TJ Galiardi

Lore & Background

Galiardi played junior hockey with the Calgary Royals of the Alberta Junior Hockey League before being selected by the Portland Winterhawks in the WHL Bantam Draft in 2006. He opted to play collegiate hockey with Dartmouth College for the 2006–07 season, finishing with 31 points in 33 games. He left college to return to the Western Hockey League for 2007–08, where he was traded to the Calgary Hitmen and led the WHL in playoff scoring. He signed a three-year entry-level contract with the Avalanche on May 13, 2008 and made his professional debut with the Lake Erie Monsters of the AHL. After an ankle injury early in the 2009–10 season, he returned to play 70 games, placing sixth in rookie scoring and leading Avalanche forwards on the penalty kill with a team-high four short-handed points. He also played on the top scoring line with Paul Stastny and Chris Stewart. In the 2011–12 season, he recorded his first career Gordie Howe hat-trick in a 4–0 win over the Chicago Blackhawks. On February 27, 2012, he was traded to the San Jose Sharks along with Daniel Winnik and a seventh-round pick for Jamie McGinn, Mike Connolly and Michael Sgarbossa.

Reader's Guide

Galiardi's NHL career spanned from 2009 to 2015, during which he played for four teams: the Colorado Avalanche, San Jose Sharks, Calgary Flames and Winnipeg Jets. He was a versatile forward who contributed on the penalty kill and occasionally played on top scoring lines. His rookie season with the Avalanche in 2009–10 was his most productive, with 15 goals and 39 points in 70 games, and he posted a career-high four assists in a single game. He scored his first career playoff goal as a game-winner for the Sharks against the Los Angeles Kings on May 26, 2013. After leaving the NHL, he played in the SHL with Malmö Redhawks, the KHL with KHL Medveščak Zagreb, HC Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk and Dinamo Riga, and the German second division with SC Bietigheim Steelers. He effectively announced his retirement after 10 seasons to become a co-founder and Chief Marketing Officer of a sports nutrition company catering to vegans. He also represented the United States at the 2010 World Championships, recording three assists in six games.

Did You Know?

• Galiardi holds dual Canadian and U.S. citizenship and chose to represent the United States in international competition.
• He recorded a Gordie Howe hat-trick (goal, assist, fight) on January 6, 2012 against the Chicago Blackhawks.
• He led the entire WHL in playoff scoring during the 2007–08 season with the Calgary Hitmen.
• After retiring from hockey, he co-founded a sports nutrition company specifically catering to vegans.