Corey Hirsch
Corey Hirsch | |
|---|---|
| Born | July 1, 1972 Medicine Hat, Alberta, Canada |
| Occupation(s) | Ice hockey goaltender, coach, broadcaster |
| Years active | 1992–2007 (player), 2007–2014 (coach), 2015–present (broadcaster) |
| Known for | NHL goaltender for Vancouver Canucks; goaltending coach for St. Louis Blues and Toronto Maple Leafs; mental health advocate |
Corey Hirsch (born July 1, 1972) is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender who predominantly played in the National Hockey League with the Vancouver Canucks. Following his playing days, he took on the role of goaltending coach for both the St. Louis Blues and Toronto Maple Leafs, collaborating with renowned coach François Allaire.
Hirsch holds a joint record for the highest number of victories in the Western Hockey League, sharing the mark of 120 wins with Tyson Sexsmith.
Playing career
Originating from Medicine Hat, Alberta, Hirsch spent four seasons competing at the major junior level with the Kamloops Blazers in the WHL. During a campaign when Kamloops secured the President's Cup and finished third at the 1990 Memorial Cup, he earned selection to the WHL Second All-Star Team. Selected 169th overall by the New York Rangers in the 1991 NHL Entry Draft, Hirsch topped the WHL in shutouts (5) and goals-against average (2.72) during the 1991–92 season, achievements that garnered him both the CHL Goaltender of the Year and Del Wilson Trophy. That season, Kamloops captured another President's Cup and triumphed at the 1992 Memorial Cup, where Hirsch was honored with the Hap Emms Memorial Trophy as the tournament’s best goaltender.
In his rookie professional season (1992–93), Hirsch guarded the net for New York’s AHL affiliate, the Binghamton Rangers, earning the Aldege "Baz" Bastien Memorial Award as top goaltender and sharing the Harry "Hap" Holmes Memorial Award for lowest goals-against average. He also made his NHL debut that year with New York, securing his first victory shortly thereafter.
Representing Canada at the 1994 Winter Olympics in Lillehammer, Hirsch played in all eight contests, helping his team earn a silver medal following a shootout defeat to Sweden.
After being traded to Vancouver in April 1995 in exchange for forward Nathan LaFayette, Hirsch split goaltending responsibilities with Kirk McLean during the 1995–96 season. His performance earned him a spot on the NHL All-Rookie Team, boasting a 2.93 goals-against average, .903 save percentage, and a 17–14–6 record, while finishing fifth in Calder Trophy voting. He notched his inaugural NHL shutout against the Boston Bruins on January 15, 1996.
Following his waiver by Vancouver in July 1999, Hirsch played for several NHL organizations including the Nashville Predators, Mighty Ducks of Anaheim, Washington Capitals, and Dallas Stars, predominantly appearing with their minor league affiliates. During the 2002–03 season, he achieved personal bests in the AHL with a 2.64 GAA and .921 save percentage over 35 games while playing for the Utah Grizzlies.
Prior to retirement, Hirsch extended his playing career overseas by spending three seasons competing in Sweden’s Elitserien and Germany’s Deutsche Eishockey Liga.
Post-playing career
Upon hanging up his skates, Hirsch served as a goaltending consultant for Hockey Canada, playing a key role in guiding Canada’s national junior team to gold medals at both the 2007 and 2008 tournaments.
On September 9, 2008, he was appointed as goaltending coach by the Toronto Maple Leafs. He subsequently accepted a similar position with the St. Louis Blues on June 18, 2010, before departing from that role on May 7, 2014.
In 2015, Hirsch shifted into broadcasting as an independent television analyst for NHL on Sportsnet.
Personal
Hirsch, who was married for 15 years before divorcing, is a father of three. In 2015, his son Hayden participated in the training camp for the Kamloops Blazers but did not secure a spot on the team for the regular season.
He has been candid about his ongoing battle with intense anxiety and Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD), sharing his story in a 2017 article for Player's Tribune and through the Canucks' Hockey Talks program. Hirsch has become a vocal supporter of mental health awareness and aims to diminish the stigma surrounding mental illnesses. His memoir, The Save of My Life: My Journey Out of the Dark, co-authored with Sean Patrick Conboy and released in 2022, chronicles these personal struggles. Additionally, Hirsch co-hosts the podcast "Blindsided" alongside psychiatrist Dr. Diane McIntosh, where athletes openly discuss mental health topics.
Awards
Major Junior
- WHL West Second All-Star Team – 1990
- WHL West First All-Star Team – 1991 & 1992
- CHL Goaltender of the Year – 1992
- CHL First All-Star Team – 1992
- Hap Emms Memorial Trophy (WHL top goaltender) – 1992
- Del Wilson Trophy (Memorial Cup best goaltender) – 1992
- Memorial Cup All-Star Team – 1992
Professional
- Aldege "Baz" Bastien Memorial Award (AHL goaltender of the year) – 1993
- Dudley "Red" Garrett Memorial Award (lowest goals-against-average in AHL) – 1993 (shared)
- Harry "Hap" Holmes Memorial Award – 1993
- AHL First All-Star Team – 1993
- NHL All-Rookie Team – 1996
- IHL Goaltender of the Month – December 1999
- IHL Goaltender of the Week – December 4 and December 18, 2000
Regular season and playoffs
Binghamton Rangers | AHL | 46 | 35 | 4 | 5 | 2692 | 125 | 1 | 2.79 | — | 14 | 7 | 7 | 831 | 46 | 0 | 3.32 |- bgcolor="#f0f0f0"| Regular season | Playoffs | ||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | League | GP | W | L | T | MIN | GA | SO | GAA | SV% | GP | W | L | MIN | GA | SO | GAA | SV% | ||
| 1987–88 | Calgary Canucks | AJHL | 32 | 22 | 5 | 0 | 1538 | 91 | 1 | 3.55 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||
| 1988–89 | Kamloops Blazers | WHL | 32 | 11 | 12 | 2 | 1516 | 106 | 2 | 4.20 | — | 5 | 3 | 2 | 245 | 19 | 0 | 4.65 | — | ||
| 1989–90 | Kamloops Blazers | WHL | 63 | 48 | 13 | 0 | 3608 | 230 | 3 | 3.82 | — | 17 | 14 | 3 | 1043 | 60 | 0 | 3.45 | — | ||
| 1990–91 | Kamloops Blazers | WHL | 38 | 26 | 7 | 1 | 1970 | 100 | 3 | 3.05 | — | 11 | 5 | 6 | 623 | 42 | 0 | 4.04 | |||
International
| Year | Team | Event | GP | W | L | T | MIN | GA | SO | GAA | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1994 | Canada | OG | 8 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 495 | 18 | 0 | 2.18 | |
| 1995 | Canada | WC | 8 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 488 | 21 | 0 | 2.58 | |
| Aggregate senior statistics | 16 | 9 | 5 | 2 | 983 | 39 | 0 | 2.38 | |||