Editing Gilbert Perreault (section)

{{short description|Canadian ice hockey player (born 1950)}}
{{Infobox ice hockey player
| image = Gilbert Perreault, Boston Garden 1974.jpg
| image_size = 
| caption = Perreault in 1975
| position = [[Centre (ice hockey)|Centre]]
| played_for = [[Buffalo Sabres]]
| shoots = Left
| height_ft = 6
| height_in = 1
| weight_lb = 185
| ntl_team = Canada
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1950|11|13}}
| birth_place = [[Victoriaville]], Quebec, Canada<ref name=IHD>{{cite web|url=http://www.hockeydb.com/ihdb/stats/pdisplay.php3?pid=00004248|access-date=2007-07-24|publisher=The Internet Hockey Database|title=Gilbert Perreault}}</ref>
| draft = 1st overall
| draft_year = 1970
| draft_team = [[Buffalo Sabres]]
| career_start = 1970
| career_end = 1987
| halloffame = 1990
}}
'''Gilbert Perreault''' (born November 13, 1950) is a [[Canadians|Canadian]] former professional [[ice hockey]] [[Centre (ice hockey)|center]] who played for 17 seasons with the [[National Hockey League]]'s [[Buffalo Sabres]]. He was the first draft pick of the Sabres in their inaugural season in the NHL. He is well known as the centre man for the prolific trio of Sabres forwards known as [[The French Connection (ice hockey)|The French Connection]]. The trio helped the Sabres reach the [[1975 Stanley Cup Finals]].

He was inducted into the [[Hockey Hall of Fame]] in 1990. Known for his ability to stickhandle in close quarters, he is regarded as one of the most skillful playmaking centers of all time.<ref name=LoHGP>{{cite web|url=http://www.legendsofhockey.net/LegendsOfHockey/jsp/LegendsMember.jsp?mem=p199003&type=Player&page=bio&list=#photo|access-date=2007-07-24|year=2007|publisher=Hockey Hall of Fame and Museum |work=legendsofhockey.net|title=The Legends:Gilbert Perreault}}</ref>  In 2017 Perreault was named one of the '[[100 Greatest NHL Players]]' in history.<ref>{{cite web|title=100 Greatest NHL Players|url=https://www.nhl.com/fans/nhl-centennial/100-greatest-nhl-players| website = NHL.com|access-date=January 27, 2017|date=January 27, 2017}}</ref>

Perreault was a standout [[junior hockey]] player who went on to be selected to nine [[National Hockey League All-Star Game]]s and two post-season [[NHL All-Star team]]s (second team centre), while winning the [[Calder Memorial Trophy]] and a [[Lady Byng Trophy]], and being selected to the [[Hockey Hall of Fame]].  He played his entire 17-year career with the Buffalo Sabres and continues to be the all-time franchise leader in career regular season games played, [[Goal (ice hockey)|goals]], [[Assist (ice hockey)|assists]], [[Point (ice hockey)|points]], game-winning goals, and [[shot on goal (ice hockey)|shots on goal]], serving as the team's captain from 1981 until his retirement in November 1986.  He led the team to 11 consecutive playoff appearances ending with the 1984–85 season.<ref name=TP/>

Over the course of his 17-season career he accumulated 512 goals and 814 assists in 1191 games. Among his career highlights was the game-winning goal in overtime of the 1978 [[National Hockey League All-Star Game]] played at the [[Buffalo Memorial Auditorium]].  Perreault once totaled seven points in a single game, which remains a Sabres record. He also recorded the first power play goal and the first hat trick in the team's history. He is the only Buffalo Sabre to wear number 11, with the number being retired in his honor.