Danny Gare: WHL and National Hockey League Sniper Extraordinaire

Danny Gare’s sniper ability was evident back when he was a junior with the Calgary Centennials of the WCHL (now the Tri-City Americans of the WHL). Gare went on to an excellent NHL hockey career with the Buffalo Sabres, Detroit Red Wings and Edmonton Oilers before ending up in the broadcast booth.

Gare never played a game of minor pro hockey, moving directly from the Centennials to the Sabres. He was the second player in Buffalo history to top the 50 goal plateau, behind Rick Martin. Only two others have accomplished the feat in a Sabres jersey.

Junior Career

NHL Career

Hockey Card Collection

Rookie Card

Career Stats

Danny Gare – Calgary Centennials

Danny Gare played three years in the WCHL with Calgary from 1971-72 to 1973-74. Over 186 regular season games, he scored 123 and assisted on 119 for 242 points. Danny added another 16 goals and 34 points over 33 playoff games.

In his first year with the Centennials, the team placed first overall in the league but fell in the semi-finals to the Edmonton Oil Kings. After a mediocre 1972-73, Calgary was once again revved up for 1973-74.

In his final season in junior, Gare scored 68 goals and assisted on 59 for 127 points over 65 regular season games. He led the team in goals, one ahead of Mike Rogers. When it came to total points, Gare fell behind Rogers and his 140 points. Danny was the team leader with 238 penalty minutes.

Gare finished second in the WCHL with his 68 goals. For points, he placed seventh. Calgary placed first in the West Division and second overall behind the Regina Pats. The Centennials met up with Regina in the finals and were swept away in four games.

It should be noted that Gare wore number 12 during his junior hockey days and not the number 18 that he would wear throughout his National Hockey League career.

Danny Gare – NHL

At the 1974 NHL Amateur Draft, Danny Gare was taken in the second round by the Buffalo Sabres, 29th overall. That year, he was also taken in the WHA’s Secret Amateur Draft, eleventh overall by the Winnipeg Jets.

Danny Gare Collection

Danny played in the NHL from 1974-75 to 1986-87 with the Sabres, Red Wings and Oilers. He scored 354 goals and assisted on 331 for 685 points over 827 regular season games. In the Stanley Cup playoffs, Gare played an additional 64 games, scoring 25 goals and adding 46 points.

In his rookie year, 1974-75, Danny scored 31 goals and assisted on 31 for 62 points with a very good Sabres team. In the Stanley Cup playoffs, he scored another seven and assisted on six over 17 games as Buffalo reached the finals before falling in six to the Philadelphia Flyers.

The numbers and the value he added to his team were great but not good enough to earn the Calder Trophy as rookie of the year. That honour went to Eric Vail of the Atlanta Flames in 1974-75. Vail scored 39 goals and assisted on 21 for 60 points over 72 games on a team that did not qualify for the post season.

Twice, Gare was a 50 goal scorer in the National Hockey League. In 1975-76, just his second year in the league, he scored exactly 50. Danny tied for fifth in the NHL with Bill Barber of the Flyers. In 1979-80, Gare finished atop the NHL in a three way tie with Blaine Stoughton of the Hartford Whalers and Charlie Simmer of the Los Angeles Kings, all with 56 goals each.

Gare was team captain of the Sabres from 1977-78 until a trade sent him to the Red Wings 22 games into the 1981-82 season. It was a bit of a blockbuster with Jim Schoenfeld and Derek Smith heading to Michigan with him, in exchange for Mike Foligno, Dale McCourt and Brent Peterson.

Danny served as team captain with the Red Wings from 1982-83 to 1985-86, providing great mentorship for a young Steve Yzerman. Gare started the 1986-87 season with the Edmonton Oilers but played just 18 games before retiring.

A member of the Buffalo Sabres Hall of Fame but not the Hockey Hall of Fame, Gare was a member of Team Canada at the 1976 and 1981 Canada Cup. After retiring, he spent the 1993-94 and 1994-95 seasons as an assistant coach of the Tampa Bay Lightning. However, most of his post career time has been spent in the broadcasting booth as a colour analyst for the Sabres.

Danny Gare – Rookie Card

The Danny Gare rookie card appears as number 64 in both the 1975-76 O-Pee-Chee and 1975-76 Topps sets. The card is valued at around three times that of a common card. He is shown with the Buffalo Sabres.

His final card is included in the 1986-87 O-Pee-Chee and Topps sets. He is shown in a Detroit Red Wings jersey but as a member of the Edmonton Oilers. The card notes that he is “Now With Oilers”. Gare would play just 18 games with Edmonton that season before retiring.

He is fighting for position with Barry Beck of the New York Rangers on the front of that 1986-87 card. This a battle between two captains. Beck would not play in 1986-87 and would not have a hockey card in that year’s set.

Danny Gare Career Stats

Season	Team	Lge	GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
1971-72	Calgary Centennials	WCHL	56	10	17	27	15
1972-73	Calgary Centennials	WCHL	65	45	43	88	107
1973-74	Calgary Centennials	WCHL	65	68	59	127	238
1974-75	Buffalo Sabres	NHL	78	31	31	62	75
1975-76	Buffalo Sabres	NHL	79	50	23	73	129
1976-77	Buffalo Sabres	NHL	35	11	15	26	73
1977-78	Buffalo Sabres	NHL	69	39	38	77	95
1978-79	Buffalo Sabres	NHL	71	27	40	67	90
1979-80	Buffalo Sabres	NHL	76	56	33	89	90
1980-81	Buffalo Sabres	NHL	73	46	39	85	109
1981-82	Buffalo Sabres	NHL	22	7	14	21	25
1981-82	Detroit Red Wings	NHL	36	13	9	22	74
1982-83	Detroit Red Wings	NHL	79	26	35	61	107
1983-84	Detroit Red Wings	NHL	63	13	13	26	147
1984-85	Detroit Red Wings	NHL	71	27	29	56	163
1985-86	Detroit Red Wings	NHL	57	7	9	16	102
1986-87	Edmonton Oilers	NHL	18	1	3	4	6
	NHL Totals		827	354	331	685	1285