Dylan Gambrell

Dylan Gambrell
Gambrell with the Denver Pioneers in 2017
Born (1996-08-26) August 26, 1996 (age 30)
Bonney Lake, Washington, U.S.
Height 6 ft 0 in (183 cm)
Weight 185 lb (84 kg; 13 st 3 lb)
Position Center
Shoots Right
NHL team (P)
Cur. team
Former teams		 Minnesota Wild
Iowa Wild (AHL)
San Jose Sharks
Ottawa Senators
NHL draft 60th overall, 2016
San Jose Sharks
Playing career 2018–present

Dylan Gambrell (born August 26, 1996) is an American professional ice hockey center for the Iowa Wild in the American Hockey League (AHL) while under contract to the Minnesota Wild of the National Hockey League (NHL). He was selected 60th overall by the San Jose Sharks in the 2016 NHL entry draft. He also previously played for the Ottawa Senators.

Early life

Gambrell grew up playing hockey in Kent, Washington for the Kent Valley Hockey Association thanks to his father's roller hockey background. In order to hone his skills in preparation for a possible college hockey career, he moved to Colorado at the age of 14 to play junior hockey with the Colorado Thunderbirds of the T1EHL at the under-16 level.

Playing career

Amateur

He was selected 11th overall by the Dubuque Fighting Saints of the United States Hockey League (USHL) in the 2012 USHL Futures draft. He made his USHL debut in the 2012–13 season, scoring nine goals and 18 assists for 27 points in 58 games played. The Fighting Saints qualified for the playoffs and advanced to the final where they won the USHL Clark Cup. He played in nine playoff games, registering two assists. In his second season with Dubuque in 2013–14 he tallied 14 goals and 43 points in 60 games. Dubuque made the playoffs again and made it to the Eastern Conference final where they were eliminated by the Indiana Ice. In seven playoff games, Gambrell went scoreless. In his final season with the Fighting Saints in 2014–15, he recorded 16 goals and 38 points in 54 games. For the second consecutive season, Dubuque made it to the Eastern Conference final but were bounced again, this time by the Muskegon Lumberjacks. In eight playoff games, he tallied three goals and seven points.

He began his collegiate career with the University of Denver Pioneers in the National Collegiate Hockey Conference (NCHC) in the 2015–16 season. Operating as the team's first line center, in 41 appearances, he registered 17 goals and 47 points, second on the team in scoring. He was named to the NCHC All-Rookie Team at the end of his first year. The Pioneers advanced to the Frozen Four of the 2016 NCAA Division I men's ice hockey tournament, but were knocked out by the North Dakota Fighting Hawks. He returned for the 2016–17 season as a sophomore, in which he tallied 13 goals and 42 points in 38 games. The Pioneers earned the Penrose Cup as conference champions. As a result, Denver returned to the 2017 NCAA Division I men's ice hockey tournament and advanced final where they beat the Minnesota Duluth Bulldogs and became national champions. In the 2017–18 season, Gambrell placed third in team scoring as a junior with 13 goals and 43 points in 41 games. Denver finished second in the conference, but won the conference tournament championship over the top-ranked St. Cloud State Huskies. In the 2018 NCAA Division I men's ice hockey tournament, the Pioneers made it to the Midwest Regional Final where they were eliminated by the Ohio State Buckeyes.

Professional

Gambrell was selected by the San Jose Sharks of the National Hockey League (NHL) in the second round, 60th overall, in the 2016 NHL entry draft. Gambrell concluded his collegiate career by signing a two-year, entry-level contract with the San Jose Sharks on March 26, 2018. He was immediately added to the Sharks playing roster, and made his NHL debut in a 4–2 defeat to the Dallas Stars on April 3, 2018. He completed the regular season going scoreless in three games.

Entering the 2018–19 season, on October 2, 2018, he was assigned to the Sharks American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the San Jose Barracuda. He was recalled five days later after Joe Thornton was injured. He spent the majority of the season with the Barracuda, registering 20 goals and 45 points in 51 games. He was recalled a second time on January 15, 2019. He appeared in eight games for the Sharks, going scoreless. Back with the Barracuda, he appeared in four playoff games, marking one goal and four points as the Barracuda were bounced by the San Diego Gulls. Gambrell was recalled again on April 16 and inserted into the playoff lineup for Game 6 after Joe Pavelski was injured in Game 5 of the 2019 Western Conference Finals. He scored his first NHL goal versus the St. Louis Blues as the Sharks only goal during the Blues' 5–1 Game 6 victory. He finished the playoffs appearing in two games as the Sharks were eliminated by the Blues.

