Steve Valiquette

Steve Valiquette
Born August 20, 1977 (1977-08-20) (age 34)
Etobicoke, ON, CAN
Height 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)
Weight 210 lb (95 kg; 15 st 0 lb)
Position Goaltender
Catches Left
KHL team
Former teams		 HC CSKA Moscow
New York Islanders
Edmonton Oilers
New York Rangers
NHL Draft 190th overall, 1996
Los Angeles Kings
Playing career 2000–present

Stephen Valiquette (born August 20, 1977 in Etobicoke, Ontario) is a Canadian goaltender for currently playing for the HC CSKA Moscow of the Kontinental Hockey League. He was drafted in the 1996 NHL Entry Draft by the Los Angeles Kings in the eighth round, 190th overall.

Contents

Professional career

In 1998, Valiquette signed as an unrestricted free agent with the Edmonton Oilers. Three months after this signing, he was claimed on waivers by the Florida Panthers in the NHL waiver draft on October 3, 2003. Six days later he was claimed back by the Edmonton Oilers. He appeared in one game with Edmonton and played 14 minutes. Valiquette spent the balance of the 2003–04 season with the Toronto Roadrunners of the American Hockey League, playing in 35 games.

On March 3, 2004, Valiquette was traded by the Oilers, along with forward Dwight Helminen and a second-round selection in the 2004 draft to the New York Rangers for center Petr Nedvěd and goaltender Jussi Markkanen. For the 2004–05 season, Valiquette was re-signed by the Rangers and sent to their American Hockey League affiliate, Hartford Wolf Pack. He then signed with Lokomotiv Yaroslavl in Russia on April 26, 2005.

In July 2006, the Rangers decided to re-sign Valiquette to be the back-up for Henrik Lundqvist following the departure of goalie Kevin Weekes to the New Jersey Devils. Since then, Valiquette had been the backup goaltender for the New York Rangers.,[1] until he was waived and sent back to Hartford on December 3, 2009.[2] On March 3, 2007, he won his first game in the NHL in almost three years.

When Valiquette made his playing debut in 2000, he was the tallest goaltender to ever play a game in the NHL at 6-foot-6.[3] Ben Bishop, standing 6-foot-7, has since surpassed Valiquette as the tallest NHL goaltender.[4]

On January 31, 2008, against the Philadelphia Flyers, Valiquette got his first shutout of his NHL career. Ten days later, on February 9, he would repeat this feat in a 2–0 win, also against the Flyers.[5] On February 6, 2009, he let 10 goals in a single game (a 10-2 loss to Dallas), a league worst for the season.

Valiquette appeared in his first career NHL playoff games with the Rangers during the first round of the 2009 Stanley Cup Playoffs against the Washington Capitals when he relieved starter Henrik Lundqvist for the third period of games five and six, playing 40 minutes and allowing no goals on nine shots.[6][7]

On July 15, Valiquette signed with the KHL side HC CSKA Moscow.[8]

Regular season

Statistics are through the 2009–10 season.

