Biography
Paul Gardner is a member of the Gardner Hockey Dynasty. Son of hockey legend Cal Gardner and younger brother of Dave Gardner. He was born in Fort Erie but grew up in Leaside.
As a youth Paul played in the Leaside Hockey Association. Between 1973 and 1976 Paul played first for the St Michael’s Buzzers and then for the Oshawa Generals. He was first drafted in 1976 by both the NHL Kansas City Scouts and the WHA Toronto Toros. Throughout his career he played for the Toronto Maple Leafs, Pittsburgh Penguins, Washington Capitals and Buffalo Sabres. Paul was an effective presence in front of the net and a skilled scorer. Throughout his career, Paul played a total of 477 games for five different NHL clubs, notching 402 Points (201 Goals, 201 Assists). His final NHL game was with the Buffalo Sabres in 1986. Since retiring from playing Paul has spent many years coaching in Canada, the US and Europe.