That off-season he was re-signed by the Sharks to a two-year contract on July 11, 2019. Gambrell appeared in 50 games in the 2019–20 season, scoring five goals and eleven points, before the season was suspended on March 12, 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. During the pandemic-shortened 2020–21 season, Gambrell appeared in 49 games, scoring five goals and twelve points. He led the team's forwards in ice time on the penalty kill. After the 2020–21 season, he signed a one-year contract extension. On October 9, 2021, Gambrell was placed on waivers after he was beaten out in training camp for the final spot on the Sharks roster by Jasper Weatherby. He went unclaimed and Gambrell was assigned by the Sharks to the AHL to start the 2021–22 season with the San Jose Barracuda, making two appearances.

Gambrell was traded by the Sharks to the Ottawa Senators in exchange for a seventh-round pick in 2022 on October 24, 2021. Gambrell was recalled to Ottawa following the trade. He was acquired to provide depth following a series of injuries to Ottawa's centers. He made his debut on October 29 in a 4–1 victory over the Dallas Stars. He tallied his first point with the team, assisting on Austin Watson's first period goal, in a 6–5 overtime loss to the Colorado Avalanche on December 4. He recorded his first goal for the Senators, a shorthanded goal, against the Florida Panthers on December 14. He finished the season with the Senators, registering three goals and seven points in 63 games. Gambrell signed a one-year extension with the Senators on June 15, 2022. During the 2022–23 season Gambrell played in 60 games scoring four goals and ten points.

On July 3, 2023, Gambrell was signed as a free agent to a one-year, $775,000 contract with the Toronto Maple Leafs for the 2023–24 season. Gambrell attended the Maple Leafs 2023 training camp, but failed to make the team. He was placed on waivers on October 8, and after going unclaimed, was assigned to the Maple Leafs' AHL affiliate, the Toronto Marlies. He remained with the Marlies for the duration of the season, posting 36 points through 66 regular season games. In the 2024 Calder Cup playoffs, he added one goal in three games for the Marlies.

On July 2, 2024, Gambrell joined his fourth NHL organization in signing as a free agent to a one-year, two-way contract with the Columbus Blue Jackets. After clearing waivers, Gambrell was assigned to Columbus' AHL affiliate, the Cleveland Monsters, for the 2024–25 season. In 54 games with the Monsters, he scored 13 goals and 25 points. The Monsters qualified for the playoffs and advanced to the second round where they were eliminated by the Laval Rocket. In six playoff games, Gambrell scored two goals.

Gambrell was invited to the Nashville Predators' 2025 training camp on a professional tryout (PTO). However, he failed to make the team and was cut from his PTO. Instead, he was assigned to their AHL affiliate, the Milwaukee Admirals. He signed a PTO with the Admirals for their training camp. However, no contract was forthcoming from Milwaukee and signed a one-year AHL contract with the Iowa Wild on December 15, 2025. In 35 games with Iowa, he registered ten goals and 36 points. He was signed to a one-year, two-way contract with the Minnesota Wild, for the 2026–27 season on July 1, 2026. He was placed on waivers on September 24, and having gone unclaimed, was assigned to Minnesota's AHL affiliate, the Iowa Wild.

Career statistics

Regular season Playoffs
Season Team League GP G A Pts PIM GP G A Pts PIM
2012–13 Dubuque Fighting Saints USHL 58 9 18 27 14 9 0 2 2 0
2013–14 Dubuque Fighting Saints USHL 60 14 29 43 29 7 0 0 0 0
2014–15 Dubuque Fighting Saints USHL 54 16 22 38 74 8 3 4 7 2
2015–16 University of Denver NCHC 41 17 30 47 19 — — — — —
2016–17 University of Denver NCHC 38 13 29 42 21 — — — — —
2017–18 University of Denver NCHC 41 13 30 43 15 — — — — —
2017–18 San Jose Sharks NHL 3 0 0 0 0 — — — — —
2018–19 San Jose Barracuda AHL 51 20 25 45 18 4 1 3 4 0
2018–19 San Jose Sharks NHL 8 0 0 0 2 2 1 0 1 2
2019–20 San Jose Barracuda AHL 15 3 9 12 15 — — — — —
2019–20 San Jose Sharks NHL 50 5 6 11 17 — — — — —
2020–21 San Jose Sharks NHL 49 5 7 12 13 — — — — —
2021–22 San Jose Barracuda AHL 3 0 1 1 4 — — — — —
2021–22 Ottawa Senators NHL 63 3 4 7 12 — — — — —
2022–23 Ottawa Senators NHL 60 4 6 10 35 — — — — —
2023–24 Toronto Marlies AHL 66 14 22 36 16 3 1 0 1 0
2024–25 Cleveland Monsters AHL 54 13 12 25 32 6 2 0 2 2
2025–26 Iowa Wild AHL 35 10 26 36 4 — — — — —
NHL totals 233 17 23 40 79 2 1 0 1 2

