This family faceoff is getting feisty.
The two children of late New York Rangers icon Rod Gilbert are squaring off against their stepmother in Manhattan Surrogate Court, claiming she manipulated the hockey legend on his deathbed to change his will and cut them out of their inheritance.
Chantal Pine, 47, and Justin Gilbert, 45, allege Judith Gilbert, 76, got their dying dad to rescind his promise to leave them his priceless hockey memorabilia and combined $1 million inheritance, according to court documents.
Gilbert, who spent his entire 18-year career in a starring role for the Blueshirts from 1960-78, is the Rangers all-time leader in goals (406) and points (1,021) and the first NHL player to have his jersey (No. 7) retired at Madison Square Garden.
The children also want possession of a 40-inch-square silkscreen on canvas portrait of Gilbert created by iconic pop artist Andy Warhol.
The charismatic, Montreal-raised Gilbert died Aug. 19, 2021 following a bout with cancer. He was 80.
Pine, of Montclair, NJ, petitioned the court to remove her stepmother as co-executor on the grounds she is “unfit” and engaged in “misconduct including dishonesty.”
Gilbert’s will was admitted to probate in January. Daughter Pine and widow Gilbert were named executors, according to the filings.
Less than a month before the hockey great’s death, he “supposedly signed a letter dated July 26, 2021 (but it was not notarized until the following day)” in which he “completely reversed his … bequest giving all his hockey memorabilia to his children, and then to his grandchildren,” Judith Gilbert claimed, according to the petition.
According to that letter, the hockey legend gifted “all of [his] right, title and interest in and to any and all sports memorabilia” to his wife.
Rod and Judith Gilbert sold their Sag Harbor manse for $6.1 million on Aug. 10, 2021, nine days before he died, the court documents state.
“Close personal friends of [Rod Gilbert] are prepared to testify that decedent had communicated to them his intent to use his share of the proceeds from the sale of that property to fund the $1 million … bequest to his children,” according to the petition.
“Judith improbably claims that the assets in Rod’s estate are inadequate to satisfy either of the bequests that he made to his children,” the petition says.
Gilbert married the former Judith Christy in 1991, in a ceremony conducted by then-Mayor David Dinkins. His 1974 marriage to first wife, Judy Preston, of Tallahassee, Fla. ended in divorce, but produced Chantal and Justin.
The eight-time NHL All-Star with the matinee-idol looks was one of 10 athletes featured in Warhol’s 1979 series, which included Muhammad Ali, O.J. Simpson, Chris Evert, Tom Seaver, and Pelé.
Gilbert, who spent his entire 18-year career in a starring role for the Blueshirts from 1960-78, is the Rangers all-time leader in goals (406) and points (1,021) and the first NHL player to have his jersey (No. 7) retired at Madison Square Garden. The beloved Madison Square Garden ambassador known as “Mr. Ranger” was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1982.
“Based on my dad’s incredible career and his standing and reputation in New York, he and Judy built two successful businesses together,” Chantal Pine told The Post. “Dad wanted to leave his memorabilia plus a small percentage of his assets and his earnings from the businesses to my brother and me and our children … with the balance of his wealth going to Judy. I’m sure my dad would be very upset by all this.”
Added her attorney Robert Piliero: “The last thing Chantal and Justin ever wanted was to fight with Judy. For their father’s sake, they really didn’t want to wash family linen in public. But all our efforts to get information from Judy’s lawyers or to discuss a way to avoid litigation were ignored or rejected. It’s sad, really, and such a disservice to Rod’s memory for Judy to treat his children this way.”
Judith Gilbert denied the allegations in the court filing, saying she had nothing to do with any change her husband made to his will.
She noted her intention has always been to give any game-used Gilbert memorabilia — “his jersey, his skates, his sticks” — and the Warhol piece to Chantal and Justin. “They should have it. Because Rod would want them to have it,” she said.
“This [petition] is smearing Rod because he would never do anything to hurt me or hurt his children,” Judith Gilbert said.
Judith Gilbert, who has two daughters by a prior marriage, said she is heartbroken by the estrangement of Chantal, who she considers her own daughter. “This is a daughter that I lost … I really, really love, love, love her.” Judith Gilbert’s daughters are not in the Ranger legend’s will.
The attorney for the hockey great’s widow — who said he had not seen the explosive petition — took a slapshot at his client’s accusers.
“This is an attempt to extract money from Rod’s wife by his children from another marriage who only care about lining their own pockets and not about Rod’s legacy,” said Errol Margolin.
The attorney added: “Rod did change his will and I have the text of that communication with his lawyer. He did this long before his death and before he made substantial cash gifts to his children and grandchildren before his death.”
