Rejoice, one and all, for it is again that magical time of the week — known to the rest of the world as Wednesday, or more colloquially, “hump day” — to rifle through the archives of NHL history for some good old-fashioned nostalgic treasures. (You’ll have to click through to get the good stuff.)
The subject at hand today is Ducks goaltender Jean-Sebastien Giguere. You may remember him from less acclaimed roles in Halifax, Hartford and Calgary (Mooseheads and Whalers and Flames, oh my!). His curriculum vitae prior to joining the Ducks franchise is thin — so thin, in fact, that he had only a scant 30 NHL games to his name upon arrival in June 2000. The collection of his hockey cards I have to show you chronicle that half-decade before he donned the eggplant and jade.
Not much is typically mentioned about Giguere’s brief stints in Hartford and Calgary, except as a point of contrast to emphasize the effect Francois Allaire’s teachings have had on his game. Often credited with saving Giguere’s career, Allaire helped hone the young goalie’s skills, adding focus and purpose to his play. The changes in his style are underscored in reading the various scouting reports on the cards pictured below. Giguere’s glove hand and athleticism received the bulk of the accolades throughout his junior career, and now the very notion of athleticism being a core tenet of his game seems preposterous. Instead, Allaire has instilled in him equal measures of confidence and discipline, both key ingredients that helped Giguere transcend his stereotype and become an iconoclast of the traditional Quebec-born goaltender: he became a puck blocker. No flash, no dash, but plenty of results.
In what will hopefully will turn out to be an auspicious debut, it is with great pleasure that we present Quacked, an Anaheim Ducks fan blog.
