Underrated Habs Players: Josh Gorges

Gorges was never afraid to throw his body in front of the puck to help his team win games. Of course, this did come with his share of battle wounds, such as a game against the Washington Capitals during the 2009-10 season where he took a Mike Green slapshot off the helmet, knocking him unconscious for a minute or two. Being at the game that night, it was one of the scariest moments I saw live at the Bell Centre as blood from his ear gushed onto the ice as he lay on the ice. Luckily, he only missed the rest of the game and was back a few nights later, blocking shots. It was deemed he had no concussion from that shot seemed like a miracle, but it also showed just how tough the defenseman was. 

On top of his elite shot-blocking skills, Gorges brought incredible leadership skills that made him a great asset for younger players coming into the league. He even took in a rookie, Brendan Gallagher, into his home during the forward’s rookie season and showed him the ropes of being an NHLer. To this day, Gallagher still credits Gorges with giving him some of the leadership skills he has today. Neither of the two players was ever an NHL captain with the Habs, but they were among the most vocal leaders on the team. 

Gorges played big roles in two long playoff runs that took the Habs all the way to the Eastern Conference Finals in 2010 and 2014. In 2010, he was the most-used skater on the entire team, averaging 22:42 in 19 playoff games (Andrei Markov averaged more minutes but only played 8 games due to a knee injury). Only his defensive partner, the 6’7 Hal Gill, had more blocked shots during that playoff run. Goaltender Jaroslav Halak gets a lot of credit for that run, but without Gill and Gorges out there blocking a combined 6.53 shots a night on that run, the Habs likely don’t have the same success that year. 

In 2014, despite slowing down a bit with age, he played an average of 23:27 a night during 17 playoff games. This time, those minutes were the 3rd highest on the team throughout that run. After a final long playoff run with the Habs, he was shipped off to the Buffalo Sabres for a 2nd round pick in 2016 

It should be noted that he had been traded to the Toronto Maple Leafs a day before the Sabres’ transaction, but he refused to waive his no-trade clause, making him even more of a favorite with Habs fans. 

Gorges finished his Habs career with 464 games played, putting up 1082 blocked shots and 606 hits. He also put up 13 goals and 88 points, but offense was never a big part of his game. Gorges was the recipient of the 2011-12 Jacques Beauchamp Trophy as the team’s unsung hero for that season. He will always be among the most underrated Habs of the 21st century. 

What were your thoughts on Josh Gorges’ time with the Montreal Canadiens?