Giguere, star of Ducks’ Stanley Cup teams, thanks fans

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Jean-Sebastien Giguere, the goalie for the Ducks’ 2003 Stanley Cup finalists and 2007 Stanley Cup champions, said Sunday he is excited about the chance to be a No. 1 goalie again after being traded to Toronto. But Anaheim ‘will always have a very special place in my heart,’ he said.

‘Both of my kids were born there, and we’ll always be connected to Orange County and Anaheim,’ Giguere said. ‘The fans have just been great, in good times and bad.

‘They were very supportive when my first son was born and we had complications. People were always behind me, and hockey-wise we have a great fan base in Anaheim. I would like to thank all the fans.’

Giguere’s oldest son, Maxime, was born in 2007 with a serious eye condition.

Giguere said he knew that Jonas Hiller’s play in goal meant one of them would be leaving and that it would probably be him but that the goalies maintained a good relationship.

He will be reunited with his goaltending mentor, Francois Allaire, in Toronto.

‘I feel like I still have some hockey left in me,’ said Giguere, 32. ‘I wanted to try to get a chance to be a No. 1 goalie somewhere. In Anaheim, I didn’t feel like it was going to happen.’

-- Robyn Norwood