 Gardner was born in Fort Erie, Ontario, but grew up in Toronto, Ontario.As a youth, Gardner played in the 1968 Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament with a minor ice hockey team from Leaside.Drafted in 1976 by both the Kansas City Scouts of the National Hockey League and Toronto Toros of the World Hockey Association, Gardner followed the Scouts franchise when it relocated to Colorado, where he played for parts of three seasons.