accessdate=2013-06-16 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20031228080405/http://www.chl.ca/CHLRussiaChallenge/1120d.html |archivedate=December 28, 2003 }}</ref> He was also a member of Team Canada at the 2004 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships, where he won a silver medal.<ref>{{cite web |author1=Tim Wharnsby |title=Look back at 2004 WJC final between U.S., Canada |url=https://www.nhl.com/news/look-back-at-2004-wjc-final-between-u-s-canada/c-793161 |website=NHL.com |accessdate=February 12, 2019 |date=December 20, 2015}}</ref> In 2004, the Rockets (with Gorges as team captain) won the Memorial Cup.
During the 2004–05 NHL lockout, Gorges played for the Sharks' American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Cleveland Barons. He made his debut for the Sharks during the 2005-06 season, skating in 49 games.
[[File:Joshgorgeschecking.jpg|left|thumb|200px|Gorges with the Sharks in 2006.]]
On February 25, 2007, Gorges and a 2007 first-round pick were traded to the Montreal Canadiens in exchange for Craig Rivet and a 2008 fifth-round pick.<ref>{{cite web |title=CANADIENS TRADE AWAY CRAIG RIVET FOR JOSH GORGES AND FIRST-ROUND PICK |url=https://thehockeynews.com/news/article/canadiens-trade-away-craig-rivet-for-josh-gorges-and-first-round-pick |website=The Hockey News |date=25 February 2007 |accessdate=February 25, 2007}}</ref> On July 9, 2008, the Canadiens signed Gorges to a three-year, $3.3 million contract extension.<ref>{{cite web |title=Gorges A Playoff Warrior |url=https://www.nhlpa.com/news/1-13710/gorges-a-playoff-warrior |website=National Hockey League Players Association |accessdate=May 5, 2010}}</ref>
On February 10, 2010, during a game against the Washington Capitals, Gorges was hit on the left side of the head by a slap shot from Mike Green. Gorges remained motionless on the ice for several minutes, with his head bleeding. He eventually was helped up by team doctors and helped to the bench. The Canadiens eventually won the game 6–5 in OT to end the Capitals 14-game win streak.<ref>[http://canadiens.nhl.com/club/recap.htm?id=2009020886&navid=DL|MTL|home Capitals vs. Canadiens – 10/02/2010 – Montreal Canadiens – Recap] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120330072312/http://canadiens.nhl.com/club/recap.htm?id=2009020886&navid=DL%7CMTL%7Chome |date=2012-03-30 }}. Canadiens.nhl.com (2010-02-10). Retrieved on 2011-12-04.</ref> Gorges skated in practice the next day and was quoted as saying "Unless something happens in the next 24 hours, I’ll be in the lineup against the Flyers."<ref>[http://canadiens.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=517245 The ultimate warrior – MontrĂŠal Canadiens – News]. Canadiens.nhl.com (2010-02-10). Retrieved on 2011-12-04.</ref>
Gorges was widely praised for his performances in the 2010 Stanley Cup Playoffs, with Don Cherry declaring "Josh Gorges should be captain of the Canadiens, there’s no doubt in my mind. He’s a captain’s captain. This isn’t in any way to say that Brian Gionta is bad, it’s only to say that Gorges is so good. He’s exceptional. And I think Brian would be happy to have a little pressure taken off him so he could just play the game. Look up the word ‘leader’ in the dictionary, and you’ll find Gorges’s picture."<ref>{{cite news |last1=Stubbs |first1=Dave |title=Don Cherry on the Canadiens: 'I've never seen a team in such turmoil' |url=https://nationalpost.com/sports/hockey/nhl/don-cherry-on-the-canadiens-ive-never-seen-a-team-in-such-turmoil |accessdate=February 12, 2019 |newspaper=National Post |date=April 7, 2012}}</ref>
On July 22, 2011, the Canadiens re-signed Gorges to a one-year, $2.5 million contract extension.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=372302 |title=Canadiens sign Gorges to one-year $2.5 million deal |publisher=The Sports Network |date=2011-07-22 |accessdate=2011-07-22 |archive-date=2011-07-24 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110724160535/http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=372302 |url-status=dead }}</ref> [[File:Josh Georges 2010-05-02.JPG|thumb|right|Gorges with the Canadiens in May 2010.]]
