Alex Auld during his tenure with VancouverAuld during his time with the Dallas Stars
Auld turned professional in the 2001–02 season, joining the Canucks' American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Manitoba Moose. An ankle sprain sidelined Auld during training camp, however, and upon his return, he was assigned to the Columbia Inferno of the East Coast Hockey League. Solid play in six games at that level returned Auld to the AHL,[8] where he showed steady improvement, despite competition for playing time from veterans Alfie Michaud and Martin Brochu.[9] Following injuries to Canucks goaltenders Dan Cloutier and Peter Skudra, Auld earned a start at the NHL level, a 4–2 victory over the Dallas Stars on January 23, 2002, after which he returned to the AHL.[7] The 2002–03 season afforded Auld more opportunity for growth, although he again split playing time at the AHL level, this time with Tyler Moss.[8] With Cloutier and Skudra entrenched at the NHL level, Auld still managed to appear in seven games as an injury replacement, and even played one Stanley Cup playoff game in relief. In his fourth career start, Auld notched his first career shutout versus the Washington Capitals on March 23, 2003.[10]
During the off-season, backup Peter Skudra signed with a Russian team, raising the possibility that Auld might claim the backup role for the Canucks. As the 2003–04 season approached, however, Canucks general manager Brian Burke traded a draft pick to the Pittsburgh Penguins for Johan Hedberg, all but ensuring Auld another season in the minors.[11] Again, Auld began the season sharing netminding duties with Tyler Moss. Auld again saw brief NHL action, appearing in six games. However, during the 2004 Stanley Cup playoffs, Cloutier was injured early on in the Canucks' first round series with the Calgary Flames. Hedberg, who had been shaky[12] as a backup, failed to impress head coach Marc Crawford in two appearances, and Auld claimed the starting role in Game 5, pushing Calgary the distance in the series, eventually losing in Game 7.[13]
Auld spent the 2004–05 NHL lockout back with the Manitoba Moose in the AHL, this time pairing with veteran netminder Wade Flaherty. Despite holding on to the starting role for much of the season, Flaherty took over as starter at the beginning of the Calder Cup playoffs, helping the team reach the third round.[14] Auld also appeared for Canada at the Spengler Cup in December 2004, carrying the team to a third-place finish.[15]
Auld returned to the NHL when play resumed for the 2005–06 season, initially as the backup to Cloutier. However, on November 20, 2005, Cloutier injured an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in a collision with Mighty Ducks of Anaheim forward Rob Niedermayer.[16] The hope initially was that the injury would heal during the season, but on December 13, Cloutier opted for surgery, leaving Auld as Vancouver's starting goaltender.[17] He would not play in another game for the Moose, leaving the AHL team as its franchise leader in wins and shutouts.
As the Canucks' starter, Auld was reunited with former World Junior teammate Maxime Ouellet,[17] who was one of three goaltenders the Canucks used to back him up (Mika Noronen[18] and Rob McVicar[19] were the others). Filling in admirably, Auld went on to capture the Cyclone Taylor trophy as team MVP,[4] although the Canucks would miss the playoffs.[4] Auld then joined Team Canada again, this time at the 2006 World Championships, where Canada finished a disappointing fourth, losing the bronze medal game to Finland.[20]
In June 2006, Auld was involved in a multi-player trade that sent him, Todd Bertuzzi and Bryan Allen to Florida in exchange for Roberto Luongo, Lukáš Krajíček and a sixth-round draft pick.[21] Initially, Auld was expected to be the undisputed starter in Florida. However, the July 25 signing of Ed Belfour introduced some competition, and Belfour eventually won the job as starting goalie. Controversially, in October, Auld was hospitalized while "horsing around" with Belfour, with suspicions that Belfour had assaulted him.[22]
After an unsuccessful season with Florida, Auld signed a one-year contract with the Phoenix Coyotes on August 13, 2007.[23] However, on a team with already with a wealth of goaltenders — Auld would compete for a job with David Aebischer and Mikael Tellqvist at the beginning of the season — Phoenix would pick up Ilya Bryzgalov off waivers from the Anaheim Ducks, leaving Auld as one of the odd goaltenders out. After nine appearances with Phoenix, on December 6, 2007, Auld was traded to the Boston Bruins for right winger Nate DiCasmirro and the Bruins' fifth-round pick in 2009.[24] Playing backup to Tim Thomas for the majority of 2007–08, he played well for the Bruins, especially after an injury sidelined Thomas.[25]
On July 1, 2008, Auld signed a two-year, $2 million deal with the Ottawa Senators as an unrestricted free agent.[26] He came within one second of recording a shutout in his Senators debut against the Pittsburgh Penguins in Stockholm, Sweden, surrendering a powerplay goal in the final moments of the game.[27] Though Senators' management expected him to serve primarily as a backup to Martin Gerber, Auld's strong play combined with Gerber's struggles resulted in Auld assuming the starting position early in the season. As the season progressed, Gerber was placed on waivers[28] and ultimately was claimed by the Toronto Maple Leafs,[29] while rookie Brian Elliott would split the goaltending duties with Auld in Ottawa.[28] He was expected to challenge for the starting position in 2009–10 with Pascal Leclaire, acquired by Ottawa from the Columbus Blue Jackets late at the 2008–09 trade deadline, but was traded in the off-season on July 8, 2009, to the Dallas Stars in exchange for a sixth-round draft pick in 2010.[30] During the season he struggled with the Stars and with Marty Turco and Kari Lehtonen in net for Dallas, Auld again was the odd man out and was placed on waivers and assigned to the AHL's Texas Stars on February 25, 2010.[31]
However, on February 27, 2010, Auld was claimed off re-entry waivers by the New York Rangers.[32] The Rangers had sought a veteran backup for Henrik Lundqvist after using two inexperienced goalies for the majority of the season.[33] An unrestricted free agent at the end of the season, on July 1, 2010, he signed a one-year, $1 million contract with the Montreal Canadiens as backup to Carey Price, replacing Jaroslav Halák who had been traded to St. Louis.[34] He finished the season with a 6–2–2 record, a 2.64 goals against average and a .914 save percentage. Again an unrestricted free agent at season's end, on July 1, 2011, Auld re-joined the Ottawa Senators, signing a one-year, $1 million contract, replacing Curtis McElhinney as backup to Craig Anderson.[35]
On July 23, 2012, Auld left the NHL and signed as a free agent with Austrian club Red Bull Salzburg of the Austrian Hockey League (EBEL).[36] He retired from hockey at the end of the season.
Auld became a broadcaster with Sportsnet 650 in Vancouver following his retirement, working weekend Canucks games for the station.[39]
Personal life
Auld was born in Cold Lake, Alberta, when his father was stationed out of CFB Cold Lake; however, he spent the majority of his adolescence in Thunder Bay, Ontario.[40] Auld's wife is celebrity handbag and jewellery designer Melanie Auld. The couple have two children together.[41][42] The couple splits their time between Vancouver and Thunder Bay.[43]
Molson Cup (Vancouver Canucks three-star selection leader) - 2006
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