David Aebischer

Last updated
David Aebischer
David Aebischer 14.09.2012.jpg
Aebischer with the Rapperswil-Jona Lakers in 2012
Born (1978-02-07) February 7, 1978 (age 46)
Geneva, Switzerland [1]
Height 6 ft 1 in (185 cm)
Weight 185 lb (84 kg; 13 st 3 lb)
Position Goaltender
Caught Left
Played for HC Fribourg-Gottéron
Colorado Avalanche
HC Lugano
Montreal Canadiens
Phoenix Coyotes
Rapperswil-Jona Lakers
HC Thurgau
National teamFlag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg   Switzerland
NHL draft 161st overall, 1997
Colorado Avalanche
Playing career 19962015

David Aebischer (born February 7, 1978) is a Swiss former professional ice hockey goaltender who played in the National Hockey League with the Colorado Avalanche, Montreal Canadiens and the Phoenix Coyotes. He was a member of the 2001 Stanley Cup champion Avalanche team, becoming the first Swiss native to achieve the feat. Aebischer also played several seasons in his native Switzerland with HC Fribourg-Gottéron, HC Lugano and the Rapperswil-Jona Lakers of the National League (NL).

Contents

Aebischer is currently a goalie coach for HC Fribourg-Gottéron.

Playing career

As a youth, Aebischer played in the 1992 Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament with a team from Switzerland. [2]

Aebischer was drafted 161st overall by the Colorado Avalanche in the 1997 NHL Entry Draft. He moved to North America in 1997 and spent the 1997–98 season in the ECHL, first with the Chesapeake Icebreakers and then with the Wheeling Nailers. He spent the next two seasons with Colorado's American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Hershey Bears, with whom he compiled a 46-33-7 record. When the Avalanche traded backup goaltender Marc Denis to the Columbus Blue Jackets in the summer of 2000, Aebischer became the full-time backup to starting goaltender Patrick Roy.[ citation needed ]

Aebischer played 26 games during his rookie season with Colorado. Aebischer made his NHL debut, and first NHL start on October 18, 2000 against the Columbus Blue Jackets in Columbus for his first NHL victory. [3] On October 26, 2000 in his second career start, Aebischer shut out the Chicago Blackhawks in Chicago for his first NHL career shutout. [4] The year would prove a successful one, as Roy backstopped the Avalanche to their second Stanley Cup championship, defeating the New Jersey Devils in a seven-game final series. [5] With the win, Aebischer became the first Swiss hockey player to win the Stanley Cup. [6]

Following two more seasons as the Avalanche backup, Aebischer became Colorado's starting goaltender following Roy's retirement in the summer of 2003. He played 62 games and posted 32 wins during the 2003–04 season. That season, he started his first career playoff game for the Avalanche and led Colorado to the second round, where they lost to the San Jose Sharks in six games. The following season, due to the NHL lockout, Aebischer returned to Switzerland and played for HC Lugano in the Nationalliga A.[ citation needed ]

Aebischer returned to the Avalanche for the 2005–06 season. He was unable to duplicate his pre-lockout form and his inconsistent play led to him being traded to the Montreal Canadiens in exchange for goaltender José Théodore on March 8, 2006, a day before the NHL trade deadline. [7]

That summer, Montreal re-signed him to a one-year deal worth $1.9 million. [8] He served as Cristobal Huet's backup for the 2006–07 season and posted a 13–12–3 record. The Canadiens failed to make the playoffs and Montreal opted not to re-sign Aebischer.[ citation needed ]

On July 19, 2007, Aebischer signed a one-year, $600,000 contract with the Phoenix Coyotes. [9] [10] However, he lost the goaltending battle in training camp to Alex Auld and Mikael Tellqvist, and was waived. He went unclaimed and was subsequently assigned to the Coyotes AHL affiliate, the San Antonio Rampage. On November 23, 2007, Aebischer was loaned to HC Lugano to make room on the San Antonio roster for goaltender Alex Auld. [11]

David Aebischer.jpg
Medal record
Representing Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg   Switzerland
Ice hockey
World Junior Championships
Bronze medal icon (B initial).svg 1998 Helsinki

In August, 2011, after four seasons back in his native Switzerland, Aebischer was invited to the training camp of the Winnipeg Jets for the 2011–12 season on a tryout contract. [12] On October 5, 2011, it was announced that Aebischer would play with the Jets' AHL affiliate, the St. John's IceCaps. [13]

On July 1, 2012, Aebischer again left North America and signed a one-year contract with the Rapperswil-Jona Lakers of the National League A. [14]

In the 2014–15 season, Aebischer played five games with HC Thurgau of the National League B before announcing his retirement from his playing career to focus for a coaching role on January 25, 2015. [15]

International play

Aebischer has represented Switzerland internationally on many occasions. His first international experience came in the 1997 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships, hosted by Switzerland. The Swiss finished in 7th place. Aebischer returned as Switzerland's starting goaltender the following year at the 1998 World Juniors and led the team past the quarterfinal round and to a bronze medal finish, defeating the heavily favoured Czech Republic in the bronze medal match. Aebischer has also appeared for Switzerland in five IIHF World Championships and two Winter Olympic Games.

