Vincent Joseph Riendeau (born April 20, 1966) is a Canadian former professional

ice hockey Ice hockey (or simply hockey) is a team sport played on ice skates, usually on an ice skating rink with lines and markings specific to the sport. It belongs to a family of sports called hockey. In ice hockey, two opposing teams use ice hock ...

goaltender In ice hockey, the goaltender (commonly referred to as the goalie) is the player responsible for preventing the hockey puck from entering their team's net, thus preventing the opposing team from scoring. The goaltender mostly plays in or near t ...

. During his time in the

National Hockey League The National Hockey League (NHL; french: Ligue nationale de hockey—LNH, ) is a professional ice hockey league in North America comprising 32 teams—25 in the United States and 7 in Canada. It is considered to be the top ranked professional ...

, which lasted from 1987 to 1995, Riendeau played for the

Montreal Canadiens The Montreal CanadiensEven in English, the French spelling is always used instead of ''Canadians''. The French spelling of ''Montréal'' is also sometimes used in the English media. (french: link=no, Les Canadiens de Montréal), officially ...

St. Louis Blues The St. Louis Blues are a professional ice hockey team based in St. Louis. The Blues compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division in the Western Conference. The franchise was founded in 1967 as one of the s ...

Detroit Red Wings The Detroit Red Wings (colloquially referred to as the Wings) are a professional ice hockey team based in Detroit. The Red Wings compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Division (NHL), Atlantic Division in the East ...

, and the

Boston Bruins The Boston Bruins are a professional ice hockey team based in Boston. The Bruins compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Division in the Eastern Conference. The team has been in existence since 1924, making t ...

. Riendeau was the first Canadian and former NHL player to sign with a professional hockey team in the

Russian Superleague The Russian Superleague (russian: Чемпионат России Суперлига, ''Russian Championship Superleague''), commonly abbreviated as RSL, was the highest division of the main professional ice hockey league in Russia. It was consi ...

. As of January 2019) he has been the director of goalie development for the Canadiens.The Official Site of the Montreal Canadiens - Hockey Operations
/ref>

Playing career

Amateur career

Riendeau was born in

Saint-Hyacinthe, Quebec Saint-Hyacinthe (; French: ) is a city in southwestern Quebec east of Montreal on the Yamaska River. The population as of the 2021 Canadian census was 57,239. The city is located in Les Maskoutains Regional County Municipality of the Montérég ...

. As a youth, he played in the 1978 and 1979

Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament The Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament (french: Tournoi international de hockey pee-wee de Québec) is an annual minor ice hockey event in Quebec City. The tournament was founded in 1960 to coincide with the Quebec Winter Carnival, ...

s with a

minor ice hockey Minor hockey is an umbrella term for amateur ice hockey which is played below the junior age level. Players are classified by age, with each age group playing in its own league. The rules, especially as it relates to body contact, vary from cla ...

team from

Drummondville Drummondville is a city in the Centre-du-Québec region of Quebec, located east of Montreal on the Saint-François River. The population as of the Canada 2021 Census was 79,258. The mayor of Drummondville is Stéphanie Lacoste. Drummondville is ...

. He played

junior ice hockey Junior hockey is a level of competitive ice hockey generally for players between 16 and 21 years of age. Junior hockey leagues in the United States and Canada are considered amateur (with some exceptions) and operate within regions of each cou ...

with the

Verdun Juniors The Verdun Juniors were a junior ice hockey team in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League from 1982 to 1984. They played at the Verdun Auditorium. History The Verdun Juniors were assembled by general manager Eric Taylor, and coached by Pierre C ...

in the

QMJHL The Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (french: Ligue de hockey junior majeur du Québec; abbreviated ''QMJHL'' in English, ''LHJMQ'' in French) is one of the three major junior ice hockey leagues that constitute the Canadian Hockey League. The l ...

during the 1983–84 season, posting a 22-13-2 record with 2

shutout In team sports, a shutout ( US) or clean sheet ( UK) is a game in which one team prevents the other from scoring any points. While possible in most major sports, they are highly improbable in some sports, such as basketball. Shutouts are usuall ...

s and a 4.14

goals against average Goals against average (GAA) also known as "average goals against" or "AGA" is a statistic used in field hockey, ice hockey, lacrosse, soccer, and water polo that is the mean of goals allowed per game by a goaltender or goalkeeper (depending on s ...

. He also played 15 games for the

Des Moines Buccaneers The Des Moines Buccaneers are a Tier I junior ice hockey team in the United States Hockey League (USHL). The team has played in the Western Conference since the 2009–10 season. History The Buccaneers began USHL play during the 1980–81 season ...

of the

USHL The United States Hockey League (USHL) is the top junior ice hockey league sanctioned by USA Hockey. The league consists of 16 active teams located in the midwestern United States, for players between the ages of 16 and 21. The USHL is strictly ...

during the same season. The following season, Riendeau left the junior leagues to play Canadian college hockey for Sherbrooke College of the

CEGEP A CEGEP ( or ; ), also written cégep, CÉGEP and cegep, is a publicly funded college providing technical, academic, vocational or a mix of programs; they are exclusive to the province of Quebec's education system. A loanword from French, i ...

