Kyle Gibbons

Classroom

Gibbons is majoring in finance and owns a 3.447 grade point average. He has earned Atlantic Hockey All-Academic Team accolades in each of his first three seasons at Canisius and was also named to the Dean’s List during his freshman and junior years.

Character

As one of seven seniors on the roster, Gibbons is part of the program’s leadership group and works closely with the coaches and staff. He is also a quiet leader by example and is always one of the last players to leave to the ice at practice. Gibbons’ most successful season also came on the heels of an injury that cost him part of his sophomore campaign. He was forced to miss the end of the 2011-12 regular season and the team’s postseason due to a broken bone in his wrist but bounced back in 2012-13 to rank 12th nationally in scoring and first in the country with 13 postseason points.

Community

During his time at Canisius, Gibbons has been very active within the Buffalo community. He has worked closely with Hasek’s Heroes during his three years, helping to bring the game of hockey to underprivileged inner-city youth. With the organization, Gibbons has taught kids as young as four and led them at the Willie O’Ree Skills Weekend, hosted by the NHL, Buffalo Sabres and Hasek’s Heroes. Gibbons has also volunteered with the Food Bank of Western New York, Canisius Community Days and worked with special education children playing floor hockey and other physical education games.

Competition

Gibbons has enjoyed an outstanding career at Canisius, highlighted by leading the Griffs to the Atlantic Hockey Championship as a junior. Gibbons – an All-Atlantic Hockey selection last season – was named the 2013 Atlantic Hockey Championship MVP after leading the Canisius to its first conference championship and NCAA Tournament appearance. Gibbons set Atlantic Hockey Tournament records with 12 points and eight assists en route to the title, while ranking first nationally with 13 total points in the postseason (including the NCAA Tournament). Overall, Gibbons finished the season ranked 12th nationally with 43 points, eighth with 21 goals and sixth with nine power-play tallies. He enters his final season ranked eighth in program history with 92 career points and sixth with 42 career goals. After totaling 21 goals as a junior, he is just 20 goals shy of the program’s all-time record, currently held by Cory Conacher of the Ottawa Senators.