194:. Gassoff was not wearing a helmet and had no license plate on his motorcycle and 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, and 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.
190:
in riding motorcycles around Unger's property. Unger later said that 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 a winding road leading up a hill to
189:
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 km) farm near Gray Summit, Mo. At roughly 6:00 p.m., Gassoff joined several others
168:
player, born in
Quesnel, British Columbia. From an early age he was passionate about hockey, playing first on a rink on the family farm on the Quesnel Hydraulic Road and then on a variety of local junior leagues. He played four seasons in the
954:
784:
934:
222:. Gassoff's son Bob Gassoff Jr. (born two months after the fatal motorcycle accident in 1977) eventually also became a hockey player, briefly playing minor league professional hockey for the
819:
914:
924:
939:
202:
Gassoff's parents, Albert and Denise, were staunch supporters of his interest in hockey and encouraged him from a very early age. Gassoff's brother,
929:
899:
227:
944:
919:
531:
909:
619:
251:
949:
959:
347:
145:
42:
820:"The bond between Bobby Gassoff Jr. And his dad's Blues led to an improbable post-hockey career as a Navy SEAL"
431:
384:
904:
699:
656:
611:
568:
521:
474:
484:
223:
219:
211:
170:
141:
394:
243:
191:
64:
894:
889:
317:
124:
852:
389:
307:
215:
832:
312:
302:
135:
98:
856:
207:
177:. He was killed in a motorcycle accident on the country property of his friend and teammate
46:
860:
206:, was also an NHL hockey player. His brother Ken, born October 9, 1954, was drafted by the
479:
288:
174:
128:
118:
111:
274:
883:
342:
865:
804:
181:
near Gray Summit, Missouri; his number three was subsequently retired by the Blues.
874:
526:
203:
178:
870:
247:
165:
91:
231:
281:
848:
785:
List of ice hockey players who died during their playing career
226:
after a four year college hockey career with the
University of
955:
Canadian expatriate ice hockey players in the United States
266:
246:
was created to be presented annually to the most improved
847:
Biographical information and career statistics from
935:
National Hockey League players with retired numbers
164:(April 17, 1953 – May 29, 1977) was a professional
151:
134:
117:
107:
97:
87:
79:
71:
53:
29:
24:
833:Bob Gassoff Trophy award winners at hockeydb.com
83:190 lb (86 kg; 13 st 8 lb)
278:
271:
8:
269:
21:
915:Ice hockey people from British Columbia
805:"1974 NHL Amateur Draft -- Ken Gassoff"
796:
925:Minnesota Fighting Saints draft picks
7:
228:Michigan Wolverines men's ice hockey
75:5 ft 10 in (178 cm)
14:
940:Road incident deaths in Missouri
930:Motorcycle road incident deaths
740:
654:
566:
472:
382:
286:
268:
900:Canadian ice hockey defencemen
1:
861:The Internet Hockey Database
234:after retiring from hockey.
945:St. Louis Blues draft picks
920:Medicine Hat Tigers players
263:Regular season and playoffs
976:
910:Denver Spurs (WHL) players
16:Canadian ice hockey player
741:
280:
273:
242:Following his death, the
154:
146:Minnesota Fighting Saints
139:
122:
110:
102:
90:
82:
74:
56:
32:
950:St. Louis Blues players
224:Peoria Rivermen (ECHL)
220:1974 WHA Amateur Draft
212:1974 NHL amateur draft
960:Vernon Lakers players
866:Story of his accident
252:Central Hockey League
192:Villa Ridge, Missouri
65:Gray Summit, Missouri
857:Hockey-Reference.com
818:Rutherford, Jeremy.
436:Medicine Hat Tigers
162:Robert Allen Gassoff
390:Medicine Hat Tigers
185:Motorcycle accident
853:Eliteprospects.com
244:Bob Gassoff Trophy
230:team. He became a
776:
775:
258:Career statistics
159:
158:
19:Ice hockey player
967:
835:
830:
824:
823:
815:
809:
808:
801:
704:St. Louis Blues
661:St. Louis Blues
573:St. Louis Blues
267:
208:New York Rangers
60:
47:British Columbia
39:
37:
22:
975:
974:
970:
969:
968:
966:
965:
964:
880:
879:
844:
839:
838:
831:
827:
817:
816:
812:
803:
802:
798:
793:
781:
480:St. Louis Blues
265:
260:
240:
200:
187:
175:St. Louis Blues
155:1973–1977
144:
129:St. Louis Blues
127:
112:St. Louis Blues
62:
58:
41:
35:
33:
20:
17:
12:
11:
5:
973:
971:
963:
962:
957:
952:
947:
942:
937:
932:
927:
922:
917:
912:
907:
905:Cariboo people
902:
897:
892:
882:
881:
878:
877:
868:
863:
843:
842:External links
840:
