Manny Fernandez

Manny Fernandez
Date of birth	August 27, 1974
place of birth	Etobicoke , Ontario , Canada
size	183 cm
Weight	84 kg
position	goalkeeper
Catch hand	Left
Draft
NHL Entry Draft	1992 , 2nd lap, 52nd position Québec Nordiques
Career stations
1991-1994	Laval titanium
1994-1995	Kalamazoo Wings
1995-1998	Michigan K-Wings
1998-1999	Houston Eros
1999-2000	Dallas Stars
2000-2007	Minnesota Wild
2004-2005	Luleå HF
2007-2009	Boston Bruins

Emmanuel Fernandez-Lemaire (born August 27, 1974 in Etobicoke , Ontario ) is a Canadian ice hockey goalkeeper who last played for the Boston Bruins in the National Hockey League . He is the nephew of ice hockey coach Jacques Lemaire .

Career

Manny Fernandez was selected during the 1992 NHL Entry Draft by the Québec Nordiques in the third round in a total of 52nd position. He played for two more years in the Canadian Junior League Québec Major Junior Hockey League , where he was voted the most valuable player of the season and the play-offs . In February 1994, the rights of Fernandez were transferred to the Dallas Stars and he was at the beginning of the 1994/95 season in the squad of the Dallas farm team , the Kalamazoo Wings , in the International Hockey League . In April 1995 Fernandez completed his first NHL game. In the following four years, however, he came to just eight games in the NHL and played as a regular goalkeeper for the farm team of the Dallas Stars in the IHL.

After Roman Turek left the Dallas Stars in the summer of 1999, Fernandez took his position as second goalkeeper and played 24 games in the 1999/2000 season when the Stars won the Stanley Cup .

In the summer of 2000 he was transferred to the newly founded Minnesota Wild in an exchange deal . There he shared the post as number 1 with Jamie McLennan in the first year . Before the 2001/02 season , McLennan was replaced by Dwayne Roloson , with whom Fernandez had to share the position as goalkeeper from then on. In the following season Fernandez was only number 2 again. Nevertheless, he played the best season of his career so far and reached the final of the Western Conference with Minnesota. In the 2003/04 season he remained number 2 and the team missed the play-offs.

Due to the lockout , the 2004/05 NHL season was canceled and Manny Fernandez was hired by Luleå HF in the Swedish Elitserien . After the labor dispute ended, the 2005/06 season took place and Manny Fernandez ousted Dwayne Roloson as the goalkeeper of the Minnesota Wild. Roloson then moved to the Edmonton Oilers during the season . Fernandez performed well, but in the end it wasn't enough for the play-offs. In March 2006, he extended his contract with Minnesota.

At the beginning of the 2006/07 season, Manny Fernandez forms the goalkeeper team with Niklas Bäckström as the back-up team. In the middle of the season he had to share the place as a regular goalkeeper with the Finn due to the good performance of Bäckström. When Fernandez injured himself in March 2007, he finally lost his regular seat. After the season, both received the William M. Jennings Trophy as goalkeepers with the fewest goals against.

On July 1, 2007 Fernandez was transferred to the Boston Bruins , where he was to form the goalkeeper team with Tim Thomas as a substitute goalkeeper in the 2007/08 season . However, Fernandez was injured after just three weeks and was out for four months.

Achievements and Awards

• 1993 Guy Lafleur Trophy
• 1994 QMJHL First All-Star Team
• 1994 Michel Brière Trophy
• 1995 IHL Second All-Star Team
• 1999 Turner Cup win with the Houston Eros
• 2007 William M. Jennings Trophy (together with Niklas Bäckström )
• 2008 NHL Player of the Month for December (with Tim Thomas )
• 2009 William M. Jennings Trophy (together with Tim Thomas )

Web links

• Manny Fernandez at hockeygoalies.org
• Manny Fernandez at hockeydb.com (English)
• Manny Fernandez at legendsofhockey.net (English)