The jersey of former Moncton Wildcats goaltender Corey Crawford will be retired by the team in a ceremony on November 24th.
The jersey of former Moncton Wildcats goaltender Corey Crawford will be retired by the team in a ceremony on November 24th.
The Moncton Wildcats will retire the jersey of two-time Stanley Cup Champion Corey Crawford on November 24 prior to the team’s game against the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies.
Crawford, who was selected by Moncton 14th overall in the 2001 QMJHL Draft, will be the first player to have their jersey retired by the Wildcats organization. His jersey number 29 will be hung from the rafters of the Avenir Centre.
The Montreal, QC. native recorded 96 wins, including 11 shutouts, in 193 regular season games, allowing him to be a two-time QMJHL All-Star.
His six shutouts in a season are tied for most in a season by a Wildcats goaltender. It's a record shared with Simon Lajeunesse in 1999-2000 and Olivier Rodrigue in 2019-2020.
Crawford, who was drafted by Chicago 52nd overall in the 2003 NHL draft, spent his entire professional career in the Chicago Blackhawks organization. To go along with his two Stanley Cup rings from 2013 and 2015, he was a World Cup of Hockey Gold Medalist in 2016 with Team Canada.
Following the 2019-20 season, the Blackhawks announced they would not re-sign Crawford, ending his 17-year tenure with the franchise. As a free agent, he signed a two-year contract with the New Jersey Devils. Maintenance reasons led him to miss the team’s training camp.
On January 8, 2021, the Devils announced Crawford would take an indefinite leave of absence. The following day, Crawford announced his retirement from professional hockey.
What’s next for Corey Crawford? Are his accomplishments at the NHL level worthy of a spot in the Hall of Fame?
It's quite possible, but he’s not a slam-dunk selection. His 260 wins sits third in Blackhawks history. Some will say he was an underrated goalie playing on a very good Blackhawks team. I disagree. He was a top-end goaltender for several years. His accomplishments speak for themselves; however, I don’t think he is an NHL Hall of Famer. Others like Carey Price, Henrik Lundquist, Jonathan Quick will surely have a leg-up on the conversation.
Moncton fans should all consider themselves lucky to have witnessed Crawford’s success. His legacy will live on as being one of the greatest goalies in Wildcats history.
Congratulations Corey, and thanks for the memories!
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