Giguere Ready to Retire

After playing in the NHL for 18-years, Colorado goalie Jean-Sébastien Giguère could have played his last game per TVA reporter Renaud Lavoie. Lavoie said in a tweet Sunday morning that Giguère will speak with his agent and the NHLPA before making the  announcement official. It could happen as soon as this week.

Giguère played for five teams in his career, beginning his career at the end of the 1996-97 season with the Hartford Whalers. He was the 13th overall pick in 1995 and spent time with Halifax in the QMJHL before making the transition to the NHL. He would only play eight games for Hartford before they traded him the following summer to Calgary for Trevor Kidd and a couple other players. He spent most of his time with the Flames organization with their AHL affiliate in Saint John before being traded to Anaheim in 2000. His official rookie season came in 2000-01, where he carried a 11-17-5 record in 34 games.

His breakout season came in 2002-03, where he led the Ducks to the 7th game of the Stanley Cup Final before falling to the New Jersey Devils. That year, he backstopped series sweeps of Detroit and Minnesota, where he became the fifth person to win the Conn Smythe Trophy while being on the Cup losing team. That season he went 34-22-6 with a .920 save percentage, 2.30 GAA and eight shutouts during the regular season. He caught fire in the playoffs when he posted a 15-6 record, .945 save percentage and 1.62 GAA in 21 games.

Giguère did win a Stanley Cup, in 2007 when Anaheim defeated Ottawa in five games. In later years he couldn’t regain the same form, as he spent time as a backup with Toronto (2009-11) and Colorado (since 2011-12). In his first year with the Av’s, he appeared in 32 games and posted a 15-11-13 record and  a .919 save percentage and 2.27 GAA.

 

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