Gabriel Vilardi

Last updated

Gabe Vilardi
Gabe Vilardi closeup 2022.jpg
Vilardi with the Los Angeles Kings in 2022
Born (1999-08-16) August 16, 1999 (age 25)
Kingston, Ontario, Canada
Height 6 ft 3 in (191 cm)
Weight 203 lb (92 kg; 14 st 7 lb)
Position Forward
Shoots Right
NHL team
Former teams
Winnipeg Jets
Los Angeles Kings
National teamFlag of Canada (Pantone).svg  Canada
NHL draft 11th overall, 2017
Los Angeles Kings
Playing career 2018present

Gabriel "Gabe" Vilardi (born August 16, 1999) is a Canadian professional ice hockey forward for the Winnipeg Jets of the National Hockey League (NHL). He was drafted eleventh overall by the Los Angeles Kings in the 2017 NHL Entry Draft.

Contents

Playing career

Vilardi with the Windsor Spitfires in 2016. Gabriel Vilardi - Windsor Spitfires.jpg
Vilardi with the Windsor Spitfires in 2016.

Vilardi was drafted in the first round, second overall, in the 2015 OHL Priority Selection by the Windsor Spitfires. [1] While Vilardi is a natural centre he primarily played as a winger with Windsor. [2] [3]

Leading up to the NHL draft, Vilardi was seen as a top prospect and was ranked the No. 4 North American skater by NHL Central Scouting Bureau. [4] Craig Button of TSN described him as a big and strong centre with so much offensive upside. [5]

In the 2017–18 season, on January 1, 2018, Vilardi along with Sean Day were traded by the Spitfires to the Kingston Frontenacs in exchange for Cody Morgan and six draft picks. [6] On March 1, 2018, Vilardi signed a three-year entry-level contract with the Los Angeles Kings. [7]

Due to a chronic back issue, Vilardi did not make his professional debut with the Ontario Reign, the Kings' American Hockey League affiliate, until November 29, 2018. He earned his first professional point three days later against the Tucson Roadrunners. [8] On December 10, the Kings loaned Vilardi to Team Canada for a chance to compete at the 2019 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships. [9]

Having recovered from his back issue, Vilardi found a more consistent spot with the Reign, playing 32 games in 2019–20, scoring 9 goals and 16 assists for 25 points. On February 20, 2020, Vilardi was recalled to the Kings from the Ontario Reign. He made his NHL debut later that night against the Florida Panthers. On his first career shot, Vilardi fired a wrist shot past Panthers goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky. Vilardi set a new NHL record, scoring his first career goal 6 seconds into his first career shift. Vilardi added an assist in the second period on a goal scored by Martin Frk.

As a restricted free agent, Vilardi was signed to a one-year, $825,000 contract extension with the Kings on July 23, 2022. [10]

On June 27, 2023, Vilardi was traded by the Kings, alongside Alex Iafallo, Rasmus Kupari, and a 2024 2nd-round draft pick, to the Winnipeg Jets in exchange for Pierre-Luc Dubois. [11] On April 4th, 2024, Vilardi scored his first career NHL hat trick in a 5-2 Jets win over the visiting Calgary Flames.

Personal life

Vilardi was born to Italian parents Natale Vilardi and Giovanna Siviglia who moved from Reggio Calabria to Kingston, Ontario. [12] His older brother Francesco played three seasons in the Ontario Hockey League, and three seasons for the Queen's University hockey team. [13]

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs

Regular season Playoffs
Season TeamLeagueGP G A Pts PIM GPGAPtsPIM
2014–15CIHA VoyageursOEMHL2118213912
2015–16 Windsor Spitfires OHL 621721381451342
2016–17 Windsor SpitfiresOHL492932611272464
2017–18 Kingston Frontenacs OHL32223658141611112214
2018–19 Ontario Reign AHL 40110
2019–20 Ontario ReignAHL329162514
2019–20 Los Angeles Kings NHL 103474
2020–21 Los Angeles KingsNHL541013236
2021–22 Los Angeles KingsNHL25527820000
2021–22 Ontario ReignAHL3915233818
2022–23 Los Angeles KingsNHL632318411852240
2023–24 Winnipeg Jets NHL472214361450446
NHL totals199635111450122686
Medal record
Representing Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg  Canada
Ice hockey
World Championships
Gold medal icon (G initial).svg 2021 Latvia

International

YearTeamEventResultGPGAPtsPIM
2015 Canada White U17 Gold medal icon.svg64370
2021 Canada WC Gold medal icon.svg100116
Junior totals64370
Senior totals100116

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References

  1. "Spitfires sign top pick Gabe Vilardi". June 25, 2015. Retrieved August 8, 2016.
  2. "2017 Draft: Gabriel Vilardi driven to rise higher". NHL.com. Retrieved March 11, 2017.
  3. "Patrick, Hischier in tight race for No. 1 in TSN draft ranking". TSN. April 27, 2017. Retrieved April 28, 2017.
  4. "2017 Draft: Nolan Patrick of Brandon ranked No. 1". NHL.com. Retrieved April 11, 2017.
  5. "Patrick goes No. 1 in TSN's post-season mock draft". TSN. April 10, 2017. Retrieved April 11, 2017.
  6. "Vilardi and Day traded to Kingston". Windsor Spitfires. January 1, 2018. Retrieved January 1, 2018.
  7. "The LA Kings Sign Gabe Vilardi to a Three-Year Entry Level Contract". NHL.com. March 1, 2018. Retrieved March 2, 2018.
  8. Dooley, Zach (December 13, 2018). "INSIDER: Vilardi Impresses in Pro Debut, Sets Sights on Team Canada". NHL.com. Retrieved December 13, 2018.
  9. "Walker Recalled from Reign, Vilardi Loaned to Team Canada for WJC". NHL.com. December 10, 2018. Retrieved December 13, 2018.
  10. "Kings sign Vilardi & Anderson-Dolan to contract extensions". Los Angeles Kings. July 23, 2022. Retrieved July 23, 2022.
  11. "Pierre-Luc Dubois traded from Jets to Kings, signs eight-year, $68M extension". Sportsnet . June 27, 2023. Retrieved June 27, 2023.
  12. nurun.com. "Call it the Vilardi wall of fame". The Kingston Whig-Standard. Retrieved January 4, 2017.
  13. "FRANCESCO VILARDI". eliteprospects.com. Retrieved December 23, 2024.
Awards and achievements
Preceded by Los Angeles Kings first round draft pick
2017
Succeeded by