837:
836:
825:
810:
795:
794:
792:
789:
788:
787:
780:
777:
774:
773:
770:
767:
764:
761:
758:
755:
752:
749:
746:
743:
739:
738:
735:
732:
729:
726:
723:
720:
717:
714:
711:
708:
705:
702:
696:
695:
692:
689:
686:
683:
680:
677:
674:
671:
668:
665:
662:
659:
653:
652:
649:
646:
643:
640:
637:
634:
631:
628:
625:
622:
617:
614:
608:
607:
604:
601:
598:
595:
592:
589:
586:
583:
580:
577:
574:
571:
565:
564:
561:
558:
555:
552:
549:
546:
543:
540:
537:
534:
529:
524:
518:
517:
514:
511:
508:
505:
502:
499:
496:
493:
490:
487:
482:
477:
471:
470:
467:
464:
461:
458:
455:
452:
449:
446:
443:
440:
437:
434:
428:
427:
424:
421:
418:
415:
412:
409:
406:
403:
400:
397:
392:
387:
381:
380:
377:
374:
371:
368:
365:
362:
359:
356:
353:
350:
345:
340:
336:
335:
332:
329:
326:
323:
320:
315:
310:
305:
300:
297:
294:
291:
285:
284:
279:
277:
275:Regular season
272:
270:
264:
261:
259:
256:
239:
236:
199:
196:
186:
183:
157:
156:
153:
152:Playing career
149:
148:
140:33rd overall,
138:
132:
131:
123:48th overall,
121:
115:
114:
109:
105:
104:
101:
95:
94:
89:
85:
84:
81:
77:
76:
73:
69:
68:
61:(aged 24)
55:
51:
50:
40:April 17, 1953
31:
27:
26:
18:
15:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
972:
961:
958:
956:
953:
951:
948:
946:
943:
941:
938:
936:
933:
931:
928:
926:
923:
921:
918:
916:
913:
911:
908:
906:
903:
901:
898:
896:
893:
891:
888:
887:
885:
876:
872:
869:
867:
864:
862:
858:
854:
850:
846:
845:
841:
834:
829:
826:
821:
814:
811:
806:
800:
797:
790:
786:
783:
782:
778:
771:
768:
765:
762:
759:
756:
753:
750:
747:
744:
736:
733:
730:
727:
724:
721:
718:
715:
712:
709:
706:
703:
701:
698:
697:
693:
690:
687:
684:
681:
678:
675:
672:
669:
666:
663:
660:
658:
655:
650:
647:
644:
641:
638:
635:
632:
629:
626:
623:
621:
618:
616:Denver Spurs
615:
613:
610:
609:
605:
602:
599:
596:
593:
590:
587:
584:
581:
578:
575:
572:
570:
567:
562:
559:
556:
553:
550:
547:
544:
541:
538:
535:
533:
530:
528:
525:
523:
520:
519:
515:
512:
509:
506:
503:
500:
497:
494:
491:
488:
486:
483:
481:
478:
476:
473:
468:
465:
462:
459:
456:
453:
450:
447:
444:
441:
438:
435:
433:
430:
429:
425:
422:
419:
416:
413:
410:
407:
404:
401:
398:
396:
393:
391:
388:
386:
383:
378:
375:
372:
369:
366:
363:
360:
357:
354:
351:
349:
346:
344:
343:Vernon Lakers
341:
338:
337:
333:
330:
327:
324:
321:
319:
316:
314:
311:
309:
306:
304:
301:
298:
295:
292:
290:
287:
283:
276:
262:
257:
255:
253:
249:
245:
237:
235:
233:
229:
225:
221:
217:
216:Houston Aeros
213:
209:
205:
197:
195:
193:
184:
182:
180:
176:
172:
167:
163:
150:
147:
143:
137:
133:
130:
126:
120:
116:
113:
106:
100:
96:
93:
86:
78:
70:
66:
52:
48:
44:
28:
23:
875:Find a Grave
828:
813:
799:
527:Denver Spurs
241:
201:
188:
161:
160:
59:(1977-05-29)
57:May 29, 1977
895:1977 deaths
890:1953 births
871:Bob Gassoff
742:NHL totals
214:and by the
179:Garry Unger
25:Bob Gassoff
884:Categories
859:, or
855:, or
851:, or
791:References
248:defenseman
166:ice hockey
108:Played for
36:1953-04-17
232:Navy SEAL
136:WHA draft
119:NHL draft
779:See also
339:1970–71
282:Playoffs
238:Tributes
173:for the
88:Position
49:, Canada
849:NHL.com
700:1976–77
657:1975–76
612:1974–75
569:1974–75
522:1973–74
475:1973–74
432:1972–73
385:1971–72
296:League
254:(CHL).
250:in the
218:in the
210:in the
92:Defence
43:Quesnel
289:Season
198:Family
80:Weight
72:Height
67:, U.S.
348:BCJHL
293:Team
63:near
757:866
722:254
707:NHL
679:306
664:NHL
636:114
591:222
576:NHL
548:301
469:152
454:388
439:WHL
411:314
334:PIM
204:Brad
142:1973
125:1973
103:Left
99:Shot
54:Died
30:Born
873:at
772:16
745:245
737:10
620:CHL
532:WHL
501:84
485:NHL
426:29
395:WHL
331:Pts
318:PIM
313:Pts
171:NHL
886::
754:58
751:47
748:11
719:24
716:18
710:77
694:6
676:13
673:12
667:80
651:—
633:13
630:11
624:19
606:0
588:18
585:14
579:60
563:—
545:14
542:10
536:45
516:—
489:28
466:12
463:10
457:17
451:62
448:51
445:11
442:68
408:17
405:16
399:64
379:—
364:—
322:GP
299:GP
45:,
822:.
807:.
769:1
766:1
763:0
760:9
734:1
731:1
728:0
725:4
713:6
691:0
688:0
685:0
682:3
670:1
648:—
645:—
642:—
639:—
627:2
603:0
600:0
597:0
594:2
582:4
560:—
557:—
554:—
551:—
539:4
513:—
510:—
507:—
504:—
498:3
495:3
492:0
460:2
423:2
420:2
417:0
414:7
402:1
376:—
373:—
370:—
367:—
361:—
358:—
355:—
352:—
328:A
325:G
308:A
303:G
38:)
34:(
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.