Jean-Sebastien Giguere said during his third season with the Avalanche that 2013-14 would be his last in the NHL, and the acclaimed goalie made it official Thursday. “Jiggy” announced his retirement after 16 years in the league.
Giguere, 37, had most of his success with the Anaheim Ducks, winning the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP in 2003 and the Stanley Cup in 2007. He also played for the Hartford Whalers, Calgary Flames and Toronto Maple Leafs. He served as Semyon Varlamov’s backup the past three seasons with the Avs, posting a 31-21-8 record with a 2.51 goals-against average and .914 save percentage.
“On behalf of the Colorado Avalanche, I would like to congratulate Jean-Sebastien on an outstanding hockey career,” said Hall of Fame forward Joe Sakic, the Avalanche’s executive vice president of hockey operations. “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.”
Giguere is from Montreal, where he will retire and focus on running the junior team he co-owns, the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League.