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Francois Giguere was named Executive Vice President & General Manager of the Colorado Avalanche on May 24, 2006.
"When we listed all the necessary attributes for this position, one name became clear in our minds," said Avalanche President Pierre Lacroix. "Francois embodies all the requirements a strong executive needs in today's NHL. His knowledge of our industry and its many complicated elements together with his understanding of this organization and our expectations each season make him the ideal candidate to lead this franchise into the coming years."
Giguere, 43, returns to the franchise where he began his hockey tutelage over 16 years ago. During that time, Giguere has been involved with nearly every facet of an NHL hockey operation. Before spending the last five years with the Dallas Stars as Assistant General Manager, Giguere served as Vice President of Hockey Operations for the Colorado Avalanche during the 2000-01 season. His roots with the organization date back to 1990 when he served as controller in the finance department with the Quebec Nordiques. After working in hockey administration from 1992-94, Giguere was named Assistant GM by Pierre Lacroix before the shortened 1994-95 season and accompanied the franchise in its move to Colorado in May, 1995.
He served as the Assistant GM for six years (1995-00) before being named a vice president.
"My family and I are extremely happy to be able to return to Colorado," said Giguere at the time of his hiring. "I'm excited about the challenge of maintaining the level of excellence that the Avalanche has always held. I can assure Avalanche fans that those standards will be the focal point of my work on a daily basis."
During his tenure with the Avalanche, he was instrumental in developing and managing the hockey operations budget, and worked closely with Lacroix on contract negotiations, arbitration cases, player transactions and matters involving player personnel. He was also responsible for overseeing player development and player personnel staff and was the club's central liaison with its minor league hockey affiliates.
A 1985 graduate of Laval University where he obtained a degree in Administration, a license in accounting and a law certificate, Giguere worked for five years with a prominent Quebec accounting firm Caron Belanger Ernst and Young before being hired by the Nordiques as controller in 1990.
Francois and his wife, Brigitte, have two children, son Philippe (15) and daughter Frederique (13). | 