Kyle Okposo remembered Gionta's tenaciousness as an opponent, then got to know him as a teammate in 2016-17, Gionta's last season in Buffalo. Okposo smiled while recounting what he learned from his former captain, who he described as "rock solid."
"He wasn't scared to say anything," Okposo said. "He really earned his stripes and he had that confidence to say what needed to be said. Just the presence, the way he carried himself because of his routine, because of his work, the way he prepared. It was pretty infectious and pretty powerful."
Gionta entered the league as a third-round pick with the Devils during the 2001-02 season. He was a 5-foot-7 forward at a time when those were rare in the NHL, but by the end of his sophomore season he was a Stanley Cup champion. The following season, he scored a career-best 48 goals 89 points.
Montreal was where Gionta was first named captain, making him the second American to hold that distinction for a storied franchise. The Sabres brought the Greece, N.Y. native home to Western New York four years later.
"To cap it off and come back to Western New York, my home area, and be able to play for your childhood team in the Sabres was also a highlight of my career," he said.
After being able to spend more time with his family over the past year, Gionta said the decision to retire after one last stab at a Cup became clearer. It won't always be an easy decision, he admitted, but it was the right one.
"I'm fortunate that I'm walking away from the game into something even better, and that's being part of my kids growing up, and coaching them, and being there for them," he said. "I'm really looking forward to that next stage in my life."