Gary Nylund (born October 28, 1963) is a
Canadian
Canadians (french: Canadiens) are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, many (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of ...
retired professional
ice hockey
Ice hockey (or simply hockey) is a team sport played on ice skates, usually on an ice skating rink with lines and markings specific to the sport. It belongs to a family of sports called hockey. In ice hockey, two opposing teams use ice hock ...
player who played in 608
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League (NHL; french: Ligue nationale de hockey—LNH, ) is a professional ice hockey league in North America comprising 32 teams—25 in the United States and 7 in Canada. It is considered to be the top ranked professional ...
games for the
Toronto Maple Leafs
The Toronto Maple Leafs (officially the Toronto Maple Leaf Hockey Club and often referred to as the Leafs) are a professional ice hockey team based in Toronto. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Div ...
,
Chicago Blackhawks
The Chicago Blackhawks (spelled Black Hawks until 1986, and known colloquially as the Hawks) are a professional ice hockey team based in Chicago. The Blackhawks compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division i ...
and
New York Islanders
The New York Islanders (colloquially known as the Isles) are a professional ice hockey team based in Elmont, New York. The Islanders compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference ( ...
.
Overview
Nylund was born in
Surrey, British Columbia
Surrey is a city in British Columbia, Canada. It is located south of the Fraser River on the Canada–United States border. It is a member municipality of the Metro Vancouver regional district and metropolitan area. Mainly a suburban city, Surr ...
and raised in
North Delta, British Columbia
North Delta (founded as Annieville) is a largely middle-class commuter town situated in the Lower Mainland, of British Columbia, Canada. The community is the most populous of the three communities (North Delta, Ladner, and Tsawwassen) that make ...
. He was selected third overall by Toronto in the
1982 NHL Entry Draft
The 1982 NHL Entry Draft was the 20th NHL Entry Draft. It was held at the Montreal Forum in Montreal, Quebec. The National Hockey League (NHL) teams selected 252 players eligible for entry into professional ranks, in the reverse order of the 1981 ...
.
Nylund is notable for being the first NHL player to change teams via free agency when he left the Maple Leafs to sign with the Chicago Blackhawks in 1986.
Following his retirement, Nylund became a
firefighter
A firefighter is a first responder and rescuer extensively trained in firefighting, primarily to extinguish hazardous fires that threaten life, property, and the environment as well as to rescue people and in some cases or jurisdictions also ...
in
Delta, British Columbia
Delta is a city in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia, Canada, as part of Greater Vancouver. Located on the Fraser Lowland south of Fraser River's south arm, it is bordered by the city of Richmond on the Lulu Island to the north, N ...
. He was awarded the
Medal of Bravery in 2004 for his part in saving the lives of two fellow firefighters in a 2001 chemical fire at a paper mill on
Annacis Island
Annacis Island is a narrow island under the jurisdiction of City of Delta in Lower Mainland, British Columbia, located just downstream of the south arm of the Fraser River bifurcation between Lulu Island to the north and the Delta peninsula to t ...
in B.C.
In addition to his work as a firefighter, Nylund is currently a part-owner and assistant coach of the
BCHL
The British Columbia Hockey League (BCHL) is a Junior A ice hockey league from British Columbia under Hockey Canada and BC Hockey. Founded in Vernon in 1961, the BCHL now includes 18 teams.
From 1993 to 2021, the league was a member of the Can ...
Surrey Eagles
The Surrey Eagles are a junior "A" ice hockey team based in Surrey, British Columbia, Canada. They are members of the Mainland Division of the British Columbia Hockey League (BCHL). They play their home games at South Surrey Arena.
History
New ...
franchise.
Career statistics
Regular season and playoffs
International
Awards
* WHL Second All-Star Team – 1981
* WHL First All-Star Team – 1982
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Nylund, Gary
1963 births
Canadian firefighters
Canadian people of Swedish descent
Chicago Blackhawks players
Delta Suns players
Ice hockey people from British Columbia
Living people
National Hockey League first-round draft picks
New York Islanders players
People from Delta, British Columbia
Portland Winterhawks players
Sportspeople from Surrey, British Columbia
Toronto Maple Leafs draft picks
Toronto Maple Leafs players
Canadian ice hockey defencemen