Number: 24
Age:33
Birth date: July 24, 1987
Birthplace: Oxford, Mich.
Height, weight: 5-4, 169
Stats: 30 GP, 4-6-10, 0.6 point shares, 49.45 xGF% at 5-on-5 per Natural Stat Trick
Contract:Signed through 2021-22 season (Two years remaining before UFA status)
Pound for pound -- or at least inch for inch -- no one made it more fun to be a Blue Jackets fan this past season than Nathan Gerbe.
The shortest recorded skater in NHL history didn't make his debut with the team until injuries prompted his recall in late December, but he ended up being one of the more inspirational stories on the squad.
The 5-foot-4 dynamo played with no fear in the 30 games he did play, chipping in offensively and going hard at opposing players with his trademark brand of inspired hockey. It didn't take long for chants of his name to rain down from the Nationwide Arena crowds after big goals or big hits.
He's long been one of the game's easiest players to root for over 10 different NHL seasons, but this year certainly took things to a different level. First off, Gerbe was the oldest player on the Blue Jackets' roster, still finding a way to contribute despite his age and physical stature. Secondly, it was a testament to his will and work ethic that he was even on the ice, as his 2018-19 season came to an end in February when hip injuries and double hernia surgery put him on the shelf.
He could have called it quits, but that's a word that's not in Gerbe's vocabulary. Instead, he rehabbed all summer, starred again for the Monsters and earned his biggest stretch of NHL playing time since 2015-16.
"When you think back at all the rehab and all the work that you put in, it's nice to be here at that moment because you know what the last year has been like and the sacrifices you needed to make," he said. "I'm thankful I have a lot of people around me supporting me and helping me out."
Gerbe was honored for his love of the game by being chosen as the Blue Jackets nominee for the NHL's Masteron Trophy, which goes to a player each season "who best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication to hockey."
Entering the season: To be honest, it's hard to say Gerbe was on the Blue Jackets' radar, at least as far as being an NHL contributor. He was an All-Star at the AHL level a year ago before those surgeries ended his season, but it was fair to say entering the season that it was going to take a number of injuries for Gerbe to get a chance simply because of the prospects in the system who were more likely to get a look ahead of him. No matter what, though, Gerbe was expected to be a big offensive contributor and leader at the AHL level of as the captain of the Cleveland Monsters.
Season recap: Gerbe did everything asked of him and more with the Monsters, compiling an 8-17-25 line in 30 games with Cleveland through the first two months of the season to lead the team in scoring.
That outstanding play with the organization's top farm team impressed, and as injuries mounted, he got his call to the big club for the Dec. 23 game at the New York Islanders. All Gerbe did was pounce on a turnover and score from in close during that first game, tallying a key goal in what would become a 3-2 victory for the Blue Jackets.
His energy gave Columbus an immediate boost and helped push the Blue Jackets to a winning streak, as in Gerbe's first 13 games, he had three goals and eight points while the team posted a 9-2-2 record.
"He's contagious," head coach John Tortorella said. "The way he carries himself, the way he is a pro, a guy that has played this way in all the leagues. He's played on 100 different teams throughout his career, and he just plays with energy. I think when we started getting banged up a little bit, it's something that kind of glues us a little bit as far as how we have to play.
"He's so good for our National Hockey League players and has been for our minor league players down in the American League."
The more Gerbe played, his offensive numbers dried up, in part because of core muscle injuries that limited his explosiveness and eventually led to him leaving the lineup for more repairs as the calendar flipped to March. He returned for the postseason and played in two playoff games without a point.
