Jean-Noel Gilbert
Jean-Noël Gilbert
1944–2017
Category: Player
The Toughest Broomball Player Ever
Born in Asbestos, Quebec, on December 10, 1944, Jean-Noël Gilbert began playing broomball in 1963 and remained actively involved in the sport until 2017. His remarkable 54-year career encompassed virtually every aspect of the game, including roles as a player, coach, referee, instructor, trainer, manager and organizer.
Above all, Jean-Noël was a player. His extraordinary longevity, competitiveness and dedication to the game earned him a reputation as “The Toughest Broomball Player Ever.”
The beginning of a 54-year career
Jean-Noël played his first broomball game in Ottawa in 1963 with the CFB Rockcliffe Base Team, in an exhibition game against CFB St-Jean. He subsequently joined the CFB Rockcliffe Broomball League for the 1963–64 season.
From 1965 to 1969, he competed in numerous tournaments throughout the Ottawa region. Many games were played outdoors or on natural ice, often without the protective equipment that would later become standard in the sport.
One of his early career highlights came on February 5, 1967, when he captained the CFB Rockcliffe Team to victory in the Ottawa Carnival Centennial Tournament, a six-day competition featuring 51 men’s teams.
Broomball across Canada
Jean-Noël’s military career took him to different parts of Canada, and broomball followed him wherever he went.
He played with CFS Senneterre in the Val-d’Or Broomball League from 1972 to 1973 before joining the CFB Valcartier Base Team from 1975 to 1978. At both locations, he competed extensively in local tournaments as well as military regional and national championships.
From 1978 to 1981, he played with the CFB Kingston Base Team. During this period, he also served as President of the Kingston League and contributed as a referee, instructor and trainer.
From 1981 to 1985, Jean-Noël captained the CFB St-Hubert Base Team in the South Shore Broomball League. His team won four tournaments in the Montreal area, every military regional championship it entered and two national championships.
Returning to the Ottawa region, he ran the CFB Ottawa (Rockcliffe) League from 1985 to 1990 and continued playing for numerous teams in leagues at the RA Centre and arenas in Russell, Embrun and Walkley.
Teaching and developing the game
Jean-Noël’s contribution went far beyond his own performance on the ice. He served as an organizer, board member and referee with Promotion Demers-Lafontaine, an organization that preceded today’s EOBA, OBA and CBA.
He also developed broomball lesson plans that he and other instructors used to teach the sport to younger military and civilian players. His experience and knowledge were passed on to generations of players, helping to strengthen the game wherever he was involved.
Jean-Noël also spent many years officiating, including in the CFB Rockcliffe leagues and tournaments from 1966 to 1969, in Kingston from 1978 to 1981 and throughout the Ottawa region from 1990 to 1993.
An extraordinary playing record
Over the course of his career, Jean-Noël competed in regional, provincial, national and international events, as well as hundreds of tournaments across Canada, Europe, Japan and the United States.
From 1986 to 2016, he regularly participated in approximately 120 games and practices each year, with a career high of 128 games in a single year.
From 1988 until 2017, he was also a regular participant in the annual Can-Am Syracuse Broomball Tournament. Even in his sixties, Jean-Noël continued competing at a high level, playing in the Quebec Senior Broomball League with the Ottawa Nationals from 2005 to 2011.
One of the highlights of his long career was the opportunity to play alongside his son Stéphane for many years, including in Elite competition, World Championships and numerous tournaments.
The Ottawa Nationals and World Championships
In 1998, Jean-Noël founded the Ottawa Nationals Broomball Team for the World Championships in Bolzano, Italy. The team soon became Canadian national champions and would repeat that achievement on several occasions.
Jean-Noël continued supporting the national and international game as a player, coach, trainer and sponsor. As coach of the Ottawa Nationals, he was selected to the World Championship All-Star Team in 2000, 2002 and 2004.
Between 1998 and 2014, he participated in nine World Broomball Championships in various roles, including player, coach, trainer, manager and sponsor. During those championships, his teams earned five gold medals, two silver medals and one bronze medal, along with one fourth-place finish.
An unforgettable final game
Jean-Noël played his final game at Russell Arena on March 27, 2017, at the age of 72.
Fittingly, it was no ordinary game. The special two-hour, no-whistle playoff was named “The Jean-Noël Gilbert Iron Man Final Game” — a celebration and fitting farewell for a man whose playing career had begun 54 years earlier.
A remarkable broomball legacy
Few individuals have given as much of their lives to broomball as Jean-Noël Gilbert. From the outdoor rinks of the 1960s to World Championship competition more than half a century later, his career reflected an extraordinary combination of toughness, skill, leadership and devotion to the sport.
As a player, Jean-Noël competed across generations. As a coach and instructor, he shared his knowledge. As an organizer, referee and founder, he helped build the game. And as a father, he had the special opportunity to share his sport with his son.
Jean-Noël Gilbert’s 54 years in broomball left a legacy that continues well beyond his final game. It is with great respect that he is honoured in the Hall of Fame in the category of Player.