Corey Hirsch

Lore & Background

Hirsch played major junior hockey with the Kamloops Blazers of the Western Hockey League for four seasons. He was named to the WHL Second All-Star Team in his second season, when the team won the President's Cup and placed third at the 1990 Memorial Cup. The following season, he led the league in shutouts (5) and goals against average (2.72), earning CHL Goaltender of the Year and the Del Wilson Trophy as WHL Goaltender of the Year. The Blazers again won the President's Cup in 1992 and defeated the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds in the Memorial Cup final, with Hirsch receiving the Hap Emms Memorial Trophy as the tournament's top goaltender.

After being drafted by the New York Rangers, Hirsch played his first professional season with the Binghamton Rangers of the AHL, winning the Aldege 'Baz' Bastien Memorial Award as the league's top goalie and sharing the Harry 'Hap' Holmes Memorial Award for lowest goals-against average. He made his NHL debut on January 19, 1993, a 2–2 tie against the Detroit Red Wings, and recorded his first win on January 23 against the Los Angeles Kings. The New York Rangers traded him to the Vancouver Canucks on April 7, 1995, in exchange for Nathan LaFayette.

With the Canucks, Hirsch split goaltending duties with Kirk McLean in 1995–96 and was named to the NHL All-Rookie Team after posting a 2.93 goals-against average, .903 save percentage, and a 17–14–6 record. He finished fifth in Calder Memorial Trophy voting. He recorded his first career NHL shutout on January 15, 1996, a 6–0 win against the Boston Bruins. After being waived by the Canucks on July 2, 1999, he played for the Nashville Predators, Mighty Ducks of Anaheim, Washington Capitals, and Dallas Stars, appearing in only a handful of NHL games. He later played three seasons overseas in the Swedish Elitserien and the German Deutsche Eishockey Liga before retiring.

Reader's Guide

Corey Hirsch's significance lies in his multifaceted career as a goaltender, his Olympic achievement, and his later advocacy for mental health. His junior hockey record of 120 wins in the WHL, tied with Tyson Sexsmith, marks him as one of the most successful goaltenders in that league's history. His performance at the 1994 Winter Olympics, where he played all eight games for Canada and won a silver medal, is notable for the shootout-winning goal by Peter Forsberg that was depicted on a Swedish postage stamp—using a generic goalie because Hirsch refused to allow his likeness to be used. In the NHL, his rookie season with the Vancouver Canucks earned him a spot on the All-Rookie Team and a fifth-place finish in Calder Trophy voting.

After retiring, Hirsch transitioned into coaching, serving as goaltending coach for the Toronto Maple Leafs and later the St. Louis Blues. He also worked as a goaltending consultant for Hockey Canada, contributing to World Junior gold medal teams in 2007 and 2008. His legacy extends beyond hockey through his public struggle with severe anxiety and obsessive–compulsive disorder, which he described in a Player's Tribune article and a video for the Canucks' Hockey Talks initiative. He has become an outspoken advocate for mental health awareness, co-hosting a podcast called 'Blindsided' with psychiatrist Dr. Diane McIntosh and publishing an autobiography, 'The Save of My Life: My Journey Out of the Dark,' in 2022.

Did You Know?

• Hirsch is tied with Tyson Sexsmith for the most wins in WHL history, with 120.
• He won a silver medal at the 1994 Winter Olympics, playing all eight games for Canada.
• Hirsch co-hosts a mental health podcast called 'Blindsided' with psychiatrist Dr. Diane McIntosh.