Chris Osgood

Canadian professional hockey goaltender Chris Osgood currently plays for the Detroit Red Wings in the National Hockey League.

Fast Facts

1. Born: November 26, 1972
2. Position: Goaltender
3. Birthplace: Peace River, Alberta, Canada
4. Saves: Left
5. Nicknames: Ozzie, The Wizard of Oz
6. Two time Stanley Cup Champion with the Detroit Red Wings

Early Career

Prior to his NHL career Osgood played in the Western Hockey League for the Medicine Hat Tigers and the Seattle Thunderbirds. He was drafted 54th overall by the Detroit Red Wings in the 1991 NHL Draft. In 1992 he was placed with the Red Wings' American Hockey League affiliate, the Adirondack Red Wings. He split the following two seasons between the AHL and the NHL.

Championship Years

He spent the entire 1995-96 season with the Wings, as a backup for Mike Vernon. He continued with the Wings the following season as they won the Stanley Cup Championships under Vernon in 1997. Osgood took over starting goaltending duties the next season after Vernon was traded, and led the team to another Stanley Cup victory in 1998.

Time for Change

Osgood was waived in 2001 after Dominik Hasek joined the Wings. Osgood was picked up by the New York Islanders, where he played for nearly 18 months before he was traded to the St. Louis Blues on March 11, 2003. Osgood stayed in St. Louis for the rest of the 2002-03 season plus one additional season before entering free agency.

Back to Hockeytown

Following the 2004-05 NHL Lockout, Osgood signed as a free agent with the Detroit Red Wings. He has since shared goaltending duties with Hasek, and has earned the starting netminder job for the Red Wings 2008 Stanley Cup playoff run.

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