Eddie Giacomin

Edward Giacomin (June 6, 1939 – September 14, 2025) was a Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender who played for the New York Rangers and Detroit Red Wings of the National Hockey League (NHL) 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. In a rematch of the previous year's playoff semi-finals, the Rangers swept the Chicago Black Hawks, but Giacomin injured his knee. The Rangers met the Boston Bruins in the 1972 Stanley Cup Final, losing in a hard-fought six-game series, with Giacomin losing Games One and Four and winning Game Three.

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 general manager Emile Francis 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 culminating in John Davidson taking over in goal.

Giacomin played three respectable seasons for Detroit before a youth movement took hold there as well. During this time, Giacomin helped hockey writer and sports journalist Hugh Delano write a biography about his life and career titled `Eddie, A Goalie's Story' (Atheneum, 1976). He retired on January 17, 1978, with a career record of 289-208-97 and a 2.82 GAA.

Retirement and death Giacomin spent the 1978-79 NHL season as a broadcaster for the New York Islanders, who were beaten in the 1979 Stanley Cup 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 had been retired on October 14, 1979. at the age of 86.

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 Bold indicates led league Regular seasonPlayoffs 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 2,510 183 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 2,400 144 2 3.60 — — — — — — — — — 1962–63 Providence Reds AHL 39 22 14 2 2,340 102 4 2.62 — 6 2 4 359 31 0 5.18 — 1963–64 Providence Reds AHL 69 30 34 5 4,140 232 6 3.37 — 3 1 2 120 12 0 6.00 — 1964–65 Providence Reds AHL 59 19 38 2 3,527 226 0 3.84 — — — — — — — — — 1965–66 New York Rangers NHL 35 8 20 6 2,036 125 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 3,981 173 9 2.61 .917 4 0 4 246 14 0 3.41 .896 1967–68 New York Rangers NHL 66 36 20 10 3,940 160 8 2.44 .915 6 2 4 360 18 0 3.00 .909 1968–69 New York Rangers NHL 70 37 23 7 4,114 175 7 2.55 .912 3 0 3 180 10 0 3.33 .853 1969–70 New York Rangers NHL 70 35 21 14 4,148 163 6 2.36 .916 5 2 3 280 19 0 4.07 .858 1970–71 New York Rangers NHL 45 27 10 7 2,641 95 8 2.16 .922 12 7 5 759 28 0 2.21 .913 1971–72 New York Rangers NHL 44 24 10 9 2,551 115 1 2.70 .900 10 6 4 600 27 0 2.70 .902 1972–73 New York Rangers NHL 43 26 11 6 2,580 125 4 2.91 .899 10 5 4 539 23 1 2.56 .903 1973–74 New York Rangers NHL 56 30 15 10 3,286 168 5 3.07 .890 13 7 6 788 37 0 2.82 .895 1974–75 New York Rangers NHL 37 13 12 8 2,069 120 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 1,740 100 2 3.45 .890 — — — — — — — — 1976–77 Detroit Red Wings NHL 33 8 18 3 1,791 107 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