Claude Giroux (ice hockey)

Claude Giroux
Born	January 12, 1988 (1988-01-12) (age 23) Hearst, ON, CAN
Height	5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)
Weight	172 lb (78 kg; 12 st 4 lb)
Position	Right wing / Centre
Shoots	Right
NHL team	Philadelphia Flyers
National team	Canada
NHL Draft	22nd overall, 2006 Philadelphia Flyers
Playing career	2007–present
Website	claudegiroux28.com

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

Playing career

Minor hockey

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.

The following season, Giroux played for the Cumberland Grads Jr. A. team of the Central Jr. A League in 2004-05 before signing as a free agent with the QMJHL Gatineau (Hull) Olympiques for the 2005-06 season.

Junior career

Giroux playing for Gatineau in 2007.

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.^[1]

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. Giroux 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^[2]

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 30, 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. Giroux played his 200th career game on Saturday March 26th, 2011 against the New York Islanders. 2010-2011 turned out to be the break out season for Giroux, who finished the season with 25 goals and 51 assists in 82 games, while he scored a goal and 11 assists in 11 games in playoff when he saw his team get swept by Boston.

International play

Medal record
Men's ice hockey
Competitor for  Canada
World Junior Championships
Gold	Canada

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.

Awards and Honors

• 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

NHL

• 2010 Prince of Wales Trophy with the Philadelphia Flyers
• Played in the All-Star Game in 2011

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
2010–11	Philadelphia Flyers	NHL		82	25	51	76	47		11	1	11	12	8
NHL totals				208	50	100	150	84		40	13	25	38	18

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

References

1. ^ Gormley, Chuck (2008-05-12). "Don't overlook Penguins' defense". Courier Post Online. http://www.courierpostonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080512/SPORTS04/805120339/1002. Retrieved 2008-05-13. ^{[dead link]}
2. ^ "Flyers sign Giroux to 3-year, $11.25 million extension. .". The Sports Network. 2010-11-08. http://tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=340429. Retrieved 2010-11-08. 

External links

• Official website
• Claude Giroux's career stats at The Internet Hockey Database
• Claude Giroux at Hockey-Reference.com
• Claude Giroux's biography at Legends of Hockey
• Claude Giroux's NHL player profile
• Claude Giroux's NHL Website

Preceded by Steve Downie

Philadelphia Flyers' first round draft pick 2006

Succeeded by James van Riemsdyk

Persondata
Name	Claude Giroux
Alternative names
Short description	Canadian ice hockey player
Date of birth	January 12, 1988
Place of birth	Hearst, Ontario, Canada
Date of death
Place of death