Awards and honors

Award Year Reference
USHL
Clark Cup (Dubuque Fighting Saints) 2013
College
NCHC All-Rookie Team 2016
NCAA Champion (Denver) 2017
NCHC Second All-Star Team 2017, 2018

References

  1. ↑ Eide, Andrew (June 14, 2018). "San Jose Sharks prospect Dylan Gambrell's NHL journey began in Bonney Lake". nhltoseattle.com. Retrieved June 14, 2018.
  2. 1 2 3 Frazier, Ann (June 25, 2016). "Quick Facts: Dylan Gambrell". San Jose Sharks. Archived from the original on February 20, 2023. Retrieved February 20, 2023 – via NHL.com.
  3. ↑ Leitner, Jim (October 5, 2013). "Meet the Fighting Saints: Dylan Gambrell". Telegraph Herald. Retrieved February 20, 2023.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 "Dylan Gambrell". hockeydb.com. Retrieved October 7, 2026.
  5. ↑ Leitner, Jim (May 3, 2014). "USHL playoffs: Ice eliminate Dubuque". Telegraph Herald. Retrieved October 7, 2026.
  6. ↑ Fick, Mitch (May 5, 2015). "Muskegon Lumberjacks clinch berth in Clark Cup Finals". Fox 17. Retrieved October 7, 2026.
  7. ↑ Chambers, Mike (June 25, 2016). "DU center Dylan Gambrell drafted in second round by San Jose Sharks". The Denver Post. Retrieved October 7, 2026.
  8. ↑ Chambers, Mike (April 7, 2016). "DU Pioneers' season ends with loss to North Dakota at Frozen Four". The Denver Post. Retrieved October 7, 2026.
  9. ↑ "Pioneers win Penrose Cup, beating Mavericks 4 to 2". thednvr.com. March 4, 2017. Retrieved October 7, 2026.
  10. ↑ Zucker, Joseph (April 8, 2017). "Denver Edges out Minnesota Duluth to Win 2017 NCAA Hockey Championship". Bleacher Report. Retrieved October 7, 2026.
  11. ↑ Chambers, Mike (July 11, 2017). "DU hockey: No. 1 center Dylan Gambrell set to return for stacked NCAA champions". The Denver Post. Retrieved February 20, 2023.
  12. ↑ Myers, Jess (March 17, 2018). "Denver Pioneers beat top-ranked St. Cloud State in NCHC Frozen Faceoff title game". The Denver Post. Retrieved October 7, 2026.
  13. ↑ Blouse, Michael (March 25, 2018). "Denver Pioneers hockey season ends in blowout loss to Ohio State". The Denver Post. Retrieved October 7, 2026.
  14. 1 2 3 4 "Sharks sign forward Dylan Gambrell". San Jose Sharks. March 26, 2018. Retrieved March 26, 2018 – via NHL.com.
  15. ↑ Gackle, Paul (April 3, 2018). "Sharks cough up a third period lead in loss to Stars". The Mercury News. Retrieved April 3, 2018.
  16. 1 2 "Sharks Recall Center Dylan Gambrell". San Jose Sharks. October 7, 2018. Retrieved October 7, 2018 – via NHL.com.
  17. ↑ "Sharks Reassign Three Players to Barracuda". San Jose Sharks. October 2, 2018. Retrieved October 2, 2018 – via NHL.com.
  18. ↑ "Sharks Recall Forward Dylan Gambrell". San Jose Barracuda. January 15, 2019. Retrieved October 9, 2026.
  19. ↑ "Sharks Re-Sign Forward Dylan Gambrell". San Jose Barracuda. July 11, 2019. Retrieved February 20, 2023.
  20. ↑ Nollenberger, Nick (April 29, 2019). "A Season in Review: 2018-19 San Jose Barracuda". San Jose Barracuda. Retrieved October 9, 2026.
  21. ↑ "Sharks' Dylan Gambrell: Summoned by parent club". CBS Sports. April 16, 2019. Retrieved October 9, 2026.
  22. ↑ Kurz, Kevin (January 29, 2020). "Dylan Gambrell gets another (final?) chance with the Sharks to show he belongs". The Athletic. Retrieved February 21, 2023.
  23. ↑ Nowels, Michael (May 21, 2019). "Gambrell gets first career NHL goal in Sharks' Game 6 loss". The Mercury News. Retrieved May 21, 2019.
  24. ↑ Blackburn, Pete (May 22, 2019). "2019 Stanley Cup Playoffs: Five reasons the San Jose Sharks were eliminated by the St. Louis Blues". CBS Sports. Retrieved February 20, 2023.
