Ed Giacomin, a Hockey Hall of Fame goalie who played most of his NHL career for the New York Rangers, died Monday at the age of 86.
Giacomin retired from the NHL after the 1977-78 season with 290 wins and 54 shutouts in 610 regular-season games. He entered the Hall of Fame with the Class of 1987, and the Rangers retired his No. 1 on March 15, 1989.
“The National Hockey League mourns the passing of a true original, Hockey Hall of Famer and beloved New York Rangers and Detroit Red Wings goaltender Eddie Giacomin,” the NHL said in a statement. “One of the first stickhandling goaltenders, Giacomin backstopped the Rangers’ surge to the NHL’s upper echelon in the early 1970s, reaching four straight semifinals and the Stanley Cup Final in 1972.
“A six-time NHL All-Star who also led the League in games played four straight seasons, Giacomin routinely heard chants of ‘Ed-die! Ed-die!’ from adoring Madison Square Garden crowds and had his No. 1 retired by the franchise in 1989. We send our condolences to Eddie’s family, friends and the many fans he thrilled throughout his memorable career.”
Giacomin played for Clinton, Washington and New York of the Eastern Amateur Hockey League (EHL), and Montreal of the Eastern Professional Hockey League, followed by five seasons with Providence of the American Hockey League from 1960-65. Providence traded him to the Rangers on May 18, 1965, and he went 8-20 with six ties for last-place New York and was demoted to Baltimore of the AHL for seven games.
The following season, Giacomin led the NHL in wins (30) and shutouts (nine), was named an NHL First-Team All-Star and helped the Rangers make the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the first time since 1962. He was named an All-Star five straight times between 1967 and 1971 and teamed with Gilles Villemure to win the Vezina Trophy in 1970-71, when the Rangers allowed the fewest goals during the regular season.
Giacomin and the Rangers advanced to the 1972 Stanley Cup Final, a six-game loss to the Boston Bruins. New York lost the 1973 and 1974 Semifinals and was upset by the third-year New York Islanders in the 1975 Preliminary Round. The Rangers placed Giacomin on waivers, and he was claimed by the Detroit Red Wings on Oct. 31, 1975.
Two nights later, Giacomin returned to Madison Square Garden as a visiting player for the first time. The Red Wings defeated the Rangers 6-4 with fans chanting “Eddie, Eddie” throughout the game. He played three seasons with Detroit before retiring Jan. 17, 1978, finishing 290-209 with 96 ties, a 2.82 goals-against average, .902 save percentage and 54 shutouts.
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