Eddie Giacomin Edward Giacomin ( born June 6 , 1939 in Sudbury , Ontario ) was a Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender who played for the New York Rangers and Detroit Red Wings in the National Hockey League , as well as for the Providence Reds of the American Hockey League . Playing career . Despite suffering serious burns in a kitchen accident , Giacomin made the Providence Reds for good in the 1960 - 61 season . Unfortunately , in the Original Six days of the 1960s , with only six starting goaltending jobs in the NHL , positions were hard to obtain in the big leagues , and Giacomin starred for the Reds for five full seasons . Giacomin also served brief stints with the Eastern Hockey League ' s legendary Clinton Comets during the 1958 - 59 and the 1959 - 60 seasons . NHL teams became interested in Giacomin , with Detroit and the New York Rangers expressing the most interest . New York , long one of the league ' s doormats , ultimately traded three players and starting goaltender Marcel Paille to the Reds for Giacomin in 1965 . Giacomin was impressive in his first month as Rangers goaltender , but faltered thereafter , and lost his starting job in New York . The following season he improved markedly , leading the NHL in shutouts and backstopping the Rangers to only their second playoff berth in nine seasons . A classic stand - up goaltender and a skilled stickhandler known for leaving the crease to play the puck , Giacomin would be the Rangers ' starting goaltender for the next nine seasons , leading the league in games played four straight years from 1967 , in shutouts in 1967 , 1968 and 1971 , and sharing the Vezina Trophy with partner Gilles Villemure in 1971 . Typical of his bravery was in a game in the 1971 playoffs against Chicago when Bobby Hull skated over the back of his hand . Eddie did not leave the game , and when the Rangers won the game , even the Black Hawks used the word " guts " to describe his courage . During this stretch the Rangers had a string of success second only to the powerful Boston Bruins , the pinnacle of which was making it to the Stanley Cup finals in 1972 , losing to the Bruins in a hard - fought six game series . Giacomin ' s effectiveness was reduced in 1975 by injuries . The following season , the Rangers got off to their worst start in ten years ( and indeed missed the playoffs that year for the first time in a decade ) and the Rangers started getting rid of their high - salaried veterans , an aging Giacomin among them . Many fans were angered when he was waived to the Red Wings in October of 1975 . Two nights later , he returned with the Red Wings to New York and the fans responded memorably for their old hero , giving Giacomin a prolonged standing ovation and cheering for him throughout the match . Rangers fans booed their own team chanting " Ed - die ! Ed - die ! " . The evening was recently voted one of the 50 Greatest Moments in MSG history . He played three respectable seasons in all for Detroit before a youth movement in goal for the club took over . He retired on January 17 , 1978 , with a career record of 289 - 208 - 97 and a 2 . 82 GAA . Retirement . Giacomin spent the 1979 season as a broadcaster for the New York Islanders , who were ironically beaten in the playoffs by the rival Rangers that spring . Giacomin later served with the Islanders and the Red Wings as an assistant coach and two stints with the Rangers as a goaltending coach . He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1987 . His # 1 was the second jersey number retired by the Rangers , on March 15 , 1989 , joining Rod Gilbert .