Montreal Canadiens: Looking Back at the Greatest Goalies #10
By Austin Owens
In his short time as a part of the Montreal Canadiens, Cristobal Huet did great things and made a huge impression on Habs fans.
When you think of the Montreal Canadiens, goaltending might not be the first thing that comes to mind when looking back at their history. After all, the talent at other positions could sometimes overshadow the netminders.
But, it is undeniable that the Canadiens have had some outstanding goaltenders don their jersey over the last 108 years.
Today, as the trend has gone for both forwards and defenders, we look at the greatest goaltenders in Montreal Canadiens history. We start our countdown with Cristobal Huet a goalie that only spent three seasons
Huet was originally a seventh round draft pick of the Los Angeles Kings in the 2001 NHL Draft. He was the first French born goaltender to make it to the NHL.
He had already represented France at the 1998 Olympic Games — where he made two starts — as well as three World Hockey Championships. Huet’s performance in international play wasn’t stellar, but for a younger goalie to get thrown into international competition as he was, it’s hard to have high expectations.
Huet posted a 1.95 goals against average across 39 games in his draft year while playing for HC Lugano in the Swiss National League.
He made the transition to North America during the 2002-03 season, where Huet played the majority of the year with the Manchester Monarchs, where he had a 2.29 GAA and a .922 save percentage in 30 games. Huet also made his NHL debut with the Kings and played in 12 games, where he had a 2.33 GAA and a .913 sv%.
Huet played another full season with the Kings before being traded to Montreal in June of 2004. He was moved, along with Radek Bonk to Montreal in exchange for Mathieu Garon and a 2004 third-rounder.
Habs fans had to wait a year to see their new goaltender in action because of the lockout season in 2004-05. When NHL hockey did resume the next season, Huet split time in the crease with Jose Theodore. Huet posted better numbers than Theodore that year and even appeared in six playoff games for the Canadiens.
Huet would play another season and a half for the Habs. In February of 2006, Huet was shipped out of town, to Washington for a 2009 second-round pick. He played in 13 games for the Capials, as well as seven playoff games for them.
The goaltender would play another two seasons in the NHL with Chicago, where he won his first and only Stanley Cup as a member of the 2009-10 team. Huet also became the first French played to have his name etched on the Stanley Cup.
Huet left the NHL and returned to the National League in 2010, where he played for HC Frebourg-Gotteron. He has spent the last five seasons with Lausanne HC and will be playing his sixth season with the team in 2017-18 at 41 years-old.
The goaltender is probably most well-known nowadays for his appearances with the French National Team.
Huet has appeared in two Olympics (1998 and 2002) for France, and 11 World Championships for France in his career. But his run in international hockey came to an end in May when Huet announced his retirement from International Hockey after the 2017 Championships, which took place in France.
Huet is one of the greatest goaltenders in the history of the Montreal Canadiens. Even if his time with the club was shorter than other members on this list, his record and accomplishments alone earn him a spot as one of the greatest to step into the crease for the bleu, blanc et rouge.
Next: Habs Greatest Defencemen #10
What is your favourite memory of Huet? Were you a fan of him? Let us know your thoughts below!