Long-time goaltender Jean-Sebastien Giguere, whom was also known as the nickname “Jiggy,” decided retire on Thursday August 21 after sixteen very respectable seasons in the NHL. With achievements such as 262 wins, a Conn Smythe Trophy for most valuable player to his team during the playoffs, and a Stanley Cup Championship with the Anaheim Ducks, he will certainly go down as arguably one of the best goaltenders over the last fifteen years.
As part owner of the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada hockey team of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League, Giguere decided to make his decision after realizing where he belonged at this point in his life. While he won’t be suiting up for the Colorado Avalanche anymore, he is glad that he isn’t taking himself out of hockey altogether.
Giguere was originally drafted as the 13th overall pick in 1995 by the Hartford Whalers and played eight games for them in the 1996-97 season. He was the last active player to have suited up for the Whalers after they moved to Carolina and became the Hurricanes in 1997.
He played in 597 regular season games and faced 16,325 shots in 33,719 minutes with a 2.53 goals-against average and 38 shutouts. Giguere was known as a fan favorite on every team he played for. Besides playing in Hartford for the Whalers, he also spent time playing seasons with the Anaheim Ducks, Calgary Flames, Toronto Maple Leafs, and most recently as a member of the Colorado Avalanche.
Giguere played the role of backup to Semyon Varlamov last season which was also former Avalanche goaltender Patrick Roy's first season as an NHL Head Coach. Roy coached the team to a finish tops in the Central Division and earned their first playoff berth since 2010.
He was also not just a great teammate on the ice, but in the locker room as well. Impressive rookie last season Nathan MacKinnon was invited to live in Giguere’s basement all season. They car-pooled to games, practices, and Giguere became an easy mentor for the future young star.
Overall, despite retiring as a member of the Colorado Avalanche, Giguere is most known in his career with the Anaheim Ducks. He was a large part of leading the team to two Stanley Cup Finals in 2003 and 2007. He won the Conn Smythe Trophy in 2003 and helped earn a Stanley Cup Championship for the Ducks against the Ottawa Senators in 2007.
Ducks fans gave Giguere a standing ovation after a game in Anaheim last April where he skated to center ice with former Ducks teammate Teemu Selanne. Selanne also recently announced his retirement prior to the end of last season after 21 seasons in the NHL. Both are two of the Ducks most known players in the team’s history. "For (Selanne) to do that, it's something that's very special for me, and something I'll never forget." Giguere said.
"His achievements speak for themselves, from winning the Stanley Cup to winning the Conn Smythe, Jiggy was always a top-notch goaltender. He was also a very important part of our team during the past three seasons, providing veteran leadership and stability in net. We wish him and his family the best of luck." said Colorado Avalanche team executive Joe Sakic.