He played junior hockey with the Fort William Hurricanes from 1948 to 1952. In 1952-53 he turned pro with the Shawinigan Falls Cataractes and the Edmonton Flyers. In October, 1953, Gatherum was called up by the Detroit Red Wings to replace the injured Terry Sawchuk, In his first game Gatherum shut out the Toronto Maple Leafs. He ended up with a 2-0-1 record in three games but was never recalled to the NHL. His name was put on the Stanley Cup as the Wings won it in 1953-54. Gatherum played one more season of minor pro and then settled in with the senior Kelowna Packers from 1955 to 1959.