Samuel Gate set to retire at the end of the season

[scoop 3,431]

Nearing the end of what is undoubtedly his best season, Samuel Gate has announced that it will be his last. He has career highs in just about every stat, most notable of which is his league-leading 67 assists. Never slated to be an offensive player, Gate is currently in the top ten in points with 82; his highest prior to this season was 64. Unlike previous seasons, however, his team is all the way on the bottom of the standings. Previously with Vancouver (and Quebec before the move), he was frequently in the playoff race, though the team was mostly just average in that duration. This past off-season, he was traded a couple times, winding up playing for the Seattle Bears who have just 48 points.

 

Gate was drafted second overall in S61, and you could definitely argue that he was a bust. He wasn't terrible, but there were definitely better players taken after him. Though he wasn't necessarily expected to put up a ton of points, he never really improved much prior to this season. He was always a fine defensive player, but he just never had the overall impact you'd expect from a second overall pick.