Cristobal Huet facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Cristobal Huet |
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Huet with the Chicago Blackhawks in November 2009
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| Born | September 3, 1975 Saint-Martin-d'Hères, France |
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| Height | 6 ft 0 in (183 cm) | ||
| Weight | 205 lb (93 kg; 14 st 9 lb) | ||
| Position | Goaltender | ||
| Caught | Left | ||
| Played for | Brûleurs de Loups HC Lugano Los Angeles Kings Adler Mannheim Montreal Canadiens< Washington Capitals Chicago Blackhawks HC Fribourg-Gottéron Lausanne HC |
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| National team |  France |
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| NHL Draft | 214th overall, 2001 Los Angeles Kings |
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| Playing career | 1994–2018 | ||
Cristobal Huet (born September 3, 1975) is a French former professional ice hockey goaltender. A goaltender is the player who defends the team's goal. He is now a goalie coach for Lausanne HC in Switzerland.
Huet played for several teams in the National Hockey League (NHL), including the Chicago Blackhawks, Los Angeles Kings, Montreal Canadiens, and Washington Capitals. He was the first French goalie and second French player ever to play in the NHL.
He made history by winning the Stanley Cup with the Chicago Blackhawks in 2010. This made him the first Frenchman to win the Stanley Cup as a player. In 2023, he was honored by being added to the IIHF Hall of Fame.
Contents
Playing Career
Early Years
When he was young, Huet played in a big youth hockey tournament in Quebec, Canada, in 1988. He played with a team from his hometown, Grenoble, France.
HC Lugano (1998–2002)
Huet played for HC Lugano in Switzerland from 1998 to 2002. His career really took off here. In his first year, he helped his team win the Swiss National League A Championship. The next year, they reached the final four of the European Hockey League.
Los Angeles Kings (2002–2005)
The Los Angeles Kings picked Huet in the 2001 NHL Entry Draft. He was chosen 214th overall. He played for the Kings in the 2002–2003 and 2003–2004 seasons.
Later, he was traded to the Montreal Canadiens. During the 2004–05 NHL lockout (when players couldn't play in the NHL), Huet played in Germany for Adler Mannheim. He led them to the finals, but they lost.
Montreal Canadiens (2005–2008)
In the 2005–06 season, Huet became the main goalie for the Canadiens. He played so well that he won the Molson Cup in February 2006. He was also named the NHL's Best Defensive Player twice that season.
On April 23, 2006, Huet played his first NHL playoff game. He helped the Canadiens win 6–1 against the Carolina Hurricanes. He stopped 42 out of 43 shots! The Canadiens won the next game too, but then lost the series.
The Canadiens signed Huet for two more years in 2006. In January 2007, he was picked for the NHL All-Star Team. However, he got injured and missed a lot of games. The team struggled without him and missed the playoffs.
Washington Capitals (2008)
In February 2008, the Montreal Canadiens traded Huet to the Washington Capitals. This happened because the Canadiens had a promising young goalie named Carey Price.
In Washington, Huet became the starting goalie. His great play helped the Capitals make it to the playoffs. They lost in the first round to the Philadelphia Flyers.
Chicago Blackhawks (2008–2010)
On July 1, 2008, Huet signed a four-year contract with the Chicago Blackhawks. It was worth $22.4 million.
At first, he shared the goalie job with Nikolai Khabibulin. But when Khabibulin got injured, Huet stepped up. He played very well and was named the NHL's 3rd star of the week in February 2009.
In the 2009 playoffs, Huet played when Khabibulin was injured. He even started a game against Detroit.
For the 2009–10 season, Huet was the main goalie. But as the season went on, Antti Niemi took over as the starter for the playoffs. The Blackhawks went on to win the Stanley Cup that year! Huet played a small part in the playoffs, but his name was still engraved on the Stanley Cup. This made him the first person from France to win the Stanley Cup.
Fribourg-Gottéron (2010–2012)
After winning the Stanley Cup, Huet was loaned to HC Fribourg-Gottéron in Switzerland. This helped the Blackhawks manage their team salary.
In his first year, he played 41 games. The team made the playoffs but lost. The next season, he played much better, with a lower "goals against average" (GAA). This means fewer goals were scored against him. The team reached the semifinals.
Lausanne HC (2012–2018)
In 2012, Huet signed a four-year deal with Lausanne HC in Switzerland. His first season was a big success. The team won their league title and moved up to the top Swiss league.
Retirement from the French National Team
In May 2017, Huet played for France in the 2017 IIHF World Championship in Paris. He played his last game for France against Slovenia, which they won. He retired from the national team with a standing ovation. France did not win a medal, but they stayed in the top division.
Honours
- French Elite League Champion with the Brûleurs de loups of Grenoble, 1997–98
- Albert Hassler Trophy (Most Valuable Domestic Player in the French Elite League), 1997–98
- Jean Ferrand Trophy (Most Valuable Goaltender in the French Elite League), 1996–97 and 1997–98
- Swiss National A League Champion with HC Lugano, 1998–99
- European Hockey League Final Four with HC Lugano, 1999–00
- Jacques Plante Trophy (Best GAA in the Swiss National A League), 1999–00 and 2000–01
- Roger Crozier Saving Grace Award (Best Save% in the NHL), 2005–06
- Nominee for Bill Masterton Trophy (Awarded for perseverance, sportsmanship, and dedication), 2005–06
- NHL Defensive Player of the Week, March 3–5, 2006
- NHL All-Star Team roster – 2007
- Nominee for NHL All-Star team – 2008
- NHL 3rd star for January 2008
- NHL 3rd star of the week (Feb 15–21 2009)
- NHL 1st star of the week (Dec 14–21 2009)
- NHL 2010 Stanley Cup Champion (Season 2009–2010)
- Inducted into the IIHF Hall of Fame in 2023
Images for kids
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Cristobal Huet at the IIHF World Championship Quebec 2008
