Gary Roberts (ice hockey) Gary Roberts (ice hockey) Gary R. Roberts (born May 23, 1966) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player who played 21 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Calgary Flames, Carolina Hurricanes, Toronto Maple Leafs, Florida Panthers, Pittsburgh Penguins and Tampa Bay Lightning. Renowned for his physical fitness during his career, Roberts has become a high performance trainer for players at all levels of the sport. Roberts was member of Memorial Cup and Minto Cup winning teams as Canadian junior hockey and box lacrosse champions, respectively. He was a first round selection of the Calgary Flames, 12th
Ice hockey in Canada Club. Since then, he and his family became very involved in the game of ice hockey. His two sons, Arthur and Algernon, convinced their father to donate a trophy that would be considered to be a visible sign of the ice hockey championship, which was a silver bowl inlaid with gold. The trophy was first presented in 1893 and was called the Dominion Hockey Challenge Cup. The name of the trophy was later changed to its more famous name, The Stanley Cup. Professional teams emerged after 1900. Five cities in the United States and Ontario formed the International Professional Hockey