Gabriel Gagné (born November 11, 1996) is a

Canadian Canadians () 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 their being ''C ...

professional

ice hockey Ice hockey (or simply hockey in North America) is a team sport played on ice skates, usually on an Ice rink, ice skating rink with Ice hockey rink, lines and markings specific to the sport. It belongs to a family of sports called hockey. Tw ...

winger who is currently an

unrestricted free agent In professional sports, a free agent is a player or manager who is eligible to sign with other clubs or franchises; i.e., not under contract to any specific team. The term is also used in reference to a player who is under a contract at present ...

. Gagné was drafted by the

Ottawa Senators The Ottawa Senators (), officially the Ottawa Senators Hockey Club and colloquially known as the Sens, are a professional ice hockey team based in Ottawa. The Senators compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Di ...

in the 2015 NHL Entry Draft.

Playing career

Gagné was selected in the second round of the 2012 QMJHL Entry Draft by the

Moncton Wildcats The Moncton Wildcats are a Canadian junior ice hockey team in the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) based in Moncton, New Brunswick. The franchise was granted for the 1995–96 QMJHL season, 1995–96 season known as the Moncton A ...

. In January 2013, Gagné was traded to the

Victoriaville Tigres The Victoriaville Tigres are a Canadian junior ice hockey team that plays in the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League. The team is based in Victoriaville, Quebec. The team plays its home games at the Colisée Desjardins. History The franchis ...

as part of a trade that sent Phillip Danault to Moncton. After playing two-plus seasons with the Tigres, during which he scored 56 goals, Gagné was traded in December 2015 to the

Shawinigan Cataractes The Shawinigan Cataractes () are a Canadian junior ice hockey team in the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) based in Shawinigan, Quebec. The franchise plays their home games at the Centre Gervais Auto, and were originally known as ...

in exchange for James Phelan and a draft pick. Gagné was drafted in the second round, 36th overall, by the

in the 2015 NHL Entry Draft. One year later, he made his professional debut for the Senators'

ECHL The ECHL (formerly the East Coast Hockey League) is a minor professional ice hockey league based in Shrewsbury, New Jersey, with teams across the United States and Canada. Competitively, it is a tier below the American Hockey League (AHL). The ...

affiliate, the

Wichita Thunder The Wichita Thunder are a minor league hockey team based in Wichita, Kansas. The team played in the Central Hockey League from 1992 until 2014, and then in the ECHL since the 2014–15 season. From 1992 until December 2009, the Thunder played in ...

. In the final year of his entry-level contract in the 2018–19 season, Gagné contributed with 9 points in 33 games with AHL affiliate, the

Belleville Senators The Belleville Senators (colloquially known as the B-Sens) are a professional ice hockey team based in Belleville, Ontario. They are the American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate of the National Hockey League (NHL)'s Ottawa Senators. The Senators pl ...

, before he was traded by Ottawa to 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. The Maple Leafs compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the A ...

in exchange for Morgan Klimchuk on January 11, 2019. At the conclusion of his contract with the Maple Leafs, Gagné left as a free agent. Unable to secure an NHL contract, Gagné agreed to a contract for the 2019–20 season with the Allen Americans of the ECHL on August 21, 2019. As the Americans' offensive leader, Gagné collected 26 points in 25 games before signing a professional tryout with the

Ontario Reign The Ontario Reign are a professional ice hockey team based in Ontario, California. They are the American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate of the National Hockey League's Los Angeles Kings. The team plays its home games at the Toyota Arena. The fra ...

of the AHL on December 18, 2019. He returned to the Americans after 3 games, and continued to lead the ECHL with 24 goals before agreeing to his second PTO in the AHL with the

Rockford IceHogs The Rockford IceHogs are a professional ice hockey team based in Rockford, Illinois. They are members of the American Hockey League (AHL), having begun play in the League starting in the 2007–08 season. The team plays their home games at the ...

, affiliate to the

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 (N ...

on January 18, 2020. Finding a role within the IceHogs, contributing with 11 points through 19 games, Gagné was signed to an AHL contract for the remainder of the season on March 7, 2020. Following his fifth season in the AHL, with his NHL prospects limited, Gagné signed his first contract abroad, agreeing to a one-year contract with Norwegian club, Stjernen, on June 5, 2021. However, this contract would later be terminated following Gagné's sexual assault charges and subsequent arrest.

Personal

Gagné has said he tries to play like

Rick Nash Richard Nash (born June 16, 1984) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player who serves as the director of player development for the Columbus Blue Jackets of the National Hockey League (NHL). After being selected List of first overall ...

, and he has also been compared to Steve Bernier.

Sexual assault charges

On August 3, 2021, Gagné was arrested in Québec and charged with sexual assault against multiple alleged victims. The charges date back to incidents in 2016 while he played for Shawinigan in the QMJHL, with one victim being under 16 years of age at the time. Gagné's contract with Stjernen in Norway for the upcoming season was terminated upon the news of his arrest. On November 26, 2024, Gagné was found guilty of sexual assault by Judge Hubert Couture.

Career statistics

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Gagne, Gabriel 1996 births Living people Allen Americans players Belleville Senators players Binghamton Senators players Canadian ice hockey right wingers Ice hockey people from Laurentides Newfoundland Growlers players Ontario Reign (AHL) players Ottawa Senators draft picks Rockford IceHogs (AHL) players Shawinigan Cataractes players Toronto Marlies players Victoriaville Tigres players Wichita Thunder players Canadian expatriate ice hockey players in the United States 21st-century Canadian sportsmen