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs

Regular season Playoffs
Season TeamLeagueGPWLTOTLMINGA SO GAA SV% GPWLMINGASOGAASV%
1994–95 HC Fribourg–Gottéron SUI U20273.5822.50
1995–96HC Fribourg–GottéronSUI U20293.2033.01
1996–97HC Fribourg–GottéronSUI U20242.6522.22
1996–97 HC Fribourg–Gottéron NDA 105773403.543121841304.24
1997–98 Chesapeake Icebreakers ECHL 175729305203.35.897
1997–98 Wheeling Nailers ECHL105315643013.19.858
1997–98 Hershey Bears AHL 200179503.76.853
1997–98 HC Fribourg–GottéronNDA110060101.004240174.25
1998–99 Hershey BearsAHL381710519327922.45.920312152602.37.925
1999–00 Hershey BearsAHL5829232325918013.31.90214767884023.05.917
2000–01 Colorado Avalanche NHL 26127313935232.24.9031001000.00
2001–02 Colorado AvalancheNHL21136011843721.88.93110034101.79.929
2002–03 Colorado AvalancheNHL22712012355012.43.916
2003–04 Colorado AvalancheNHL6232199370312942.09.92411656622312.08.922
2004–05 HC Lugano NLA 18122310194102.41.9334132401002.50.939
2005–06 Colorado AvalancheNHL4325142247712332.98.900
2005–06 Montreal Canadiens NHL74304182603.73.892
2006–07 Montreal CanadiensNHL321312317609303.17.900
2007–08 Phoenix Coyotes NHL101060303.00.909
2007–08 San Antonio Rampage AHL52303021302.58.898
2007–08 HC LuganoNLA26121415766922.63.921
2008–09 HC LuganoNLA492722295314022.84.9237344522603.45.895
2009–10 HC LuganoNLA482324289715623.23.9164042402205.50.836
2010–11 HC LuganoNLA3510183203810933.21.872
2011–12 St. John's IceCaps AHL311512217228212.86.89510026204.56.833
2012–13 Rapperswil–Jona Lakers NLA4013211225614623.88.897
2013–14 Rapperswil–Jona LakersNLA439283236414803.76.872
2014–15 HC Thurgau NLB 54.93.856
NDA/NLA totals27015,740844113.22221356883.89
NHL totals2141067412512,230513132.52.91213656972412.07.922

International

YearTeamEventGPWLTMINGASOGAASV%
1996 Switzerland EJC 53.95.884
1997 Switzerland WJC 53113001002.00.917
1998 SwitzerlandWJC64203791001.58.951
1998 Switzerland WC 72413761802.87.895
1999 SwitzerlandWC41301731314.51.833
2002 Switzerland OLY 210081604.44.806
2005 SwitzerlandWC100160303.00.903
2006 SwitzerlandOLY4102200702.10.940
2006 SwitzerlandWC62223591602.67.882
2007 SwitzerlandWC101060606.00.793
Senior totals25710613096913.16.876

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References

  1. Alain, Thévoz; David, Aebischer (2001). David Aebischer, Le récit d'une conquête[David Aebischer, The Story of a Conquest] (in French). Fribourg. p. 196. ISBN   2-9700313-0-2.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link).
  2. "Pee-Wee players who have reached NHL or WHA" (PDF). Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament. 2018. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2019-03-06. Retrieved 2019-02-02.
  3. "Avs beat Blue Jackets". hockeyreference.com. 2000-10-18. Retrieved 2012-02-04.
  4. "Avalanche shut-out Blackhawks". hockeyreference.com. 2000-10-26. Retrieved 2012-02-26.
  5. Kevin Allen (2001-06-10). "Avalanche beat Devils to capture Stanley Cup". USA Today . Retrieved 2010-11-21.
  6. "Swiss ice hockey star steps out of the shadows". swissinfo. 2003-06-10. Retrieved 2010-11-19.
  7. "Habs acquire Aebischer from Colorado". canadiens.nhl.com. 2006-03-08. Archived from the original on 2009-05-04. Retrieved 2009-03-28.
  8. "Canadiens re-sign Aebischer". canadiens.nhl.com. 2006-07-12. Archived from the original on 2009-05-04. Retrieved 2009-03-28.
  9. "Coyotes sign David Aebischer". coyotes.nhl.com. 2007-07-19. Archived from the original on 2009-05-04. Retrieved 2009-03-28.
  10. Boeck, Greg (2007-09-25). "Ex-Av Aebischer embraces shot in Phoenix". USAtoday.com. Retrieved 2009-03-28.
  11. "Phoenix Coyotes loan goalie David Aebischer to Swiss team Lugano". NHL.com. 2007-11-23. Retrieved 2010-11-21.
  12. Ed Tait (2011-08-19). "David versus Goliaths... and more". Winnipeg Free Press . Retrieved 2011-08-20.
  13. "Jets sign G Aebischer to AHL contract". TSN. 2011-10-05. Retrieved 2011-10-10.
  14. "Lakers sign Aebischer" (in German). Rapperswil-Jona Lakers. 2012-07-01. Archived from the original on 2012-10-24. Retrieved 2012-07-01.
  15. "David Aebischer ends his career" (in German). National League A. 2015-01-25. Archived from the original on 2020-10-22. Retrieved 2015-01-25.