Jonathan Girard
Encyclopedia
Jonathan Girard is a former Canadian
ice hockey
player, who played for the Boston Bruins
of the NHL
. His career was cut short by a car accident in 2003.
) of the QMJHL
and was drafted in the 2nd round, 48th overall, by the Bruins in 1998
).
He played 150 games over five seasons with Boston, scoring 10 goals and recording 34 assists. He also spent time with the Moncton Wildcats
of the QMJHL and the Providence Bruins
, Boston's AHL
affiliate.
On July 24, 2003, Girard was driving with friends near his hometown in Quebec
when he lost control of his car and it flipped over. Girard required surgery for a broken pelvis and to remove fluid from his lungs
. While at the time it was not known if Girard would ever play hockey again, he showed tremendous resilience in returning to skating at the Bruins' practice facility in Wilmington, Massachusetts
in March, 2004. However, the loss of the 2004–05 NHL season due to a lockout nullified his attempt at a return to hockey that year.
Girard played one game with Providence in the AHL on October 15, 2005, before returning to Quebec to consult with his doctors. On November 30, Girard announced his decision to retire, having fully recovered from his injuries but unable to play professional hockey again.
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
ice hockey
Ice hockey
Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
player, who played for the Boston Bruins
Boston Bruins
The Boston Bruins are a professional ice hockey team based in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The team has been in existence since 1924, and is the league's third-oldest team and its oldest in the...
of the NHL
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States...
. His career was cut short by a car accident in 2003.
Career
A defenceman, Girard played junior hockey for the Laval Titan Collège Français (later the Acadie-Bathurst TitanAcadie-Bathurst Titan
The Acadie–Bathurst Titan is a junior ice hockey team in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League . They play at the K.C. Irving Regional Centre in Bathurst, New Brunswick.-History:...
) of the QMJHL
Quebec Major Junior Hockey League
The Quebec Major Junior Hockey League is one of the three major junior ice hockey leagues which constitute the Canadian Hockey League...
and was drafted in the 2nd round, 48th overall, by the Bruins in 1998
1998 NHL Entry Draft
The 1998 NHL Entry Draft was held on June 27 at the Marine Midland Arena in Buffalo, New York. A total of 258 players were drafted.- Selections by round :Club teams are located in North America unless otherwise noted.- Round one :- Round two :...
).
He played 150 games over five seasons with Boston, scoring 10 goals and recording 34 assists. He also spent time with the Moncton Wildcats
Moncton Wildcats
The Moncton Wildcats are a junior ice hockey team in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. They play at the Moncton Coliseum in Moncton, New Brunswick, Canada....
of the QMJHL and the Providence Bruins
Providence Bruins
The Providence Bruins are an ice hockey team in the American Hockey League, and are the primary development team for the NHL's Boston Bruins. They play in Providence, Rhode Island at the Dunkin' Donuts Center.-History:...
, Boston's AHL
American Hockey League
The American Hockey League is a 30-team professional ice hockey league based in the United States and Canada that serves as the primary developmental circuit for the National Hockey League...
affiliate.
On July 24, 2003, Girard was driving with friends near his hometown in Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
when he lost control of his car and it flipped over. Girard required surgery for a broken pelvis and to remove fluid from his lungs
Human lung
The human lungs are the organs of respiration in humans. Humans have two lungs, with the left being divided into two lobes and the right into three lobes. Together, the lungs contain approximately of airways and 300 to 500 million alveoli, having a total surface area of about in...
. While at the time it was not known if Girard would ever play hockey again, he showed tremendous resilience in returning to skating at the Bruins' practice facility in Wilmington, Massachusetts
Wilmington, Massachusetts
Wilmington is a town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 22,325 at the 2010 census.-History:Wilmington was first settled in 1665 and was officially incorporated in 1730, from parts of Woburn, Reading and Billerica. Minutemen from Wilmington responded to the alarm...
in March, 2004. However, the loss of the 2004–05 NHL season due to a lockout nullified his attempt at a return to hockey that year.
Girard played one game with Providence in the AHL on October 15, 2005, before returning to Quebec to consult with his doctors. On November 30, Girard announced his decision to retire, having fully recovered from his injuries but unable to play professional hockey again.