I really became aware of Gordie Roberts at the end of his career, when he was a steady blueliner for the Blues and Penguins. He must have been a blast to watch earlier, though, when he was putting up decent point totals and simultaneously racking up triple-digit penalty minutes. I've never thought of him that way, just as the wise old sage of the defense on those awesome early-'90s Penguins teams.
Reading about him at Hockey Draft Central is kinda interesting; he apparently had a mobile phone business in 1985(!) and also ran a wine shop. Presuming that's not Brendan Shanahan-style media guide funnery, that's a bit different. In recent years he's been involved in hockey on a management/scouting level. Right now he's a pro scout for the Canadiens.
Gordie's also a member of a hockey family; his brother and two nephews both played, among them David Roberts, one of the most frustrating players ever if you need him to complete a set. I finally got him for my all-time Blues collection by bugging his European team.
Here's a slightly out-of-date but interesting look at his North Stars career, which mentions two things I should have got to earlier: he was named in honor of Gordie Howe, and he's a member of the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame. So give it up for Gordie, whydontcha?
