[irbefan4life]

So, here they are, the newest additions to the goaltending museum, and the second ever set of pieces donated to my museum. Don't forget to like "Bruce C. Goaltending Museum" on Facebook or subscribe to our channel on Youtube.

Born on August 1, 1977 in Montreal, Quebec, Marc Denis was drafted 25th overall by the Colorado Avalanche in 1995, making him the first ever draft pick of the Avs after moving to Denver from Quebec. Pegged as a possible successor to Patrick Roy (like most all high draft pick goalies seem to be), the pressure was definitely on. After winning a gold medal with the Canadian Junior team in 1996, Denis was given his first ever shot of NHL action the following season, being recalled straight out from the Chicoutimi Sagueneens of the QMJHL. He made his NHL debut on December 7, 1996 against Los Angeles, where he stopped 23-26 shots in a 4-2 defeat. He was promptly returned to the juniors afterwards. In 1997-98, he made his full-time transition to the pro ranks by playing for the Hershey Bears of the American Hockey League. There, he remained so he could develop his pro-level skills for two seasons, though he did get in a further four games with the Avs in 1998-99. By 1999-00, he had established himself as the full-time backup to Patrick Roy, appearing in 23 games and posting respectable numbers before the Avs traded him at the end of the season to the relatively new Columbus Blue Jackets.

Battling in net with Ron Tugnutt for two seasons, Denis finally won the job of starter and appeared in 77 games in 2002-03, recording career highs in most major categories (27 wins, 41 losses, 8 OT losses, five shutouts). He continued on for two more seasons as the team's starting goaltender before he was traded to the Tampa Bay Lightning following the conclusion of the 2005-06 season. Playing as a split-starter with Johan Holmqvist in 06-07 both goalies put up incredibly average numbers that season. Denis' numbers unfortunately declined the next season, so he was limited to only 10 games and then placed on waivers by the end of the season. The Montreal Canadiens then signed him, but with Carey Price and Jaroslav Halak in the wings, he played the majority of the season in the AHL before making one lone relief appearance for Halak for a period on January 2, 2009 against New Jersey, stopping 6 of 7 shots. At the conclusion of the 2008-09 season, Denis retired from pro hockey. He coached for a year with his old QMJHL team afterwards and he now works as a French hockey commentator.

In his career, Marc Denis appeared in 349 games, recording a 112-179-28-3 record with a 3.02 GAA, a 0.902% save average, sixteen shutouts, and six assists. Oddly enough, he appeared in zero playoff games.

The piece you are looking at today is a set of CCM Vector Pro goalie pads worn by Marc Denis while playing for Team Canada in the 2006 IIHF World Championships. While wearing these pads, Denis saw game action five times, recording 4 wins and 1 loss in the process. It is definitively photomatched and a real stunning set of pads.

Here is the video link:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nA9mkf3h...e=youtu.be

Acquired from: Classic Auctions Winter 2016 Auction, donated to museum by a longtime patron

Dates of Game Use:

May 5, 2006 v Denmark (5-3W, 20-23)
May 11, 2006 v Latvia (11-0W, 26-26)
May 15, 2006 v Finland (4-2W, 38-40)
May 17, 2006 v Slovakia (4-1W, 22-23)
May 20, 2006 v Sweden (5-4L, 6-11)

Photomatched: Yes