Beloved Ontario-Born Former NHL Player Sadly Passes Away

Roberto played eight seasons in the National Hockey League for five franchises, the Montreal Canadiens, St. Louis Blues, Detroit Red Wings, the Kansas City Scouts (later as the Colorado Rockies), and the Cleveland Barons.

As well, Roberto also played in the World Hockey Association at the end of his playing career with the Birmingham Bulls.

His NHL playing career spanned from 1969-1977, as well as in the WHA in the 1977-1978 season, where he had 28 points in 53 games.

Roberto won the Stanley Cup as a member of the Canadiens in 1971, and in the 1973 playoffs led the Blues in scoring with seven goals, six assists, & 13 points in 11 games at the age of 22, having scored 20 goals in the regular season for St. Louis.

The winger was known as a hard-working two-way player who wasn't afraid to play with a physical edge and intimidate opponents, a precursor to the physical NHL era that was to become the norm a few years later.

Roberto would suffer a major fate to his hockey career as he suffered a serious injury to his arm after crashing into a glass arm.

The incident was thought to potentially bring down Roberto's career, but luckily he returned to action, albeit to diminished results.

St. Louis traded the now struggling Roberto to Detroit for future Blues and Univeristy of Michigan famed Head Coach Red Berenson.

Roberto would move around the league until 1977, later playing a year in the WHA before retiring from hockey at the age of 29.

The most famous moment in Roberto's career may have been his assist on Jean Beliveau's 500th career NHL goal.

As a coach, Roberto would have stints with the Birmingham Bulls (not related to the WHA team), and the Columbus Cottonmouths.

In 385 career NHL games, Roberto had 75 goals, 106 assists, & 181 points.