Eddie Giacomin

Eddie Giacomin
Hockey Hall of Fame, 1987
Born	(1939-06-06) June 6, 1939 Sudbury, Ontario, Canada
Height	5 ft 11 in (180 cm)
Weight	180 lb (82 kg; 12 st 12 lb)
Position	Goaltender
Caught	Left
Played for	New York Rangers Detroit Red Wings
Playing career	1959–1978

Edward "Ed" Giacomin (born June 6, 1939) is a Canadian retired professional ice hockey goaltender who played for the New York Rangers and Detroit Red Wings in the National Hockey League between 1965 and 1978.

Playing career

Giacomin began his professional career in 1959 when he played four games for the Washington Presidents of the Eastern Hockey League. The Eagles had originally sought his brother Rollie, but work commitments meant he was unable to play, so suggested Eddie instead. Giacomin followed that with brief stints with the Clinton Comets in 1958–59 and 1959–60. Despite suffering serious burns in a kitchen accident, Giacomin made the roster of the Providence Reds in the 1960–61 season. In the Original Six days of the 1960s, with only six starting goaltending jobs in the NHL, positions were hard to obtain, and Giacomin starred for the Reds for five full seasons.

NHL teams, particularly the Detroit Red Wings and the New York Rangers, began to express interest in Giacomin. New York traded three players and starting goaltender Marcel Paille to the Reds for Giacomin in 1965. He was impressive in his first month with the Rangers but faltered thereafter, and lost the starting job. The following season he improved markedly; he led the NHL in shutouts and backstopped the Rangers to their second playoff berth in nine seasons.

A classic stand-up goaltender and a skilled stick handler known for leaving the crease to play the puck, Giacomin was the Rangers' starting goaltender for the next nine seasons. He led the league in games played for four straight years from 1967 to 1970 and in shutouts in 1967, 1968 and 1971. In 1971 he shared the Vezina Trophy with teammate Gilles Villemure. Typical of his competitive nature, in a game in the 1971 playoffs against Chicago, when Bobby Hull skated over the back of his hand, Giacomin continued to play, and when the Rangers won the game, even the Black Hawks used the word "guts" to describe his determination. The Rangers went on to meet the Boston Bruins in the Stanley Cup finals in 1972, losing in a hard-fought six-game series.

Giacomin's effectiveness was reduced in 1975 by injuries. The following season, the Rangers got off to their worst start in ten years (they would miss the playoffs for the first time in a decade) and began to get rid of their high-salaried veterans, Giacomin among them. Many fans were angry when he was put on waivers and claimed by the Detroit Red Wings on October 29, 1975, as the result of a youth movement that resulted in John Davidson taking over in goal. The Red Wings' next game was in New York on November 2, and when Giacomin appeared on the ice in a Red Wing jersey, fans gave him a long-standing ovation and cheered for him throughout the game. Rangers fans booed their own team when they took shots or scored on Giacomin, and chanted Giacomin's name throughout the match, which he won for the Red Wings. The evening was voted one of the 50 greatest moments in MSG history.

He played three respectable seasons for Detroit before a youth movement took over. He retired on January 17, 1978, with a career record of 289-208-97 and a 2.82 GAA.

Retirement

Giacomin spent the 1979 season as a broadcaster for the New York Islanders, who were beaten in the playoffs by the rival Rangers that spring. Giacomin later served with the Islanders and the Red Wings as an assistant coach and two stints with the Rangers as a goaltending coach.

He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1987. His jersey number 1 was the second number retired by the Rangers, on March 15, 1989, joining Rod Gilbert's number 7 that was retired by the Rangers on October 14, 1979.

