Madison Capitols

Tom Gilbert is entering his fourth season with the Capitols, third as Associate Head Coach and Assistant GM. Gilbert started with Madison in 2022-23 as the Director of Player Development and became the Interim Head Coach of the team in early March of 2023. Under Gilbert, the team went 6-7-0-1 in fourteen games. In the team’s final nine games with him behind the bench, the Capitols went 5-3-0-1 and including the longest winning streak of that season. In that nine-game stretch, Gilbert’s Capitols surrendered over a goal less than the team’s average for the season.

Gilbert then transitioned to the Associate Head Coach & Assistant GM role that he currently occupies when the team hired Andy Brandt in May of 2023. As a former defenseman, he has helped the Capitols drop from allowing 4.67 goals per game prior to him filling his current role to 3.10 in 2023-24 and then to 2.98 in 2024-25. The 2.98 is the best in Capitols Tier 1history. The team also had the best penalty kill in the team’s Tier 1 history clicking at an 82.1% rate, which ranked third in the USHL.

The Capitols are Gilbert’s first stop in his coaching career after a fifteen-year playing career at the professional ranks including eleven in the National Hockey League. In 11 seasons in the NHL, the right-shot defenseman played 655 games and picked up 223 points including 45 goals. Gilbert started his NHL career with Edmonton where he would later serve as an alternate captain. After parts of six seasons in Edmonton, Gilbert would go onto play with Florida, Los Angeles, Minnesota, and Montreal (alphabetically) before heading to Europe to wrap up his playing career. Gilbert played his final four seasons of professional hockey with the Nurnberg Ice Tigers of the DEL. In 159 games in the DEL, Gilbert registered 56 points.

Gilbert played with Head Coach & GM Andy Brandt and goaltending coach Shane Connelly at the University of Wisconsin. The only season with the trio all on enrolled in 2005-06, the Badgers were able to capture the program’s sixth national championship. Gilbert scored the game winning goal to defeat Boston College in the championship game. In four seasons at Wisconsin, Gilbert played in 162 games registering 89 points including 33 goals.

Along with the national championship with Wisconsin, Gilbert was named to the 2006 NCAA All-Tournament Team, 2005-06 WCHA First All-Star Team, 2005-06 NCAA West Second All-American Team. Following his rookie season in the NHL, Gilbert was named to the 2007-08 NHL All-Rookie Team.