Daniel Girardi

Daniel Girardi (born April 29, 1984) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey defenceman. He played parts of 13 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL). He played for the New York Rangers and Tampa Bay Lightning. He is currently a development coach for the Buffalo Sabres.

He is a one-time All-Star, being selected in 2012.

Career
Before playing in the NHL, Girardi played parts of three seasons with the Barrie Colts, three seasons with the Guelph Storm, and one season with the London Knights of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL). After his time in the OHL, he played 7 games with the Charlotte Checkers of the ECHL. During his second season with the Storm, they named him an alternate captain.

He helped the Storm during the playoffs, defeating the Owen Sound Attack, Plymouth Whalers, and London Knights. They went on to eventually defeat and sweep the Mississauga IceDogs four games to zero in the finals to win the J. Ross Robertson Cup. They advanced to the 2004 Memorial Cup tournament but were eliminated by the Gatineau Olympiques of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL).

He was not drafted by an NHL team. On July 1, 2006, Girardi signed a two-way contract to join the New York Rangers of the National Hockey League (NHL). He was immediately sent down to play for their AHL-affiliate Hartford Wolf Pack. On January 27, 2007, the Rangers called Girardi up and he made his NHL debut in a 2–1 win against the Philadelphia Flyers. On February 17, Girardi recorded his first two NHL points, assisting on goals from Marcel Hossa and Matt Cullen in a 5–3 loss against the Philadelphia Flyers. On October 18, 2007, Girardi scored his first NHL goal against Johan Hedberg in a 5–3 loss against the Atlanta Thrashers. He helped the Rangers during the playoffs. They defeated the Atlanta Thrashers. They were defeated by the Buffalo Sabres four games to two in the Eastern Conference semifinals. On February 17, 2008, Girardi signed a two-year, $3.1 million contract to stay with the Rangers. During the 2009–10 season, he began to struggle defensively leave which earned him criticism from Rangers head coach John Tortorella. On July 9, 2010, Girardi signed a four-year, $13.3 million contract to stay with the Rangers. The next season, Girardi was named as an alternate captain and was selected for the All-Star after a fan petition. On February 28, 2014, Girardi signed a six-year, $33 million contract to stay with the Rangers. That year, he helped the Rangers during the playoffs. They defeated the Philadelphia Flyers, Pittsburgh Penguins, and Montreal Canadiens. They were defeated by the Los Angeles Kings four games to one in the Finals. He found success in the rest of his year in New York but was suffering from many injured that required surgery and effected his playing time. On June 14, 2017, the Rangers bought out the rest of Girardi's contract.

On July 1, 2017, Girardi signed a two-year, $6 million contract to join the Tampa Bay Lightning. He helped the Lightning during the playoffs. They defeated the New Jersey Devils and Boston Bruins. They were defeated by the eventual Stanley Cup winning-Washington Capitals four games to three in the Eastern Conference finals.

On September 20, 2019, Girardi announced that he was retiring from playing professional ice hockey. He retired as the all-time leader for blocked shots with almost 2,000.

Management career
After retiring, Girardi became a development coach or he Buffalo Sabres.

References

 Other websites 

Category:1984 births
Category:Living people
Category:Canadian ice hockey defencemen
Category:Hartford Wolf Pack players
Category:New York Rangers players
Category:Ice hockey people from Ontario
Category:People from Welland
Category:Tampa Bay Lightning players