Twenty-two years ago this week, the goalie became just the fifth player in NHL history to win the Conn Smythe Trophy while playing for the losing team
NOTE: This is an excerpt from an interview that took place in 2018 during the Ducks’ 25th anniversary season.
In April 2003, the Mighty Ducks start making a little bit of a run. What was going through your head at that time, knowing that we’re more likely poised to get a spot in the playoffs?
It was my first time in the playoffs. We had worked the previous two years, Francois Allaire and I, and everything we did was towards making the playoff. And we’re like, one day, when we get there, when the team is ready, you’ll be ready too. It was exciting.
After Christmas, we were one of the best teams in the league. And once we finally get into Detroit, we’re playing the Red Wings, that was my first playoff experience. I went in there having nothing to lose, basically, as I felt, and Francois and I had talked about it, it’s all an experience. It’s all about getting some experience, trying to get better. Win or lose, you have one more game experience in the playoff. And that’s how we approached it, and fortunately the team played unbelievable. Everybody did such a good job, worked so hard. We were well coached with Mike Babcock and the guys like Keith Carney and Rob Niedermayer and so many guys that stepped up and did an amazing job doing that run.
Let’s talk about your intro into the playoffs, Game 1 of the first round vs. Detroit, where you faced 61 shots. That was a franchise record.
I think they scored the first five minutes of that game, and I was like, Oh, this could be a long day. But like I say, I felt ready. I worked two years, better part of three years to get to that point, and when it was time I felt really confident, and it was a good feeling to go into the playoff and feeling good.
"They were such a good team, a good organization, a team that you look up to. And then going into the playoff against them, we felt like if we could give them a good challenge, maybe at the end we could have a chance, but to be able to sweep them in four games, that's not something that we expected."
Steve Rucchin, scores the game-winning goal in Game 4, and you guys swepth the defending Stanley Cup champions, the first time that that had ever happened in NHL history. What was that like, knowing that, I’m sure in most your guys’ opinions, one of the hardest teams to beat in the playoffs, you guys just beat, and now you’re gonna move on to next round?
It felt a little surreal. I think none of expected to beat the Red Wings. They were such a good team, a good organization, a team that you look up to. And then going into the playoff against them, we felt like if we could give them a good challenge, maybe at the end we could have a chance, but to be able to sweep them in four games, that’s not something that we expected. But at the same time, the more we played, the more felt comfortable, the more we felt confident. And it was really, it was quite an experience. It was a unique experience that you don’t get to live every day with a team.
Game 1 of the next series vs. Dallas goes to five overtimes. Petr Sykora scores the game winner, but in the locker room after every end of every OT period, what were you guys talking about? What were you doing? Were you hydrating? What kinds of things were you guys doing to stay in this battle?
That was one of the most difficult games I ever played in my life. Dallas is a warm building, and a very humid city, so you just sweat a lot. Between periods, at that point, I was getting IV, one or two bags every time, trying to get back to a point where I felt rehydrated and still there. I didn’t even feel like a human being anymore. I remember before we went to that final period, I couldn’t even put my gear on. My hands were all cramped, and I couldn’t move my fingers, and I couldn’t talk because my jaw was cramped up too. I was trying to get the trainer to come help me, and then I told Ilya Bryzgalov, get ready. We ended up going on the ice for the fifth OT, and we scored in the first minute, or something like that. That was quite a relief when we scored that goal.
The rest of the series played out with a lot of overtimes. Can you talk about the play of the team getting through that series?
Well it’s like I said earlier, some guys stepped up and they had such an amazing playoff. And I think if you had asked us at the time, this was probably the most amazing experience we all lived. Individually and as a team. And Mike LeClerc had such a good playoff, and Rucchin, and all the … so many guys. You could make a story about so many guys during that playoff push. Being the team that we were, we were a very defensive team, so we didn’t score a lot of goals. But we did such an amazing job not giving a lot of goals. It was only fitting that we had a lot of overtime.
In the next round against the Wild, you actually had the three consecutive shutouts, and that held up to be a record in a conference final. What was that series like?
That series, it was good in a way, because we were able to win in four games and get some much-needed rest in between that series and the Final. Obviously, we played the Wild, which I think they went all the way to game seven against Vancouver, I believe, that year. They were a tired team. We came in, we were well-rested, well-coached, ready to go. Not that it was an easy series, but it was a series that all of the three that we played, probably was the easiest, I guess.
"[The Wild] were a tired team. We came in, we were well-rested, well-coached, ready to go."
Moving on to the Final, you went down two games to none to New Jersey but won Games 3 and 4 in Anaheim to bring you back.
Yeah, the first couple games were disappointing. I think we had a long a rest between and we were a little rusty, and just not quite the team that we showed we were. And I think we gave the Devils a little too much respect. When we came back to Anaheim to play our two games, I think we were a much different team, and it showed. We put a lot of pressure on Marty Brodeur and on their D, and we were fortunate. It was such a key to win your home games. The only unfortunate thing is we weren’t able to win a game in New Jersey.
Game 6, one of the most dramatic moments in Ducks history was when Paul Kariya took that hit and then was able to come back to the ice and score that goal. What was going through your head when you saw what had happened? And I’m sure there was some concern for Kariya, but after then seeing him come back onto the ice, what were you thinking about then?
That was probably one of the greatest moments that I ever experienced. I haven’t seen that hit in a long time, I don’t know if that would be legal today. But it definitely knocked out Paul pretty bad. As a goalie, you don’t really know what’s happening. You see Paul going to the room, but you don’t have any information from the trainers, you can’t ask anybody, so you’re just hoping that he’s okay. I was just as shocked as anybody when I saw him come back. I’m like, “Whoa.” And when he went, and came wide, and shot that puck, and scored that big goal, I mean what a magical moment. You couldn’t write that kind of script, and it’s something that I will never forget. How loud, it was The Pond at the time, how loud The Pond was, and it was just an amazing scenario.
"I'm proud of, especially, the run that we had and the team that we had. I think, besides winning the Stanley Cup, obviously, this was the second-best year of my life, as far as hockey's concerned. And you'll never forget such a run."
Obviously, like you said, it would have been nice to get that one win in New Jersey, but at the end of the day, have to feel pretty special that you got to walk away with the Conn Smythe. Being that you were on the team that didn’t win the championship, that had only happened four times prior to that. It had to feel a little special to you knowing that you got acknowledged for some hard work.
Yeah, it’s a bittersweet feeling. Obviously, you’re very disappointed, and I think losing the Cup was probably one of the most devastating days of my life at that point. And then they come see you and tell you that you get the Conn Smythe. It’s not something that you can share with your teammates. You can’t really come in and tell the guys, “Hey look what I won!” It was one of those bittersweet moments, it’s something that I’m extremely proud of today, looking back. I’m proud of having won that. I’m proud of, especially, the run that we had and the team that we had. I think, besides winning the Stanley Cup, obviously, this was the second-best year of my life, as far as hockey’s concerned. And you’ll never forget such a run.
