Carolina Hurricanes: The Curious Case of Cam Ward’s Backups
By Jeb Bohn
![SUNRISE, FL - APRIL 2: Goaltender Cam Ward #30 of the Carolina Hurricanes stretches on the ice during warm ups against the Florida Panthers at the BB&T Center on April 2, 2018 in Sunrise, Florida. (Photo by Eliot J. Schechter/NHLI via Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Cam Ward SUNRISE, FL - APRIL 2: Goaltender Cam Ward #30 of the Carolina Hurricanes stretches on the ice during warm ups against the Florida Panthers at the BB&T Center on April 2, 2018 in Sunrise, Florida. (Photo by Eliot J. Schechter/NHLI via Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Cam Ward](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/shape/cover/sport/9c42a2f5e7d6aa2136c16a44f3a0cc059c3daf8f10c376cb82919999a14911b8.jpg)
Manny Legace
A veteran of 320 NHL games with Detroit and St. Louis, Manny Legace signed a one-year contract with the Carolina Hurricanes in November of 2009.
Having established himself as a reliable goaltender in his time in St. Louis (including a selection to the 2008 All-Star Game), Legace was primed to provide stability to the Hurricanes goaltending rotation.
Legace held the backup role through the majority of the 2009-10 season and while his numbers weren’t spectacular, he provided the most solid relief that the Hurricanes had received up to that point:
2009-10: 28GP; 10W; 7L; 2.81 GAA; .907 SV%; 1 SO
With a young goaltender pushing for NHL playing time, the Carolina Hurricanes opted not to re-sign Legace, who finished his playing career in the AHL and a stint in Germany’s DEL.
Manny Legace is currently the goaltending coach for the Columbus Blue Jackets.
Best Performance: Legace earned a 27 save shutout in a 4-0 victory over the Atlanta Thrashers on March 7th, 2010.
Overall Impression: I liked Manny Legace with the Carolina Hurricanes. While I understood the desire to give an up-and-coming goalie a shot, I always thought that having Legace around for another year to serve as an insurance policy would have been favorable.