Josh Gorges' career did not start with the Montreal Canadiens, but there was arguably no other player on the roster who embodied what it meant to wear that jersey more than he did. Originally signed as an undrafted free agent by the San Jose Sharks, but after failing to secure a regular spot in the lineup, he was packaged along with a first-round pick in a trade to the Canadiens for defenceman Craig Rivet and a fifth-round pick. Gorges spent eight seasons as a Canadiens player and built a reputation of doing absolutely anything to help the team win. After the 2013-14 season, it became painfully obvious that Gorges' time in Montreal was coming to an end, but before he left, he showed how much being a Canadien meant to him.
Josh Gorges is a captain’s captain
Gorges was the ultimate warrior during his time with the Canadiens. He was not a big point producer or someone you would rely on to move the puck up the ice, but he did one thing better than almost anyone in the NHL, and that was blocking shots. Shot blocking was the canvas, and Gorges was the artist. There was no part of his body he would not sacrifice to make sure the shot was not getting by him. In a game against the Washington Capitals, Gorges took a Mike Green slap shot off the side of the head, which left him bloody and in need of assistance to get up off the ice. Gorges missed the rest of the game, but was at practice the next day, and when asked about his availability for the Canadiens' next game, he responded with “Unless something happens in the next 24 hours, I’ll be in the lineup against the Flyers.” It would take a lot to keep Gorges out of the lineup.
While Gorges was not the captain of the Canadiens, he was definitely one of the leaders on the team. It was the way he carried himself. Nothing in his career was given to him; everything was earned through blood, sweat, and tears. He did all the little things, some of which would not show up on the stat sheet. During the Canadiens' run to the Eastern Conference Final in 2010, Don Cherry only had praise to say about Gorges' play. “Josh Gorges should be captain of the Canadiens, there’s no doubt in my mind. He’s a captain’s captain,” said Cherry. This was not to dismiss the job being done by then-captain Brian Gionta, but he was giving Gorges the ultimate praise. “He’s exceptional. And I think Brian would be happy to have a little pressure taken off him so he could just play the game. Look up the word ‘leader’ in the dictionary, and you’ll find Gorges’s picture.” The Kelowna native did not grow up a Canadiens fan, but by the end of his tenure with the team, there was no other jersey he would rather put on and go into battle for.
Gorges' parting gift for Canadiens fans
Going into the 2014-15 season, then-Canadiens general manager Marc Bergevin was looking to shed some salary. P.K. Subban needed an extension, and after winning the Norris Trophy the season before, he was in line for a massive contract. The Canadiens also had a young defenceman named Nathan Beaulieu fighting for a spot to be a regular in the team’s lineup. To create cap space and open up a roster spot, the Canadiens agreed to trade Gorges to the Toronto Maple Leafs. The only problem was that Gorges wanted nothing to do with the Maple Leafs and declined to waive his no-trade clause. He was a part of the rivalry for eight seasons and could not see himself wearing their jersey after all the battles they had. Instead, the Canadiens pivoted and agreed to trade him to the Buffalo Sabres for a second-round pick.
During a press conference, Gorges was asked about the vetoed trade to the Maple Leafs and stood ten toes down on his decision. “I just said, ‘I’m a heart-and-soul player. It’s the only reason I can be good at this level is I have to play and commit with my heart," said Gorges when asked what he told Maple Leafs team president Brendan Shanahan when declining the trade. “And after playing against them for that many years of being our No. 1 rival, I just didn’t think it would’ve been fair to them. I wouldn’t have been the same player that they would’ve expected me to be.” Even though Gorges was no longer a Canadiens player, it was clear that his heart would always be in Montreal. He may not have been the most exciting player to watch, but he is someone you would take on your team in a heartbeat.
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