Ascending to the Rafters: J.S Giguere

This season there was rampant speculation that this would be the last one for J.S. Giguere, and it was all but cemented by the victory lap with Ducks Great Teemu Selanne in the last regular season game between the Ducks and Avalanche. This week, it was made official that Giguere will announce his retirement from the NHL on Aug. 21, ending a career that started 17 years ago in Hartford.

Many are wondering if he will be the second Duck to fly into the rafters at Honda Center, to hang alongside the Finnish Flash. As a massive, completely biased Giguere fan, I would say a resounding yes, without question.  As a contributor, I would also say yes, hopefully swaying your opinion with more than just emotion if you find yourself on the fence.

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If you are not familiar with why a team would retire a number, it’s a way for a team to celebrate a player after his career has ended, by sending a banner with the players name and number to the rafters, forever cementing himself as a part of the team’s history for the life of the franchise.  His number will never be worn again by any player of the same franchise. Only those who have been major contributors and/or team leaders, that pave the way for the rise and success of a franchise and have that “something” that a franchise may never see again, receive this honor, which the highest any team can give.

Giguere was drafted 13th overall by, but would only appear in 8 games with Hartford (1-4) his rookie season before being traded to Calgary. Spending 2 seasons as a Flame (7-10-2), he may be the best ‘bargain’ trade the Ducks have ever acquired, as Anaheim sent a second round pick (which ended up being Matt Pettinger) in the Summer of 2000. J.S would be a part of the worst Ducks team in franchise history in 00-01, where they would only be able to round up 66 pts. This was a team in the midst of an overhaul, losing Guy Hebert via waivers, Teemu Selanne via trade to San Jose, and going through a couple of coaches behind the bench in Craig Hartsburg and Guy Charron. Even on an abysmal team, Giguere managed to go 11-17-5, compiling a 2.57 GAA and .911 sv %.

Started from the Bottom, Now We’re Here…

It was from this season where the Mighty Ducks went from perennial cellar dwellers, to a force in the NHL and it all revolved around Jiggy between the pipes. Fast forward to 2002-03 season where the Mighty Ducks entered the Playoffs as the #7 seed, and taking on the #2 seed, defending Stanley Cup Champion Detroit Red Wings. Entering the series, Anaheim was supposed to be a non-factor against the star studded Wings. Instead, this series started one of the most insane playoff runs for any goaltender in NHL history.

The Mighty Ducks disposed of the Wings in a four-game sweep , took down the #1 seeded Stars in six games, swept the Minnesota Wild in 4 games, where Giguere only allowed 1 goal in the whole series. Reaching the Cup Final was way further than anyone expected this team to go, and they took the Devils to a penultimate game 7, losing 3-0. Giguere was awarded the Conn Smythe in a losing effort, only the 5th player to ever win the award while on a losing team.  J.S. went 15-6 in this playoff run, with a jaw dropping .945 SV %, 1.62 GAA, and winning 7 games in OT (per hockey-reference.com).

This Cinderella season brought the Mighty Ducks to the forefront of the league, and considered a team to be reckoned with, starting a run to the playoffs in 4 of the next 5 seasons. It changed everything as the Mighty Ducks had a goaltender they could build around. His consistency in the net made the Ducks a contender and Cup favorite in the following seasons, nabbing the West Coast’s first Stanley Cup in 2007.

One could even argue that alongside Selanne, Giguere’s repeated success with the Ducks led to a renewed interest in hockey in Orange County, as in 2001-02 where the Ducks attendance was at an all-time low, averaging just over 12,000 people per game. In the season’s following attendance steadily rose each season until it reached its peak in 2007-08, averaging 17,193 in the season after the Cup win (per hockeydb).

He holds a bevy of team records which will not be challenged for some time, as the recent letting go of Jonas Hiller will have two new Ducks goalies to follow in Giguere’s footsteps. His career with the Ducks is one that put the team on the map, and altered the direction of the franchise to a severe upward trend. He came to Anaheim as an unknown, and left a champion, and for that his number should be raised to the rafters.

Anaheim Ducks Team Records by J.S Giguere:

• Minutes Played (25645)
• Games Played (447)
• Wins (206)
• Shutouts (32)
• Led team to playoffs 5 times
• Won Stanley Cup

Totals with Anaheim (9 seasons) 206-163-59, 91.4% sv, 2.47 GAA, 32 SO (per hockey-reference.com)