Gary enjoys golfing and water-skiing in his spare time. Teammate Andrei Zyuzin switched sweater numbers to allow Gary to wear his customary 20. Gary and his wife, Kathy, have two sons, Jacob and Jared. The family resides in Madison, Wisconsin during the offseason. Gary played his college hockey at the University of Wisconsin with fellow Sharks teammate Tony Granato, and has two brothers, Bob and John, who played for the Badgers, as well. Bob was also a member of the 1980 U.S. Olympic Gold Medal Hockey Team. He and his sons went on a camping and fishing trip to Alaska during the offseason. Dad caught a 55 pound King Salmon while Jacob hauled in a 40 pounder. His favorite pre game meals are steak and potatoes and lasagna. Gary's other brother, Steve, is a professional Drag Bike racer and regularly competes in the midwest circuit. Steev set a world record of 206 MPH in the Funny Bike category. Gary owns a summer cottage in Lac de Flambeau, which is Native American for Lake of the Torches, in Northern Wisconsin.