Achievements and facts

• Named to the NHL First All-Star Team in 1967 and 1971.
• Named to the NHL Second All-Star Team in 1968, 1969 and 1970
• Played in NHL All-Star Game in 1967, 1968, 1969, 1970, 1971 and 1973
• Vezina Trophy winner in 1971 (shared with Gilles Villemure)
• Ranked 25th in career wins by a goaltender with 289
• Ranked 19th in career shutouts with 54
• His No. 1 was the second jersey number retired by the New York Rangers, on March 15, 1989
• In the 2009 book 100 Ranger Greats, was ranked No. 6 all-time of the 901 New York Rangers (and ranked second highest of the 74 who were goaltenders) who had played during the team's first 82 seasons
• Inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1987

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs

				Regular season										Playoffs
Season	Team	League		GP	W	L	T	MIN	GA	SO	GAA	SV%		GP	W	L	MIN	GA	SO	GAA	SV%
1957–58	Commack Comets	NBHL		—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—		—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
1958–59	Sudbury Bell Telephone	NBHL		—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—		—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
1958–59	Washington Presidents	EHL		4	4	0	0	240	13	0	3.25	—		—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
1959–60	Clinton Comets	EHL		8	—	—	—	—	—	—	3.28	—		—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
1959–60	New York Rovers	EHL		32	—	—	—	—	—	—	4.31	—		—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
1959–60	Montréal Royals	EPHL		1	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—		—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
1959–60	Providence Reds	AHL		1	1	0	0	60	4	0	4.00	—		—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
1960–61	Providence Reds	AHL		43	17	24	0	2510	183	0	4.37	—		—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
1960–61	New York Rovers	EHL		12	2	10	0	720	54	0	4.50	—		—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
1961–62	Providence Reds	AHL		40	20	19	1	2400	144	2	3.60	—		—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
1962–63	Providence Reds	AHL		39	22	14	2	2340	102	4	2.62	—		6	2	4	359	31	0	5.18	—
1963–64	Providence Reds	AHL		69	30	34	5	4140	232	6	3.37	—		3	1	2	120	12	0	6.00	—
1964–65	Providence Reds	AHL		59	19	38	2	3527	226	0	3.84	—		—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
1965–66	New York Rangers	NHL		35	8	20	6	2036	125	0	3.68	.874		—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
1965–66	Baltimore Clippers	AHL		7	3	4	0	420	21	0	3.00	—		—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
1966–67	New York Rangers	NHL		68	30	27	11	3981	173	9	2.61	.917		4	0	4	246	14	0	3.41	.896
1967–68	New York Rangers	NHL		66	36	20	10	3940	160	8	2.44	.915		6	2	4	360	18	0	3.00	.909
1968–69	New York Rangers	NHL		70	37	23	7	4114	175	7	2.55	.912		3	0	3	180	10	0	3.33	.853
1969–70	New York Rangers	NHL		70	35	21	14	4148	163	6	2.36	.916		5	2	3	280	19	0	4.07	.858
1970–71	New York Rangers	NHL		45	27	10	7	2641	95	8	2.16	.922		12	7	5	759	28	0	2.21	.913
1971–72	New York Rangers	NHL		44	24	10	9	2551	115	1	2.70	.900		10	6	4	600	27	0	2.70	.902
1972–73	New York Rangers	NHL		43	26	11	6	2580	125	4	2.91	.899		10	5	4	539	23	1	2.56	.903
1973–74	New York Rangers	NHL		56	30	15	10	3286	168	5	3.07	.890		13	7	6	788	37	0	2.82	.895
1974–75	New York Rangers	NHL		37	13	12	8	2069	120	1	3.48	.870		2	0	2	86	4	0	2.79	.889
1975–76	New York Rangers	NHL		4	0	3	1	240	19	0	4.75	.806		—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
1975–76	Detroit Red Wings	NHL		29	12	14	3	1740	100	2	3.45	.890		—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
1976–77	Detroit Red Wings	NHL		33	8	18	3	1791	107	3	3.58	.871		—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
1977–78	Detroit Red Wings	NHL		9	3	5	1	516	27	0	3.14	.893		—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
NHL totals				609	289	209	96	35,633	1,672	54	2.82	.902		65	29	35	3,838	180	1	2.81	.897

"Giacomin's stats". The Goaltender Home Page. Retrieved 2017-08-07.

References

• Eddie, A Goalie's Story (Atheneum, 1976) by Hugh Delano

External links

• Biographical information and career statistics from NHL.com, or Eliteprospects.com, or Hockey-Reference.com, or Legends of Hockey, or The Internet Hockey Database