Absurd Goalie Monday: Steve Guenette

As the Memorial Cup is going on in Shawinigan, Quebec; this week's AGM was able to capture the Memorial Cup after an unlikely road to the junior championship after a rocky first couple of seasons, However, he was able to get into the NHL for a short time, then build his way to a career after hockey. This week-- the profile of Steve Guenette.

Guenette started off his career with the Gloucester Rangers for 31 games in the 1981-82 and 1982-83 season. In the 1983-84 season, Guenette would move onto the OHL's Guelph Platers, going 9-20-1 in 38 appearances. The 1984-85 season saw Guenette play in 41 games and compile a 16-22-4 record. The breakout year for Guenette was the 1985-86 season, where he would finish with a 26-20-1 record in 50 games, then going 15-3 in the playoffs-- helping Guelph win the J. Ross Robertson Trophy for league champion. Moving onto the Memorial Cup, Guenette went 3-1 in four games, taking home the Hap Emms Trophy for top goalie in the Memorial Cup and All-Tournament team.

After that last season, Guenette was signed by the Pittsburgh Penguins. In the 1986-87 season, Guenette spent most of the season playing in the AHL for the Baltimore Skipjacks, going 21-23-0 in 50 games, while getting called up to Pittsburgh and lose both his appearances. The Pens moved their primary affiliation to the IHL's Muskegon Lumberjacks, playing in 33 games with an impressive 23-4-5 record, then getting called up to Pittsburgh for 19 games and putting up a 12-7-0 record. That season, Guenette captured the James Norris Trophy for fewest goals against in the IHL. Guenette spent the first part 1988-89 season as a back-up in Pittsburgh, getting into only 11 games (5-6-0), while spending 10 games with Muskegon (6-4-0).

The second half of the season would be after Guenette was traded to the Calgary Flames for a draft pick. Guenette stayed in the IHL, but with the Salt Lake Golden Eagles and go 24-5-0 in 30 games to round out the season. The 1989-90 season had Guenette stay in Salt Lake, playing 47 games and finishing with a 22-21-4 record, while spending two games in Calgary-- going 1-1-0. Guenette would be back in Salt Lake again for the 1990-91 season, finishing with a 26-13-4 record in 43 appearances, as well as winning the only game he played in Calgary that year.

During the summer of 1991, Guenette was traded to the Minnesota North Stars for a draft pick, but he would be put back in the IHL with the Kalamazoo Wings. He would play 21 games and finish with a 7-9-3 record before finally hanging up his pads for good.

Currently, Guenette has dipped his hand into home improvement, working as a partner for Roofers World, which manufactuers and distributes roofing products across North America. Guenette is also a part of the Ottawa Senators Alumni team, as he lives in the Ottawa region and is accepted into the team's alumni group.

After a slow start, then a quick rise to the top in the juniors-- the struggles on the pro teams and the logjam that happened made Guenette bounce around from team to team, mostly getting stuck in the minors. However, he's still active with the Sens alum and made a great career choice outside of the game.