On January 1, 2012, Gorges signed a six-year, $23.4 million contract extension with the Canadiens.<ref>{{cite web | url = http://tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=383970 | title = Canadiens extend Gorges | publisher = The Sports Network | date = 2012-01-01 | accessdate = 2012-01-01 | archive-date = 2012-01-02 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120102083027/http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=383970 | url-status = dead }}</ref>
On July 1, 2014, Gorges was traded to the Buffalo Sabres in exchange for the Minnesota Wild's 2016 second-round pick.<ref>{{cite web |title=Sabres acquire D Josh Gorges in trade with Canadiens; Montreal signs D Gilbert to 2-year deal |url=https://www.nhl.com/news/sabres-acquire-d-josh-gorges-in-trade-with-canadiens-montreal-signs-d-gilbert-to-2-year-deal/c-724724 |website=National Hockey League |accessdate=July 1, 2014}}</ref> He refused to waive his no-trade clause to be traded to the Canadiens' rival, the Toronto Maple Leafs.<ref>{{cite news| url = https://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nhl-puck-daddy/josh-gorges-approves-trade-to-buffalo--montreal-signs-gilbert-as-replacement-164907402.html | title = Josh Gorges approves trade to Buffalo | work = Yahoo! Sports | date = 2014-07-01 | accessdate = 2014-07-01}}</ref>
Upon concluding his contract with the Sabres following the 2017–18 season, Gorges remained an un-signed free agent over the summer and into the 2018–19 season. On January 14, 2019, Gorges announced his retirement from his 13 season NHL career.<ref>{{cite web| url = https://www.tsn.ca/ex-habs-sabres-d-gorges-retires-from-nhl-1.1241214 | title = Ex-Habs, Sabres defenseman Gorges retires | publisher = The Sports Network | date = January 14, 2019 | accessdate = January 14, 2019}}</ref>
==Post-hockey career==
Gorges served as the West Kelowna Warriors Director of Player Development. He has helped organize a local mental health charity baseball game in Kelowna with other former NHLers.<ref>{{cite web| url = https://www.pentictonwesternnews.com/news/bases-loaded-with-nhl-talent-at-kelownas-homebase-charity-event/ | title = Bases loaded with NHL talent at Kelowna's Homebase charity event | publisher = Penticton Western News | date = June 18, 2022 | accessdate = October 12, 2022}}</ref>
==Career statistics==
===Regular season and playoffs=== {| border="0" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="0" style="text-align:center; width:60em;" |- style="background:#e0e0e0;" ! colspan="3" style="background:#fff;"| ! rowspan="99" style="background:#fff;"| ! colspan="5" | Regular season ! rowspan="99" style="background:#fff;"| ! colspan="5" | Playoffs |- style="background:#e0e0e0;" ! Season ! Team ! League ! GP ! G ! A ! Pts ! PIM ! GP ! G ! A ! Pts ! PIM |- | 2000–01||Kelowna Rockets||WHL||57||4||6||10||24||6||1||1||2||4 |- style="background:#f0f0f0;" | 2001–02||Kelowna Rockets||WHL||72||7||34||41||74||15||1||7||8||8 |- | 2002–03||Kelowna Rockets||WHL||54||11||48||59||76||19||3||17||20||16 |- style="background:#f0f0f0;" | 2003–04||Kelowna Rockets||WHL||62||11||31||42||38||17||2||13||15||6 |- | 2004–05||Cleveland