Rangers All-Time Great Giacomin Passes Away At 86

On the day the New York Rangers opened their 100th-anniversary season they lost arguably the greatest goalie in their history.

Ed Giacomin, whose No. 1 has been in the rafters at Madison Square Garden since 1989, passed away Monday at age 86, according to the NHL Alumni Association.

Giacomin’s was the second number to be retired by the Rangers, behind only forward Rod Gilbert whose No. 7 has been in the rafters since 1979.

He spent 11 of his 13-year career with New York. Giacomin ranks third in Rangers history in wins (267) and fourth in games played (539) and saves (13,692) behind only Henrik Lundqvist, Mike Richter and Gump Worsley.

Who Was Ed Giacomin?

Giacomin took over for another fan favorite, Worsley. Those were huge shoes to fill, but Giacomin did so exceptionally.

He led the NHL in wins in three straight years between 1966-69 and played in the most games in the league in four straight years between 1966-70. Giacomin was either a first or second-team All-Star five times, including in 1970-71 where he won the Vezina Trophy.

Led by Giacomin’s dominance in goal, the Rangers enjoyed one of their most successful tenures of their 100-year history. Giacomin backstopped the Rangers to the playoffs in nine straight years and three straight 100-point seasons — the only time the team posted 100-or-more points before three-point games were introduced in 2001.

Though of course he never won the Stanley Cup — the Rangers have only won once since 1940 (1994) — Giacomin guided them to the Stanley Cup Final in 1972, one of only two Cup final berths between 1950-94.

Giacomin closed his career with the Detroit Red Wings after they claimed him on waivers in 1975 — to make room for up-and-coming goalie John Davidson.

What Did The Rangers Say About Ed Giacomin’s passing?

When news of Giacomin’s passing broke, the Rangers unveiled a statement on X (formerly Twitter) commemorating his life and history with the organization.

“Eddie Giacomin was an integral member of the New York Rangers for a decade and personified what being a Ranger is all about, both to his teammates and the Blueshirts faithful,” the team  posted. “You cannot discuss the history of this organization and not immediately think of Eddie. The great Rod Gilbert called him the heart of their team, and we cannot think of a greater honor to bestow on one of the greatest goaltenders to ever play the game. Our thoughts are with Eddie’s family, friends and teammates during this incredibly difficult time.”

Henrik Lundqvist, the consensus top goalie in Rangers history, also shared his thoughts of Giacomin on X.

https://x.com/HLundqvist/status/1967692379282084123

The NHL also shared news of Giacomin’s passing, noting his contribution as one of the early pioneers of stickhandling for goaltenders.

“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 league NHL shared 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.”

Like Heavy Sports’s content? Be sure to follow us.

This article was originally published on Heavy Sports

The post Rangers All-Time Great Giacomin Passes Away At 86 appeared first on Heavy Sports.