Bob Gainey began his hockey career in 1972 with his hometown team the Peterborough Petes in the Ontario Hockey League. His lack of scoring was made up by his impressive ability to shut down opposing players. This impressed many scouts in the NHL and in 1973, he was drafted 8th overall by the Montreal Canadiens. He was also drafted 7th overall by the Minnesota Fighting Saints of the WHA although he would never play a game in the WHA.\n', '

As a rookie, Gainey was committed to a defensive style of play. In his second year, he was paired up with stars Yvan Cournoyer and Jacques Lemaire on the second line. In 1976, Gainey was chosen to represent Team Canada at the Canada Cup tournament where he helped Team Canada win the Cup against the Czechoslovakians.\n', 'A defensive specialist, Gainey played with the Montreal Canadiens from 1973–74 to 1988–89, winning four consecutive Frank J. Selke Trophies, awarded to the league\'s best defensive forward and four consecutive Stanley Cups from 1976 to 1979.\n', '

In 1982, Canadiens captain Serge Savard retired from hockey and Gainey was named as his successor. The Canadiens remained successful in the regular season but in the playoffs, they were defeated in the first round three consecutive times from 1981 to 1983. Next season, the Canadiens earned a disappointing record finishing with 75 points only. Despite that, they embarked on a surprising playoff run before being eliminated in the semifinals by the New York Islanders.\n', '

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