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 Japan Ice hockey in Japan Ice hockey is a minor sport that is gaining popularity in Japan. Baseball and football (soccer) have dominated Japanese sports for decades, but ice hockey has been less popular in Japan since its founding in the 1920s. It is governed by the Japan Ice Hockey Federation The Japan Ice Hockey League (JIHL) was the national league in the country from 1966-2004, when it folded in favor of the international Asia League. Only Japanese teams were allowed to compete, and there were only six teams at any time in the league. Since 1933, a cup competition, the