Birthdate: November 26, 1972
Birthplace: Peace River, Alberta, Canada
Three years ago, this goalie's career appeared to be coming to an end. Today he is an All Star and playing in the Stanley Cup with the Detroit Red Wings! We got the 411 of Chris!
Childhood
Chris Osgood grew up in Peace River, Alberta. Like most kids around the area, he was obsessed with hockey and was a fan of the Edmonton Oilers. He used to play hockey in his basement in between periods of hockey games on TV. He had a stellar amateur career. As a 15 year old, he played for the Medicine Hat Elks of the AAHA, then moved up to the Medicine Hat Midget Tigers in his late teens. From there, Chris played professionally for three WHL clubs: The Medicine Hat Tigers, the Brandon Wheat Kings and the Seattle Thunderbirds. Chris was drafted 54th overall in the 1991 NHL Draft by the Detroit Red Wings.NHL Career
Chris bounced back and forth between the NHL and the minors before permanently sticking in the 1995-'96 season. That season, Chris led the NHL with 39 wins and helped Detroit set a league record with 62 wins. He also finished third in shutouts and was the runner up to the Vezina Trophy - the award given to the top goalie in the league. Chris was part of those Red Wings dynasty teams that won back-to-back Stanley Cups in 1997 and '98. In 2001, the Red Wings let Chris go because of injuries and he played the next three seasons with the New York Islanders and St. Louis Blues. After the lockout season of 2004-2005, Chris was without a job.Rebirth
After the lockout, Chris re-signed with Detroit. The homecoming was welcomed by Chris, who never wanted to leave and still maintained an offseason home there. His first year was a struggle, as Chris battled a groin injury and spent some time in the minor leagues. That next season, the Wings signed super goalie Dominic Hasek. Chris and Dominic shared the goalie duties, until Chris took over the position full-time during the 2007-'08 season after Dominic Hasek got hurt. Chris became the top ranked goalie in the NHL. On top of being named an All Star, Chris helped the Red Wings return to the Stanley Cup Finals. The Red Wings rewarded the 35 year-old goalie by giving him a 3-year, $4.5 million extension!Did U Know?
Chris Says...
"I think when I was younger, they thought I was just passive and just happy to be here. But I take the game really seriously. I have nights, if we don't win or I don't play well, that I don't sleep until five in the morning. I get mad. I think about the game all the time. I'm an intense player. If I wouldn't have been intense and competitive, I wouldn't be playing still."Related Stories:
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