Barons||AHL||20||3||3||6||4||—||—||—||—||— |- style="background:#f0f0f0;" | 2005–06||San Jose Sharks||NHL||49||0||6||6||31||11||0||1||1||4 |- | 2005–06||Cleveland Barons||AHL||18||2||3||5||12||—||—||—||—||— |- style="background:#f0f0f0;" | 2006–07||San Jose Sharks||NHL||47||1||3||4||26||—||—||—||—||— |- | 2006–07||Worcester Sharks||AHL||7||0||1||1||2||—||—||—||—||— |- style="background:#f0f0f0;" | 2006–07||Montreal Canadiens||NHL||7||0||0||0||0||—||—||—||—||— |- | 2007–08||Montreal Canadiens||NHL||62||0||9||9||32||12||0||3||3||0 |- style="background:#f0f0f0;" | 2008–09||Montreal Canadiens||NHL||81||4||19||23||37||4||0||1||1||7 |- | 2009–10||Montreal Canadiens||NHL||82||3||7||10||39||19||0||2||2||14 |- style="background:#f0f0f0;" | 2010–11||Montreal Canadiens||NHL||36||1||6||7||18||—||—||—||—||— |- | 2011–12||Montreal Canadiens||NHL||82||2||14||16||39||—||—||—||—||— |- style="background:#f0f0f0;" | 2012–13||Montreal Canadiens||NHL||48||2||7||9||15||5||0||0||0||4 |- | 2013–14||Montreal Canadiens||NHL||66||1||13||14||12||17||0||2||2||6 |- style="background:#f0f0f0;" | 2014–15||Buffalo Sabres||NHL||46||0||6||6||16||—||—||—||—||— |- | 2015–16||Buffalo Sabres||NHL||77||2||10||12||72||—||—||—||—||— |- style="background:#f0f0f0;" | 2016–17||Buffalo Sabres||NHL||66||1||5||6||50||—||—||—||—||— |- | 2017–18||Buffalo Sabres||NHL||34||0||2||2||17||—||—||—||—||— |- style="background:#e0e0e0;" ! colspan="3" | NHL totals ! 783 ! 17 ! 107 ! 124 ! 404 ! 68 ! 0 ! 9 ! 9 ! 35 |} {{MedalTableTop|name=no}} {{MedalCountry | {{ih|CAN}} }} {{MedalCompetition| World Junior Championships}} {{MedalSilver|2004 Finland|}} {{MedalBottom}}
===International=== {| border="0" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="0" style="text-align:center; width:40em" |- ALIGN="center" bgcolor="#e0e0e0" ! Year ! Team ! Event ! Result ! rowspan="99" bgcolor="#ffffff" | ! GP ! G ! A ! Pts ! PIM |- ALIGN="center" | 2004 | Canada | WJC | {{silver2}} | 6 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 4 |- bgcolor="#e0e0e0" ! colspan="4" | Junior totals ! 6 ! 0 ! 3 ! 3 ! 4 |}
==Awards== *2002–03: WHL – West Second All-Star Team *2004: Memorial Cup – George Parsons Trophy (Most Sportsmanlike Player) *2003–04: WHL – West First All-Star Team *2004: Junior World Championships – Silver medal *2004–05: Cleveland Barons rookie of the year *2004–05: Cleveland Barons Rubbermaid "Player of the Year" (along with Doug Murray) *2011–12: Montreal Canadiens Jacques-Beauchamp-Molson individual team award (Unsung Hero)
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== *{{icehockeystats}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Gorges, Josh}} Category:1984 births Category:Buffalo Sabres players Category:Canadian expatriate ice hockey players in the United States Category:Canadian ice hockey defencemen Category:Canadian people of German descent Category:Cleveland Barons (2001–2006) players Category:Ice hockey people from Kelowna Category:Kelowna Rockets players Category:Living people Category:Montreal Canadiens players Category:San Jose Sharks players Category:Undrafted National Hockey League players Category:Worcester Sharks players Category:21st-century Canadian sportsmen