Kurtis Gabriel

Lore & Background

Gabriel played four seasons in the Ontario Hockey League with the Owen Sound Attack from 2010 to 2014, serving as an alternate captain in his final season. After being passed over in two NHL drafts, the Minnesota Wild selected him in the third round of the 2013 draft. He signed a three-year entry-level contract with the Wild in March 2014 and made his NHL debut on November 10, 2015, against the Winnipeg Jets. Gabriel spent most of his tenure with the Wild's AHL affiliate, the Iowa Wild, and was named the team's IOA/American Specialty AHL Man of the Year in 2015–16 for his community contributions.

After leaving the Wild following the 2017–18 season, Gabriel signed with the New Jersey Devils. On February 21, 2019, he scored his first NHL goal against the Ottawa Senators. During the 2018–19 season, he became the first NHL player to use Pride Tape outside of a designated Pride Night, keeping the tape on his stick after warmups and scoring the winning goal in a nationally televised game against the Montreal Canadiens. He later played for the Philadelphia Flyers' AHL affiliate, the San Jose Sharks, and was traded to the Chicago Blackhawks in December 2021 without having played a game for the Toronto Maple Leafs, who had signed him earlier that year. Gabriel announced his retirement on September 19, 2022.

Reader's Guide

Kurtis Gabriel's significance lies in his pioneering use of Pride Tape beyond designated Pride Nights, a gesture that drew national attention and sparked broader conversations about LGBTQ+ inclusion in hockey. His advocacy extended to community work, earning him the IOA/American Specialty AHL Man of the Year award with both the Iowa Wild and the Lehigh Valley Phantoms. Gabriel also collaborated with the Shared Grief Project following his father's suicide, using his platform to address mental health. On the ice, he was known as an enforcer, accumulating penalty minutes and serving suspensions for physical play. His career path—from being undrafted twice to being selected in the third round, and from AHL mainstay to brief NHL stints with four organizations—reflects the journey of a player who carved out a role through toughness and community engagement. His retirement in 2022 closed a chapter on a player whose off-ice actions often overshadowed his on-ice statistics.

Did You Know?

• Gabriel was passed over in the NHL entry draft during his first two years of eligibility before being selected by the Minnesota Wild in the third round of the 2013 draft.
• Gabriel endured a partial cut to his median nerve and damage to a major muscle and ligament in his wrist after accidentally falling on a skate blade during the 2017–18 season.
• He was traded to the Chicago Blackhawks on December 9, 2021, in exchange for defenceman Chad Krys, without having played a game for the Toronto Maple Leafs.