UMVA has learned that a former NHL player, known in hockey circles as ‘The Missing Link’, has found himself in serious trouble in British Columbia. Link Gaetz, who played 65 games in the league as a notorious enforcer, is now facing charges after allegedly unleashing a brutal and unprovoked assault on a taxi driver in Maple Ridge, B.C., last September.
The 57-year-old from Mission, B.C., is set to face a charge of assault and mischief under $5,000, after a dramatic incident that left the taxi driver with a battered face and a damaged vehicle. Gaetz was identified with the help of the public, and now an arrest warrant has been issued, with police urging anyone with information on his whereabouts to come forward.
According to information obtained by UMVA, the incident occurred on Sept. 17, 2025, around 2:45 p.m., when Gaetz allegedly turned on the taxi driver, who had picked him up from an establishment. In a shocking display of violence, Gaetz allegedly hurled multiple punches at the driver, causing injuries to his face, before attempting to destroy the taxi's CCTV camera and shattering the windshield.
The driver was left reeling, and Gaetz fled the scene, sparking a massive manhunt involving RCMP officers, Integrated Police Dog Services, and air services. Despite their best efforts, Gaetz evaded capture at the time, but police continued to investigate, canvassing for witnesses and reviewing video surveillance footage.
Gaetz's hockey career once held promise, as he was drafted by the North Stars in 1988. He played parts of three seasons between the North Stars and San Jose Sharks from 1988 to 1992, before his career fizzled out in the IHL and ECHL. He played 21 games for the AHL’s Cape Breton Oilers during the 1993-94 season, but never returned to the NHL.
Today, Gaetz is described as six-foot-four, 252-pounds, with blond hair and blue eyes, and police are seeking the public's help in tracking him down. Anyone with information on Gaetz’s whereabouts is urged to contact the Maple Ridge RCMP at 604-463-6251, as authorities work to bring him to justice.