  25. ↑ "Sharks Re-Sign Forward Dylan Gambrell". San Jose Sharks. Retrieved July 11, 2019 – via NHL.com.
  26. ↑ Young, Jabari (March 12, 2020). "NHL suspends season due to coronavirus". CNBC. Retrieved October 21, 2024.
  27. ↑ "Sharks re-sign forward Dylan Gambrell to one-year contract". Sportsnet. July 15, 2021. Retrieved February 21, 2023.
  28. ↑ "Sharks Re-Sign Forward Dylan Gambrell". San Jose Sharks. Retrieved July 15, 2021 – via NHL.com.
  29. ↑ Pashelka, Curtis (October 9, 2021). "Where things stand for the Sharks after waiving Dylan Gambrell". The Mercury News. Retrieved February 20, 2023.
  30. 1 2 "Senators acquire forward Dylan Gambrell from San Jose". Ottawa Senators. October 24, 2021. Archived from the original on October 25, 2021. Retrieved October 24, 2021 – via NHL.com.
  31. ↑ "Ottawa Senators add depth with trade for center Dylan Gambrell from San Jose Sharks". ABC 7 News. October 24, 2021. Retrieved February 20, 2023.
  32. ↑ Baird, Taylor (October 30, 2021). "Norris scores two, Senators defeat Stars to end three-game losing streak". NHL.com. National Hockey League. Retrieved October 9, 2026.
  33. ↑ Garrioch, Bruce (October 25, 2021). "Snapshots: Dylan Gambrell will join the Ottawa Senators in time to hit the road for three-game trip". Ottawa Sun. Retrieved October 9, 2026.
  34. ↑ Fraser, Callum (December 5, 2021). "Tkachuk, Senators recover to defeat Avalanche in OT". NHL.com. National Hockey League. Retrieved October 9, 2026.
  35. ↑ Poupart, Alain (December 14, 2021). "Senators score eight, surge past Panthers". NHL.com. National Hockey League. Retrieved October 9, 2026.
  36. ↑ "Senators sign forward Dylan Gambrell to one-year contract extension". Toronto Star. The Canadian Press. June 15, 2022. Retrieved February 20, 2023.
  37. 1 2 "Maple Leafs sign forward Dylan Gambrell". Toronto Maple Leafs. July 3, 2023. Retrieved July 3, 2023 – via NHL.com.
  38. ↑ Barden, Nick (October 8, 2023). "Maple Leafs Waive Martin Jones and Others to Clear Cap Space Ahead of NHL Regular Season Roster Submission Deadline". The Hockey News. Retrieved October 24, 2023.
  39. 1 2 "Blue Jackets sign Dylan Gambrell". Columbus Blue Jackets. July 2, 2024. Retrieved July 2, 2024 – via NHL.com.
  40. 1 2 Sheridan, Mathieu (October 17, 2024). "Columbus Blue Jackets Place Dylan Gambrell On Waivers". The Hockey News. Retrieved October 21, 2024.
  41. ↑ Lofgren, Matt (May 6, 2025). "Cleveland Monsters' Calder Cup run ends with 4-1 loss to Laval Rocket". Cleveland.com. Retrieved October 9, 2026.
  42. ↑ Espy, William (September 8, 2025). "Former Sharks Forward Signs PTO With Nashville". The Hockey News. Retrieved October 9, 2026.
  43. ↑ "Predators Reduce Training Camp Roster to 33 Players". Nashville Predators. September 29, 2025. Retrieved October 9, 2026 – via NHL.com.
  44. ↑ Newland, Jason (October 1, 2025). "Two Former Monsters Earn PTO's with AHL teams". The Hockey News. Retrieved October 9, 2026.
  45. ↑ "Iowa Wild Signs Forward Dylan Gambrell to AHL contract". Iowa Wild. December 15, 2025. Retrieved October 9, 2026.
  46. ↑ "Minnesota Wild signs four players". Minnesota Wild. July 1, 2026. Retrieved July 1, 2026 – via NHL.com.
  47. ↑ "Minnesota Wild Reduces Training Camp Roster to 27 Players". Minnesota Wild. September 24, 2026. Retrieved October 9, 2026 – via NHL.com.
  48. ↑ "Four Pioneers named for individual awards". Denver Pioneers. March 8, 2018. Retrieved April 3, 2018.