Season Team League GP W L T OTL MIN GA SO GAA SV%
1998–99 Lowell Lock Monsters AHL 1 0 1 0 — 59 3 0 3.05 0.885
1999–2000 New York Islanders NHL 6 2 0 0 — 193 6 0 1.87 0.949
1999–2000 Trenton Titans ECHL 12 5 6 1 — 692 36 1 3.12 0.902
1999–2000 Providence Bruins AHL 1 1 0 0 — 60 3 0 3.00 0.927
1999–2000 Lowell Lock Monsters AHL 14 8 5 0 — 727 36 0 2.97 0.901
2000–01 Springfield Falcons AHL 20 7 10 1 — 1066 54 0 3.04 0.907
2001–02 Bridgeport Sound Tigers AHL 20 10 5 1 — 1071 45 2 2.52 0.923
2002–03 Bridgeport Sound Tigers AHL 34 15 14 3 — 1962 86 2 2.63 0.912
2003–04 Edmonton Oilers NHL 1 0 0 0 — 13 2 0 9.23 0.714
2003–04 Toronto Roadrunners AHL 35 14 14 5 — 2064 89 2 2.59 0.913
2003–04 Hartford Wolf Pack AHL 7 2 4 1 — 400 15 1 2.25 0.928
2003–04 New York Rangers NHL 2 1 1 0 — 119 6 0 3.03 0.915
2004–05 Hartford Wolf Pack AHL 35
2005–06 Yaroslavl Lokomotiv RSL 45 — 2734 89 4 1.95 0.923
2006–07 New York Rangers NHL 3 1 2 — 0 115 6 0 3.14 0.867
2006–07 Hartford Wolf Pack AHL 30 17 12 — 0 1694 66 6 2.34 0.909
2007–08 New York Rangers NHL 13 5 3 — 3 686 25 2 2.19 0.916
2008–09 New York Rangers NHL 15 5 5 — 2 823 39 1 2.84 0.907
2009–10 New York Rangers NHL 6 2 3 — 1 305 19 1 3.74 0.852
2009–10 Hartford Wolf Pack AHL 11 4 5 — 1 547 34 0 3.73 0.877
2010–11 CSKA Moscow KHL 35 9 16 — 5 1897 93 2 2.94 0.897
NHL totals 46 14 14 3 2 2061 97 4 2.36 8.100
AHL totals 213 99 101 13 — 9319 487 16 2.65 0.824
ECHL totals 12 5 6 1 — 692 36 1 3.12 0.902
KHL totals 35 9 16 5 — 1897 93 2 2.94 0.897

Playoffs

Season Team League GP W L MIN GA SO GAA SV%
1998–99 Lowell Lock Monsters AHL - - - - - - - -
1999–2000 Lowell Lock Monsters AHL - - - - - - - -
2000–01 Springfield Falcons AHL - - - - - - - -
2001–02 Bridgeport Sound Tigers AHL 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
2002–03 Bridgeport Sound Tigers AHL 4 2.13 .931
2003–04 Hartford Wolf Pack AHL 1 1.65 .934
2004–05 Hartford Wolf Pack AHL 2
2006–07 Hartford Wolf Pack AHL - - - - - - - -
2007–08 New York Rangers NHL - - - - - - - -
2008–09 New York Rangers NHL 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
2009–10 Hartford Wolf Pack AHL - - - - - - - -
2010–11 CSKA Moscow KHL - - - - - - - -
NHL totals 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
AHL totals 8 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
KHL totals - - - - - - - —

References

  1. ^ Brooks, Larry (2009-01-17). "Lundqvist understudy could become best No. 2 goalie in Rangers history". New York Post. http://www.nypost.com/seven/01172009/sports/rangers/lundqvist_understudy_could_become_best_n_150609.htm. Retrieved 2009-01-22. 
  2. ^ "Steve Valiquette Clears Waivers, Assigned to Hartford Wolf Pack". Bleacher Report. http://bleacherreport.com/articles/301908-steve-valiquette-clears-waivers-assigned-to-hartford-wolf-pack. 
  3. ^ "News Archives". http://www.hockeygoalies.org/news/oldnews.html. Retrieved 2008-02-09. 
  4. ^ Pinkert, Chris (2008-10-24). "Home Sweet Home for Blues' Bishop". St. Louis Blues. http://blues.nhl.com/team/app/?service=page&page=NewsPage&articleid=388511. Retrieved 2009-01-22. 
  5. ^ Maaddi, Rob (2008-02-09). "NY Rangers 2, Philadelphia 0". Associated Press. http://sports.yahoo.com/nhl/recap?gid=2008020915. Retrieved 2008-02-09. 
  6. ^ Zipay, Steve (2009-04-25). "Capitals blank Rangers, cut deficit to 3-2". Newsday. http://www.newsday.com/sports/hockey/rangers/ny-sprang2512697296apr24,0,5164776.story. Retrieved 2009-04-30. 
  7. ^ Zipay, Steve (2009-04-26). "Rangers pushed to the brink after losing Game 6". Newsday. http://www.newsday.com/sports/hockey/rangers/ny-sprang2712701315apr26,0,2875599.story. Retrieved 2009-04-30. 
  8. ^ "Lundqvists backup väljer KHL". HockeySverige. 2010-07-16. http://www.hockeysverige.se/news_show_lundqvists-backup-valjer-khl.html?id=10302662. Retrieved 2010-07-20. 

External links