By Warren Kozireski —
Buffalo native Dennis Gilbert probably dreamed for years of doing what he did Saturday afternoon when his Calgary Flames came to Buffalo Saturday afternoon.
Dreams do come true as he netted his second career NHL goal and first of the season in front of many family and friends as the Flames defeated the Sabres 7-2.
“I just jumped up in the play and was yelling to drop it; I probably could have walked in a little bit, but just tried to hit it hard,” Gilbert said in the Flames locker room. “I’ll tell my kids one day that it went bar down, but you don’t ask how.”
“I was almost laughing that it went in, like it wasn’t a very good shot. It’s not exactly my calling card, but it was cool having like 100 people here…but I will say it was nice hearing a couple of boos at certain times during the game.”
Gilbert, a Buffalo, NY native, played in high school at St. Joseph’s Institute for two years and the Buffalo Jr. Sabres for one season before heading to the USHL and three years at Notre Dame.
He was drafted before his freshman collegiate season in the third round by Chicago in 2015, traded to Colorado in 2020 and signed with Calgary as a free agent this past summer.
(Photo’s provided through St. Joseph Collegiate Institute Hockey Program)
