Bob Gassoff
| Bob Gassoff | |
|---|---|
| Born | April 17, 1953 Quesnel, BC, CAN |
| Died | May 27, 1977 (aged 24) near Gray Summit, MO, USA |
| Height | 5 ft 10 in (178 cm) |
| Weight | 190 lb (86 kg; 13 st 8 lb) |
| Position | Defence |
| Shot | Left |
| Played for | St. Louis Blues |
| NHL Draft | 48th overall, 1973 St. Louis Blues |
| WHA Draft | 33rd overall, 1973 Minnesota Fighting Saints |
| Playing career | 1973–1977 |
Robert Allen Gassoff (April 17, 1953 in Quesnel, British Columbia – May 27, 1977 in Gray Summit, Missouri) was a professional ice hockey player. He played four seasons in the NHL for the St. Louis Blues. He was killed in a motorcycle accident on the country property of his friend and team-mate Garry Unger near Gray Summit, Missouri; his number 3 was subsequently retired by the Blues.
Motorcycle accident
Gassoff was killed in a motorcycle accident on the Sunday of Memorial Day weekend in 1977. He and his pregnant wife, Diane, had been invited to a postseason barbecue at teammate Garry Unger's 200-acre (0.81 km2) farm near Gray Summit, Mo. At roughly 6 p.m., Gassoff joined several others in riding motorcycles around Unger's property. Unger would later say he remembered wondering if it was a good idea for Gassoff to ride the motorcycle because he had been drinking and did not have any riding experience. Gassoff drove out of Unger's property on a gravel road that merged into to a winding road leading up a hill to Villa Ridge, Missouri. Gassoff wasn't wearing a helmet and had no license plate on his motorcycle, so he decided to take a short run up the hill and come right back. On his way back down the hill, he collided head-on with a car driven by a man named Douglas Klekamp. The crash killed Gassoff, although Klekamp walked away uninjured. In October 1977, Gassoff's widow filed a $3 million lawsuit against Unger, his wife, and Klekamp, whom the suit alleged was one of Unger's employees running an errand for the Ungers. Unger describes Gassoff's death as one of the most devastating moments of his life.
Family
Gassoff's brother, Brad, was also an NHL hockey player. His brother Ken, born October 9, 1954, was drafted by the New York Rangers in the 1974 NHL Amateur Draft and by the Houston Aeros in the 1974 WHA Amateur Draft.[1]
Tributes
Following his death, the Bob Gassoff Trophy was created to be presented annually to the most improved defenceman in the Central Hockey League (CHL).[2]
See also
References
External links
- Bob Gassoff's career statistics at The Internet Hockey Database
- Story of his accident
- Bob Gassoff at Find a Grave