2010 Playoff Hero Jaroslav Halak Announces His Retirement from Hockey

Former Montreal Canadiens' netminder announced today that he is officially retiring from the game of hockey. He spent four years of his illustrious 17-year career in Montreal. Though his time in Montreal was short, there was a time when fans debated whether Carey Price or Halak should be the team's franchise goaltender.

The Canadiens selected Price fifth overall in 2005, and he arrived carrying the expectation that he was going to be the team's next great goalie. Halak, on the other hand, was a ninth-round draft pick, a round that no longer exists in today's draft format. He quickly made a name for himself once he got his chance with the Canadiens' AHL affiliate at the time, the Hamilton Bulldogs. Halak earned a spot on the AHL All-Rookie Team in 2007, and in three seasons with the Bulldogs, he had an astonishing 2.10 goals-against average and .930 save percentage.

Halak's stellar play earned him a call-up during the 2006-07 season, when the starter, Cristobal Huet, went down with an injury. He appeared in 16 games that season and showed Canadiens' fans that he also had the potential to be the team's future starting goalie. He began the next season in the AHL after losing the goaltending battle to Price, but eventually made his way back to the NHL when the Canadiens traded Huet to the Washington Capitals. Price was the starter and viewed as the future, but Halak refused to give up that mantle without a fight.

Halak went into the next season as the 1B to Price's 1A. Price played in more games, 52 to Halak's 34, but their numbers were nearly identical. Price held a slight edge in goals-against average, beating Halak by just 0.03, but Halak had the edge in save percentage. Still, it was not yet a real goaltending battle. It is never a bad thing to have two starting-calibre goaltenders on your roster, and it was not a competition at this point. Price was the starter, and Halak was his backup. However, that all changed in the 2009-10 season.

Price entered the 2009-10 season as the starter, but he struggled at points in the year, leaving the door open for Halak to show that he could be a starting goalie in the league. During the regular season, the two netminders shared the starting role, with Halak slightly edging out Price in starts, with 43 to Price's 39. Halak's performance that season sparked conversations about who should be the Canadiens' starting goaltender, not just for the time being, but as the long-term solution. Those talks intensified during the playoffs, when he showed the whole hockey world what he was capable of.

The Canadiens finished the season as the eighth seed and got the luxury of playing against the Presidents' Trophy winner, the Washington Capitals. Everyone expected the Capitals to make quick work of the Canadiens, but Halak had other plans. Halak had to stand on his head for large parts of that series, which included three games where he had 40-plus saves. His best performance came in game six. The Canadiens needed to win to stay alive in the series, and Halak was virtually unbeatable, stopping 53 out of the 54 shots he faced. The Halak movement was in full swing in Montreal, as fans began making stop signs with his name on them. The Canadiens defeated the Capitals in seven games, which set up a matchup with the defending Stanley Cup champions, the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Once again, no one was picking Montreal to win this series, but no one told Halak that. The Capitals won the Presidents' Trophy, but most still viewed the Penguins as the best team in the league with the best player in the world, Sidney Crosby. Halak was once again stellar in this series and capped it off with a 37-save performance in game seven, helping lead the Canadiens to the Eastern Conference final. That is where the run ended, as the Flyers defeated the Canadiens in five games. With the season now over, the Canadiens had a tough decision to make. Both Price and Halak were restricted free agents, and they had to decide which goalie was going to be the future of their franchise.

There was a split among the fanbase regarding who should be the Canadiens' starter moving forward. Price had the draft pedigree and the intangibles you want from a franchise goalie. Halak posted stellar numbers in Montreal and proved he could elevate his game in high-pressure moments. However, his smaller frame raised concerns about his long-term durability as a starting goaltender. The Canadiens opted to trade Halak to the St. Louis Blues and stick with Price as the long-term option.

Looking back at it now, the Canadiens made the right decision. Price went on to be one of the best goalies in the league for over a decade, winning a Vezina and Hart trophy on his way to becoming the Canadiens' all-time leader in wins. Halak went on to have a great career in his own right, being named an all-star in 2010 and winning a William M. Jennings Trophy twice. His career numbers nearly mirror those of Price, with both having a career goals-against average of around 2.50 and a save percentage separated by .02. Halak's time in Montreal was not long, but it sure was memorable. Montreal will never forget what he did in the 2010 playoffs. He gave us memories that will last a lifetime, and no matter where his journey takes him, Halak will always have a place in the hearts of Habs fans.