Passed over in the NHL Draft after two seasons with Kelowna of the Western Hockey League, Gorges signed a free agent contract with the San Jose Sharks on Sept. 20, 2002, but wouldn't play in the NHL for three more years.

Instead he helped Kelowna with the WHL title in 2003 and advance to the Memorial Cup. As captain the following season, Gorges lifted the Memorial Cup with Kelowna and won the George Parsons Memorial Trophy as the tournament's most sportsmanlike player. He also helped Canada win a silver medal at the World Junior Championship.

Gorges scored his first goal as a pro Jan. 15, 2005, for Cleveland of the American Hockey League and was named the team's top rookie in 2004-05.

He made his NHL debut with the Sharks Oct. 7, 2005, against the Chicago Blackhawks, got his first point with an assist Jan. 7, 2006, against the Los Angeles Kings, and played 49 games that season. He scored his first NHL goal Jan. 4, 2007, against the Detroit Red Wings.

On Feb. 25, 2007, the Sharks traded Gorges and a 2007 first-round draft pick to the Montreal Canadiens for Craig Rivet and a 2008 fifth-round selection.

He scored his first game-winning goal in the NHL on Oct. 1, 2009, against the Toronto Maple Leafs in overtime of the season opener. Gorges played in 19 Stanley Cup Playoff games for Montreal that season and ranked fifth in the NHL with 55 blocked shots in the postseason.

Gorges had a three-game point streak from Oct. 9-15, 2010, but missed the final 46 games of the 2010-11 season after sustaining a knee injury Dec. 26, 2010 against the New York Islanders. One of two Montreal players to appear in all 82 games during the 2011-12 season, Gorges led the Canadiens with a plus-14 rating and was first in the NHL with 250 blocked shots. Gorges finished seventh in the NHL in 2012-13 with 116 blocked shots.

On July 1, 2014, the Canadiens traded Gorges to the Buffalo Sabres for a 2016 second-round draft pick. He was fourth in the NHL with 148 blocked shots when he sustained a season-ending knee injury Feb. 10, 2015, against the Ottawa Senators.

Gorges scored his first goal as a Sabre on Nov. 27, 2015, against the Carolina Hurricanes.

NOTES & TRANSACTIONS

• WHL West Second All-Star Team (2003)
• WHL West First All-Star Team (2004)
• Signed as a free agent by San Jose, September 20, 2002.
• Traded to Montreal by San Jose with San Jose's 1st round pick (Max Pacioretty) in 2007 NHL Draft for Craig Rivet and Montreal's 5th round pick (Julien Demers) in 2008 NHL Draft, February 25, 2007.
• Traded to Buffalo by Montreal for Minnesota' 2nd round pick (previously acquired, later traded to Chicago -- Chicago selected Chad Krys) in 2016 NHL Draft, July 1, 2014.