Samuel Girard (ice hockey)

Samuel Girard
Born (1998-05-12) May 12, 1998
Roberval, Quebec, Canada
Height 5 ft 10 in (178 cm)
Weight 162 lb (73 kg; 11 st 8 lb)
Position Defence
Shoots Left
NHL team
Former teams		 Colorado Avalanche
Nashville Predators
NHL Draft 47th overall, 2016
Nashville Predators
Playing career 2017–present

Samuel "Sam" Girard (born May 12, 1998) is a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman currently playing for the Colorado Avalanche in the National Hockey League (NHL).[1]

Playing career

Junior

Girard played three seasons with the Shawinigan Cataractes of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL), from the 2014–15 season through the 2016–17 season. In the 2015–16 season, Girard was awarded the Emile Bouchard Trophy as the QMJHL Defenseman of the Year. He was selected by the Nashville Predators in the second round, 47th overall, in the 2016 NHL Entry Draft. After impressing in his first training camp with the Predators, Girard was signed to a three-year, entry-level contract on September 29, 2016.[2]

Professional

Girard made his NHL debut during the Predators 2017–18 season home opener on October 10, 2017 against the Philadelphia Flyers. He registered a –1 rating and recorded his first point with an assist on a goal by Filip Forsberg.[3] Girard scored his first NHL goal in just his second game on October 12, 2017 against the Dallas Stars, he took a pass from P. K. Subban and put a slap shot over the shoulder of Stars goalie Ben Bishop; he also recorded an assist on a goal by Filip Forsberg.[4] Girard remained on the roster and appeared in 5 of the first 14 games of the season before he was dealt by the Predators, alongside Vladislav Kamenev and a 2018 second round pick, in a three-team trade to the Colorado Avalanche, in exchange for Kyle Turris from the Ottawa Senators on November 5, 2017.[5] Girard joined the Avalanche in Stockholm, Sweden for their Global Series games against the Ottawa Senators. In his Avalanche debut at Ericsson Globe, Girard played top-pairing minutes and registered an assist, in a 4–3 overtime defeat to the Senators on November 10, 2017.[6]

On December 23, 2017, Girard was sucker punched by Arizona Coyotes left winger Zac Rinaldo after Girard took exception to a hit on teammate Nathan MacKinnon. Two fights broke out, resulting in the ejections of Rinaldo, MacKinnon and Coyotes right winger Josh Archibald, with further disciplinary action against Rinaldo handed out after the game.[7] Girard was not injured in the play and was able to finish the game.[8]

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs

Regular season Playoffs
Season Team League GP G A Pts PIM GP G A Pts PIM
2013–14 Jonquière Élites QMAAA 42 7 29 36 16 — — — — —
2014–15 Shawinigan Cataractes QMJHL 64 5 38 43 8 7 0 2 2 2
2015–16 Shawinigan Cataractes QMJHL 67 10 64 74 10 21 2 20 22 4
2016–17 Shawinigan Cataractes QMJHL 59 9 66 75 29 5 1 8 9 4
2016–17 Milwaukee Admirals AHL 6 1 0 1 0 2 0 0 0 2
2017–18 Nashville Predators NHL 5 1 2 3 2 — — — — —
2017–18 Colorado Avalanche NHL 68 3 17 20 6 3 0 0 0 0
NHL totals 73 4 19 23 8 3 0 0 0 0

International

Year Team Event Result GP G A Pts PIM
2015 Canada Black U17 8th 5 1 2 3 0
2015 Canada IH18 1st, gold medalist(s) 4 1 0 1 0
Junior totals 9 2 2 4 0

Awards and honors

Award Year
QMAAA
First All-Star Team 2014
Top Defenceman 2014
QMJHL
All-Rookie Team 2015
Raymond Lagacé Trophy 2015
First All-Star Team 2016, 2017
Emile Bouchard Trophy 2016 [9]
Frank J. Selke Memorial Trophy 2016
CHL Sportsman of the Year 2016

References

  1. ↑ "Samuel Girard player profile". National Hockey League. 2017-10-11. Retrieved 2017-10-12.
  2. ↑ "Nashville signs 2016 second-rounder Girard". Nashville Predators. 2016-09-29. Retrieved 2017-10-12.
  3. ↑ "Predators bounce back to defeat Flyers". National Hockey League. 2017-10-10. Retrieved 2017-10-10.
  4. ↑ "Girard gets first NHL goal in Predators win against Stars". National Hockey League. 2017-10-12. Retrieved 2017-10-12.
  5. ↑ "Avalanche acquires four players and three picks in three-team trade". Colorado Avalanche. 2017-11-05. Retrieved 2017-11-05.
  6. ↑ "Stone scores twice to lift Senators past Avalanche". National Hockey League. 2017-11-10. Retrieved 2017-11-10.
  7. ↑ "Coyotes' Zac Rinaldo suspended six games for punching Avalanche's Samuel Girard". ESPN.com. December 27, 2017. Retrieved January 26, 2018.
  8. ↑ "Coyotes' Zac Rinaldo sucker punches rookie, sparks brawl vs. Avalanche". Sportsnet. 2017-12-23. Retrieved 2017-11-24.
  9. ↑ "The Golden Puck Awards, an unforgettable evening". Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. 2016-04-06. Retrieved 2017-10-12.
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