Gabriel Vilardi

Gabriel "Gabe" Vilardi (born August 16, 1999) is a Canadian professional ice hockey forward for the Winnipeg Jets of the National Hockey League (NHL). He was drafted eleventh overall by the Los Angeles Kings in the 2017 NHL Entry Draft.

Playing career
Vilardi was drafted in the first round, second overall, in the 2015 OHL Priority Selection by the Windsor Spitfires. While Vilardi is a natural centre he primarily played as a winger with Windsor.

Leading up to the NHL draft, Vilardi was seen as a top prospect and was ranked the No. 4 North American skater by NHL Central Scouting Bureau. Craig Button of TSN described him as a big and strong centre with so much offensive upside.

In the 2017–18 season, on January 1, 2018, Vilardi along with Sean Day were traded by the Spitfires to the Kingston Frontenacs in exchange for Cody Morgan and six draft picks. On March 1, 2018, Vilardi signed a three-year entry-level contract with the Los Angeles Kings.

Due to a chronic back issue, Vilardi did not make his professional debut with the Ontario Reign, the Kings' American Hockey League affiliate, until November 29, 2018. He earned his first professional point three days later against the Tucson Roadrunners. On December 10, the Kings loaned Vilardi to Team Canada for a chance to compete at the 2019 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships.

Having recovered from his back issue, Vilardi found a more consistent spot with the Reign, playing 32 games in 2019–20, scoring 9 goals and 16 assists for 25 points. On February 20, 2020, Vilardi was recalled to the Kings from the Ontario Reign. He made his NHL debut later that night against the Florida Panthers. On his first career shot, Vilardi fired a wrist shot past Panthers goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky. Vilardi set a new NHL record, scoring his first career goal 6 seconds into his first career shift. Vilardi added an assist in the second period on a goal scored by Martin Frk.

As a restricted free agent, Vilardi was signed to a one-year, $825,000 contract extension with the Kings on July 23, 2022.

On June 27, 2023, Vilardi was traded by the Kings, alongside Alex Iafallo, Rasmus Kupari, and a 2024 2nd-round draft pick, to the Winnipeg Jets in exchange for Pierre-Luc Dubois. On April 4th, 2024, Vilardi scored his first career NHL hat trick in a 5-2 Jets win over the visiting Calgary Flames.

Personal life
Vilardi was born to Italian parents Natale Vilardi and Giovanna Siviglia who moved from Reggio Calabria to Kingston, Ontario. His older brother Francesco played three seasons in the Ontario Hockey League, and now plays for the Queen's University hockey team.