Where Are They Now? – Cristobal Huet
Cristobal Huet spent the 2005-06 and 2006-07 seasons, along with part of the 2007-08 season with the Montreal Canadiens. Huet was selected 214th overall, in the middle of the 7th round of the 2001 NHL Entry Draft by the Los Angeles Kings. Of the 289 players drafted, Huet was the only one selected later than 95th overall (Patrick Sharp) to participate in an All-Star game. This All-Star game being in 2007 alongside Luongo, Brodeur, Miller, Kiprusoff, and Turco. Huet, who was drafted out of HC Lugano in Switzerland, went on to play 117 regular season games and 6 playoff games with the Habs over three seasons. He also spent four games in Hamilton with the then-American Hockey League affiliate Bulldogs.
Cristobal Huet
Position: Goaltender
Birthplace: Saint-Martin-d’Hères, France
Age: 39
Height: 6’1″
Weight: 205
Drafted: 214th Overall (7th Round) / 2001 – Los Angeles
After being drafted, Huet spent one more season in Switzerland with HC Lugano before packing up and heading to North America to further his career. Over two seasons, the young netminder played 53 games with the Los Angeles Kings and 30 with their American Hockey League affiliates – Manchester Monarchs. On June 26th 2004, the Kings dealt Huet to the Habs in a three team trade which would see Los Angeles acquiring Mathieu Garon and a 3rd round pick in 2004 (95th overall – Paul Baier) from Ottawa, Montreal acquiring Cristobal Huet and Radek Bonk from Los Angeles, and Ottawa acquiring a 3rd round pick in 2004 (77th Overall – Shawn Weller).
Huet went 18-11-4 during the remainder of the season with the Habs, recording 7 shutouts, a 2.20 GAA an .929 save percentage. During the offseason, Canadiens management chose to keep him around by signing Huet to a 2-year, $5.75 million deal. In 2006-07, ice time was split between three goalies where Huet had played in 42 games, David Aebischer saw some time in 32, and the rookie Jaroslav Halak had played parts of 16 games. The next year during the 2007-08 season, Huet played in 39 games with the Canadiens before being dealt to the Washington Capitals in February of 2008 for a 2nd round pick in 2009. This meant the rookie Carey Price would take the full-time starting position for the Montreal Canadiens. The draft pick acquired for Huet was later traded to the Atlanta Thrashers in exchange for Mathieu Schneider who was on the 1993 Stanley Cup winning Canadiens team.
Where is Cristobal Huet now?
After being traded to the Capitals, he finished off the season in Washington before signing a 4-year deal with the Chicago Blackhawks where he would win a Stanley Cup. To relieve cap space, the Blackhawks loaned Huet to HC Fribourg-Gottéron in Switzerland in 2010 and that would be the last time Huet was a member of a National Hockey League roster. Playing two years with the team, he made an attempt comeback at the NHL and failed to sign a contract. Thus, he signed a 4-year deal with Lausanne HC in Switzerland who was in National League B at the time, but were promoted to the top league in Switzerland – National League A where they currently remain today. Just this past season in 2014-15, Huet had a 1.85 GAA and .931 save percentage in 37 starts with the Swiss club, along with a 1.48 GAA and .941 save percentage in the playoffs.
Huet was most recently seen on national television representing his home country France at the 2015 IIHF World Championships. A 1-1-0-5 record was good enough to avoid relegation and secure a spot in the top tournament in 2016. Huet played in 5 games holding an impressive 2.09 GAA and .923 save percentage.
Assuming no changes occur, Cristobal Huet is expected to finish off his contract during the 2015-16 season with Lausanne HC. The contract will expire at the end of the season when he will be 40 years old.