Pat Riggin

Pat Riggin
Date of birth	May 26, 1959
place of birth	Kincardine , Ontario , Canada
position	goalkeeper
Draft
NHL Entry Draft	1979 , 2nd round, 33rd position Atlanta Flames
Career stations
1975-1988	London Knights
1978-1979	Birmingham Bulls
1979-1980	Atlanta Flames
1980-1982	Calgary Flames
1982-1985	Washington Capitals
1985-1987	Boston Bruins
1987-1988	Pittsburgh Penguins

Patrick Michael "Pat" Riggin (born May 26, 1959 in Kincardine , Ontario ) is a former Canadian ice hockey goalkeeper who from 1978 to 1988 for the Atlanta Flames and Calgary Flames , Washington Capitals , Boston Bruins and the Pittsburgh Penguins in the National Hockey League as well as for the Birmingham Bulls in the World Hockey Association .

Career

As a junior, Riggin, whose father Dennis Riggin was a successful goalkeeper in the early 1950s, played with the London Knights in the OMJHL . Here he played with later NHL greats such as Dino Ciccarelli and Rob Ramage . Like his father, Riggin also managed to win the Dave Pinkney Trophy with the fewest goals conceded in one season . For the final round of the Memorial Cup , he was loaned to the Ottawa 67’s . Despite the defeat in the final, he was voted the best goalkeeper of the final tournaments.

Too young for the NHL, he moved to the 1978/79 season in the WHA for the Birmingham Bulls . After a decent season at the side of the experienced Ernie Wakely , the WHA was dissolved and the Atlanta Flames secured the rights to the little goalkeeper, who was noticeable by his messy hairstyle, in the second round of the 1979 NHL Entry Draft in the second round. Due to his quick reflexes and the confidence he exuded, he was a contender for the place of the goalkeeper from a very young age. So it was not surprising that he was unhappy to have to share the place in goal with Dan Bouchard and Reggie Lemelin . After the Flames moved to Calgary, he only stayed on the team with Bouchard, but the two continued to struggle ambitiously for supremacy.

For the 1982/83 season he moved to the Washington Capitals. Here he experienced many ups and downs. His competitor in the goal of the Caps was Al Jensen . After his first season he had earned his regular place in goal, but after seven defeats in the first seven games, Jensen took over the place in goal and impressed with excellent performances. Jensen injured his back over the course of the season and so Riggin returned to goal. With a strong comeback, he secured the Caps the lowest conceded goals in the league and won the William M. Jennings Trophy together with Jensen . He himself was elected to the Second All-Star Team . He remained number one in Washington the next season, but Riggin's illness brought Jensen back into the Caps' goal in the playoffs.

After a poor start to the 1985/86 season , he moved to the Boston Bruins in exchange for Pete Peeters . After good performance in his first season, he slacked off in the second season and even had to join the AHL farm team for the Moncton Golden Flames . In February 1988 he moved to the Pittsburgh Penguins . After the 1985 World Cup , in which he was able to take second place with the Canadian national ice hockey team , he took part in his second ice hockey world championship in 1987 . He was also sent to the farm team with the penguins and played there in the IHL with the Muskegon Lumberjacks . He ended his career in the summer of 1988.

statistics

	Seasons	Games	Victory cut	Conceded goal	Shutouts
NHL Regular Season	9	350	0.437	3.43	11
NHL playoffs	6th	25th	0.320	3.23	0
WHA regular season	1	46	0.348	3.78	1

Sporting successes

• Silver medal at the Ice Hockey World Championship : 1985

Personal awards

• Dave Pinkney Trophy : 1977
• OMJHL First All-Star Team: 1977
• OMJHL Second All-Star Team: 1978
• Memorial Cup Tournament All-Star Team: 1977
• Hap Emms Memorial Trophy : 1964
• William M. Jennings Trophy : 1984 (together with Al Jensen )
• NHL Second All-Star Team : 1984

Web links

• Pat Riggin at hockeygoalies.org
• Pat Riggin at legendsofhockey.net (English)