A strong, knowledgeable and dependable defenseman who thrived on pressure, Gibbons was a standout at every level of hockey. While he played goal in his first minor hockey season, he quickly developed into the defenseman upon whom coaches relied for sound, solid playing, especially in their own end of the rink.

After an excellent minor hockey career and an all-star status school performance in St. John's Intercollegiate Hockey, Gibbons moved to the Ontario Hockey Association in 1965 as a member of the Hamilton Red Wings. He played 121 games during three seasons up to 1968 with 15 goals, 50 assists, 65 points and 178 penalty minutes while playing top-level defensive hockey. He was one of the better defensemen in the League, equal to the vast majority of League members.

His professional career, from 1968 to 1976 included four impressive seasons in the World Hockey Association where he more than held his own with some of the best players of the era. Skating on the blue line for Ottawa Nationals, Toronto Toros and Ottawa Civics, Gibbons appeared in 226 games for 15 goals, 88 assists, 103 points plus 113 penalty minutes.

In all he played more than nearly 600 professional hockey games in high level leagues all over North America and has the distinction of being a member of the Springfield team that won the American Hockey championships and the Calder Cup in 1971. Working as an outstanding defensive defenseman at every period of his career, he scored more than 50 goals, set up more than 200 other goals and accumulated nearly 900 minutes in penalties.

Gibbons played in the Western Hockey League, the Central Hockey League and the American Hockey League with teams in San Diego, Forth Worth, Denver, Cleveland and Springfield.

After his return to St. John's, he played for three seasons in provincial senior hockey with the St. John's Capitals and Labatt Bluecaps scoring 11 times and adding 25 assists for 36 points. In the 1977 Allan Cup national championship series, he scored two goals and had three assists.