Claude Giroux

Claude Giroux
File:Claude Giroux 11-07-2010.jpg
Born	(1988-01-12) January 12, 1988 Hearst, ON, CAN
Height	5 ft 11 in (180 cm)
Weight	172 lb (78 kg; 12 st 4 lb)
Position	Right wing
Shoots	Right
NHL team	Philadelphia Flyers
National team	Canada
NHL draft	22nd overall, 2006 Philadelphia Flyers
Playing career	2007–present

Claude Giroux (born January 12, 1988) is a French Canadian professional ice hockey right winger currently playing for the Philadelphia Flyers of the National Hockey League (NHL).

Playing career

Minor Hockey

Giroux playing for Gatineau in 2007.

Giroux grew up playing hockey in his hometown of Hearst, Ontario and played Bantam A for the Hearst Lumber Kings (NOHA) in the 2001-02 season. He moved to the Ottawa-area in the summer of 2002 and played Major Bantam and Minor Midget AA for the Cumberland Barons, in 2002-03 and 2003-04, while attending French Catholic High School Béatrice-Desloges in Orléans. However, he was undrafted by the Ontario Hockey League.

I love Claude Giroux. He is the greatest players in NHL history. I am unhappy that they don't make full-sized wall posters of him. Claude will be the MVP all day long.

Junior career

Giroux started his career by signing with the Gatineau Olympiques as a free agent after playing in the Central Jr. A League. During his rookie season, he scored 39 goals for a total of 103 points in only 69 games. He then entered the 2006 NHL Entry Draft, where the Philadelphia Flyers selected him 22nd overall. They signed him to an entry level contract on July 23, 2007.

Giroux made his NHL debut when the Flyers visited the Ottawa Senators on February 19, 2008, when he was called-up for a total of two games for the injury ridden Flyers.

Finishing his tenure in Gatineau, he helped the club win the QMJHL Playoffs and earned himself the Guy Lafleur Trophy as MVP in the QMJHL Playoffs by scoring 17 goals and 34 assists in 19 playoff games, also setting a franchise record.

Professional career

After a disappointing training camp for the Flyers at the beginning of the 2008-09 season, he was assigned to their American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Philadelphia Phantoms. However, after getting used to professional hockey, things turned around quickly. He was named Rookie of the Month for December for his eight goals and six assists in eight games. He was called up to the Flyers after the Christmas break and remained there throughout the rest of the season. On December 31, he recorded his first NHL point by assisting on a goal by Jeff Carter in a win over the Vancouver Canucks. He suffered a mild concussion during the next game when Corey Perry of the Anaheim Ducks elbowed him in the head. Giroux finished the game but missed the next five; Perry was suspended for four games. On January 27, 2009, Giroux scored his first NHL goal against goaltender Tomáš Vokoun and the Florida Panthers in a 3-2 loss. His first playoff goal came in a 6-3 win in game three of the 2009 Eastern Conference quarter-finals against Marc-André Fleury of the Pittsburgh Penguins. The same game also saw him setting up a short-handed goal when he stole the puck in the corner of the Penguins zone and outworked their backcheck, skating past the back of their net twice protecting the puck while looking for incoming support in the form of Simon Gagné.

The Flyers were an inconsistent team for the bulk of the 2009-10 season, which affected all of their players. Giroux spent a large amount of time centering James van Riemsdyk, the highly touted rookie winger that the Flyers had drafted no. 2 overall in the 2007 NHL Entry Draft. However, the Flyers' fortunes turned dramatically after they entered the playoffs, on Giroux's game-winner in the shootout, going five-hole on Henrik Lundqvist of the New York Rangers. Giroux was a major point producer in a first round of the playoffs, dismantling of the second seeded New Jersey Devils. The Flyers made an historic comeback from 3 games to 0 down against the Boston Bruins to win the next four and advance to the Eastern Conference Finals, where they dominated the Montreal Canadiens. Claude scored the winning goal in overtime vs. the Chicago Blackhawks in game 3 of the 2010 Stanley Cup Finals, but despite his continued production, the Flyers eventually lost in overtime in Game 6 of the finals. Giroux ended up with 21 points, cementing his reputation as an outstanding young talent.

A month into the 2010–11 season, the Flyers signed Giroux to a 3-year, $11.25 million contract extension. The contract, which was signed on November 8, 2010, will account for a $3.75 million cap hit annually

On January 11,2011 Giroux was named to the 2011 NHL All-Star Game roster. The game, was held in Raleigh, North Carolina at the RBC Center on January 30th, it was the first utilizing the NHL's new format under which two captains are named and each select their teams in school yard fashion. Giroux was selected to Team Staal and had a goal and an assist, but it was not enough and Team Lidstrom defeated Team Staal 11–10

International play

Claude Giroux

Medal record
Men's ice hockey
Representing Canada
World Junior Championships
	Canada

Claude Giroux competed with Team Canada in the IIHF World Junior Ice Hockey Championship in 2008. He scored two goals and had four assists in seven games to help Canada win its fourth consecutive WJC.

Pre-game ritual

Giroux is known for eating a grilled cheese sandwich before every game.

Awards

• Played in the 2005–06 CHL Top Prospects Game
• QMJHL Rookie of the Month December 2005 and March 2006
• 2005–06 QMJHL All-Rookie Team
• QMJHL Offensive Player of the Month September 2006
• 2008 President's Cup (QMJHL Playoff Champion) with Gatineau Olympiques
• 2008 Guy Lafleur Trophy (QMJHL Playoff MVP)
• 2007–08 QMJHL First All-Star Team
• 2007–08 Canadian Major Junior First All-Star Team
• AHL Rookie of the Month December 2008

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs

				Regular season						Playoffs
Season	Team	League		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
2003–04	Cumberland Barons	ODMHA		39	31	28	59	28		—	—	—	—	—
2004–05	Cumberland Grads	CJHL		48	13	27	40	28		—	—	—	—	—
2005–06	Gatineau Olympiques	QMJHL		69	39	64	103	64		17	5	15	20	24
2006–07	Gatineau Olympiques	QMJHL		63	48	64	112	49		5	2	5	7	2
2006–07	Philadelphia Phantoms	AHL		5	1	1	2	6		—	—	—	—	—
2007–08	Gatineau Olympiques	QMJHL		55	38	68	106	37		19	17	34	51	6
2007–08	Gatineau Olympiques	M-Cup		—	—	—	—	—		3	1	1	2	2
2007–08	Philadelphia Flyers	NHL		2	0	0	0	0		—	—	—	—	—
2008–09	Philadelphia Phantoms	AHL		33	17	17	34	22		—	—	—	—	—
2008–09	Philadelphia Flyers	NHL		42	9	18	27	14		6	2	3	5	6
2009–10	Philadelphia Flyers	NHL		82	16	31	47	23		23	10	11	21	4
NHL totals				126	25	49	74	37		29	12	14	26	10

International

Year	Team	Event	Result		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
2008	Canada	WJC			7	2	4	6	8
Junior international totals					7	2	4	6	8

External links

• Claude Giroux career statistics at The Internet Hockey Database
• Claude Giroux at Hockey-Reference.com
• Claude Giroux biography at Legends of Hockey (archived)
• Claude Giroux player profile at NHL.com