Jean-Sebastien Giguere will start against the Toronto Maple Leafs on Monday for the first time since he left the club as a free agent. Toronto acquired Giguere in a trade during the 2009-10 campaign, but his stay with the Leafs didn't go as he had hoped. Giguere was solid for the remainder of 2009-10, but he struggled last season with a 2.87 GAA and .900 save percentage. By the time the 2010-11 campaign had ended, Giguere had lost the starting job to James Reimer. That all being said, Giguere said that the Leafs were great to him and he's not at all bitter about what happened. "I really enjoyed Toronto. It was a great place to play, and my family really liked the city," Giguere said. "The people were very respectful, and the people are such big Leafs fans. They really love the players."

Jean-Sebastien Giguere turned aside 15 shots in his first start for Colorado to help the Avalanche rout the Ottawa Senators 7-1 on Thursday night. The former Conn Smythe Trophy winner is now a veteran backup, capable of filling in as a starter for a short period of time if Varlamov gets injured. GiguŠre's signing gives the Avalanche much-added stability and veteran experience in both the regular season and playoffs. He should also make for an excellent mentor for Varlamov this season, and won't toss a fit at not getting a starting job at this stage in his career.

Jean-Sebastien Giguere will make his first start with the Avalanche on Thursday night in Ottawa. Number one goalie Semyon Varlamov has been spectacular in the team's previous three contests, but he played on Wednesday in a 3-2 shootout win over Columbus and could use a night off.

Jean-Sebastien Giguere says he is healthy after undergoing off-season sports hernia surgery. Giguere tended the net for the Toronto Maple Leafs last season before signing on with Colorado as a UFA in July. He will back up Semyon Varlamov and provide the young Russian with his veteran knowledge. Giguere worked hard in the off-season as he used veteran studs Tim Thomas and Dwayne Roloson as role models. "If they can do it, why can't I do it?" Giguere said. "I know what it's like to play in the Finals, and it's so much fun, and it's definitely a goal of mine to get back to that level." Giguere will not have fantasy value although he will make a nice handcuff to Varlamov in the deepest of fantasy pools.

Jean-Sebastien Giguere expects to push 23-year-old netminder Semyon Varlamov in Colorado next season. "I'm going to try to push him as much as I can. Hopefully, I'll make him a better goalie and hopefully he can push me too," he said. "I hope we can have a good working relationship and help the team. At the end of the day, it's all about the team." The veteran puck-stopper signed a two-year, $2.5 million contract with Colorado on Friday. He is not a stranger to serving as a mentor to a young netminder after assuming that role this past campaign with Toronto when James Reimer emerged as the team's number one option. Giguere also said that his recent sports hernia surgery removed all of the scar tissue that had been building up over the years and that he feels much better. Picking him up should still be considered a risky proposition though because he could get hurt again and it's unclear how much the Avalanche will lean on Varlamov in 2011-12.

The Colorado Avalanche have signed Jean-Sebastien Giguere to a two-year contract. No financial terms were announced but you can be guaranteed that he will not get even close to the $7 million he received last season. He will back up Semyon Varlamov in Colorado and will get a chance to start if the the injury prone Varlamov gets hurt again.