Mathieu Garon

Growing up in Quebec, Mathieu Garon came through the province’s junior system and caught NHL attention while with the Victoriaville Tigres. Montreal selected him 44th overall in the 1996 draft; his junior tenure ended after the 1997-98 season when he left with several top goaltending honours in Canadian major junior hockey.

After being drafted, Garon spent the opening years of his professional career mainly in the AHL with Montreal’s affiliates in Fredericton, Quebec and Hamilton. He made his NHL debut in October 2001 and eventually earned the full-time backup role with the Canadiens for the 2003-04 season, appearing in 19 games behind José Théodore that year.

A mid-career trade in 2004 sent him to the Los Angeles Kings; during the 2004-05 lockout he posted standout numbers with the Manchester Monarchs and initially became the Kings’ starter when NHL play resumed. He later moved on as an unrestricted free agent, signing with the Edmonton Oilers in July 2007 where he split duties with Dwayne Roloson and posted notable success in shootouts. Traded to Pittsburgh in January 2009, he served as Marc-André Fleury’s backup and earned a Stanley Cup ring with the 2009 champions. He then signed with the Columbus Blue Jackets in July 2009 and with the Tampa Bay Lightning in July 2011. In 2013 he continued his career in the KHL with Avangard Omsk and announced his retirement in 2014.

On the international stage, Garon was a member of Canada’s roster at the 2008 IIHF World Championship where the team won silver; he did not see game action behind the country’s starters. Throughout his career he combined stretches of strong individual numbers in the AHL with serviceable backup work in the NHL. As a player he relied on a conventional goaltending technique and earned a reputation as a dependable secondary option who could step in when needed.