Getting to Know: John Gibson
John Gibson looked slightly dazed as he sank in a chair in the Rangers office earlier this week. Not that anyone could blame him; two trans-Atlantic flights, seven games, countless interviews and one MVP performance at the IIHF World Junior Championship would take its toll on anyone. Just 24 hours after his return from Ufa, he admitted the jetlag was tough, but talking about Team USA’s gold medal win still brought a smile to his face.
“It’s still sinking in, to be honest,” shared the Pittsburgh, PA native, his Pirates ballcap covering the mop of hair that became famous during the tournament. He served as the backup tender at the 2012 World Juniors, where the Americans struggled to a disappointing seventh place finish. Hoping to fly under the radar in Russia, he and his teammates were determined to come home with a different result.
“The returning guys, we set the standard high for ourselves,” Gibson revealed.
“We didn’t come out and say it to the media or anything, but we wanted redemption for last year and we wanted to make the most of this opportunity, because we knew coming in that this could be the last time you get to represent our country. Nothing’s guaranteed down the road. So we wanted to go out the best way possible and obviously we did.”
The team’s success can be largely attributed to the stellar play of the Rangers netminder. The Americans were defeated twice in the preliminary round, but John was solid, allowing just two goals in losses to Russia and Canada. When his team took to the top of the podium in Ufa, the second-year Kitchener tender had posted a 1.36 goals against average and a .955 save percentage, one of the best performances in USA Hockey history. He was the first goaltender since Steve Mason in 2008 to be named MVP, and earned a spot on the All-Star team. But the always-modest Gibson is quick to deflect the praise he earned back onto his teammates.
“I don’t really think about it. I get a lot of credit, but in my eyes, a lot of the credit belongs to the team. They made me look better than maybe I really was. It was a team effort and I really think that’s why we won – we were a family. We came together on Day One and it was one of the closest teams I’ve ever been a part of.”
A second-round pick of the Anaheim Ducks in the 2011 NHL Entry Draft, John’s talent is well documented. In his first season with the Rangers, he posted the best save percentage through the regular season, and followed it up with the top spot in the 2012 playoffs as well. He kicked off this season with a shutout in the Rangers Opening Night game in Mississauga and was the first Vaughn CHL Goaltender of the Week for 2012-13. Asked what the key to his success has been, the answer is as low-key as the player.
“I just go out there and try to play my game: don’t try to do too much, don’t get too high or too low. I’m always relaxed, and that’s my personality. I don’t overanalyze things, I just like to have to have fun and it seems to work out for me.”
Saying it’s ‘working out’ is an understatement. His world junior gold will go in a frame with his Team USA jersey, but it isn’t the only medal Gibson has to his credit. A graduate of the US National Development Team, he also played at the Under-17 World Hockey Challenge and was the top goaltender at the 2011 Under-18 World Championship, where the Americans took home the gold. Representing his country more than once with many of the same close friends is an experience that he genuinely cherishes.
“It’s unreal. I remember someone saying that the 1993 birth year has one of the only American teams to win the Under-17s, Under-18s and Under-20s and I think it says a lot that we were able to win three gold medals. Obviously the World Junior Championship is special: it was the best feeling in the world and it’s something I will never forget.”
Gibson picked up a victory on Friday night in his first start with the Rangers since returning from Russia, making 29 saves in the club’s 5-1 win over Sarnia. His stay in Kitchener was short-lived, however. With the resumption of the NHL season, he re-packed his bags this weekend and headed for the West Coast and the Ducks’ training camp. He says he’s not worried about making the jump to the pros, preferring instead to work hard and roll with the punches.
“I was asked after the Gold Medal game when I was going to be going to Anaheim, and I told them I’m going one day at a time. I wanted to enjoy that moment, enjoy the gold medal for one or two days after that and then get back to work,” he revealed before his departure.
“I just play my game. You have to worry about one year at a time – one day at a time really. If you can do that, then you’ll be successful. You can’t worry about what’s already happened in the past, you can’t worry about what’s going to happen in the future.”