. Riendeau returned to the juniors for the 1985–86 season, suiting up for the

Drummondville Voltigeurs The Drummondville Voltigeurs are a junior ice hockey team of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL). The franchise was originally granted for the 1982–83 season, and is based in Drummondville, Quebec, Canada, playing its home games at th ...

of the QMJHL. With a record of 33-20-3, Riendeau was able to sign as an

undrafted In professional sports, a free agent is a player who is eligible to sign with other clubs or franchises; i.e., not under contract to any specific team. The term is also used in reference to a player who is under contract at present but who is a ...

free agent In professional sports, a free agent is a player who is eligible to sign with other clubs or franchises; i.e., not under contract to any specific team. The term is also used in reference to a player who is under contract at present but who is a ...

with the Montreal Canadiens before his season ended in the juniors.

Career with Montreal

Riendeau would spend the 1986–87 and 1987–88 seasons playing for Montreal's minor league affiliate, the

Sherbrooke Canadiens The Sherbrooke Canadiens were a professional ice hockey team in Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada. They played their home games at the Palais des Sports. They were a member of the American Hockey League from 1984 to 1990, and were a farm team of the M ...

of the AHL. In his first professional season, Riendeau was awarded the Harry "Hap" Holmes Trophy for allowing the fewest goals-against in the AHL. Despite posting winning records in the minors, Riendeau suffered in his only appearance for Montreal during the 1987–88 season, in which he allowed 5 goals in 36 minutes. With Montreal already having excellent goaltending from

Patrick Roy Patrick Jacques Roy (; born October 5, 1965) is a Canadian retired professional ice hockey goaltender and executive, who serves as the head coach for the Quebec Remparts of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL). In 2017, Roy was named o ...

and

Brian Hayward Brian George Hayward (born June 25, 1960) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey goaltender who currently serves as a color analyst for Anaheim Ducks broadcasts on Prime Ticket/Fox Sports West and KDOC. Playing career Hayward played colle ...

, Riendeau was traded to St. Louis on 9 August 1988 with

Sergio Momesso Sergio Francesco Momesso (born September 4, 1965) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player who spent 13 seasons in the National Hockey League between 1983 and 1997. Playing career Blessed with size and a mean streak to go with a sof ...

for

Jocelyn Lemieux Jocelyn Jean-Marc Lemieux (born November 18, 1967) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player who played 597 games in the National Hockey League with six teams over thirteen seasons before finishing his career with the Long Beach Ice Dog ...

Darrell May Darrell Kevin May (born June 13, 1972) is an American former professional baseball starting pitcher. Career May's professional baseball career began when the Atlanta Braves drafted him in the 46th round of the 1992 Major League Baseball Draft. ...

and St. Louis's 2nd choice (which became

Patrice Brisebois Joseph Jean-Guy Patrice Brisebois (born January 27, 1971) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey defenceman for the Montreal Canadiens and Colorado Avalanche, playing nearly 900 games with the former and 1,009 games overall. Brisebois was re ...

) in the

1989 NHL Entry Draft The 1989 NHL Entry Draft was the 27th NHL Entry Draft. It was held on June 17 at the Met Center in Bloomington, Minnesota. The Detroit Red Wings' 1989 draft has been noted as exceptionally successful, with 5,955 total NHL games played by the pla ...

Career with St. Louis

Riendeau was excited for his debut with St. Louis during the 1988–89 season. His first game was set to be on the road in Hartford. His parents traveled from his native Quebec to watch their son's opening night, only to have teammate

Dave Lowry David John Lowry (born February 14, 1965) is a Canadian ice hockey coach and former professional player. He is currently an associate coach with the Seattle Kraken of the National Hockey League (NHL). He played in the NHL from 1985 to 2004. Lowr ...

hit Riendeau's shoulder with a hard shot during the pre-game warm-up, putting him out of action for the night. Riendeau was able to establish himself as a solid member of the Blues, backing up

Greg Millen Gregory H. Millen (born June 25, 1957) is a Canadian hockey commentator-analyst and a former professional ice hockey goaltender who played 14 seasons for six teams in the National Hockey League (NHL). He is currently a colour commentator on ''Ho ...

for that season. Riendeau did not see any time in the playoffs. Riendeau would establish himself as the starting goaltender for the 1989–90 season, in which he would be supported by Millen and

Curtis Joseph Curtis Shayne Joseph (né Munro; born April 29, 1967) is a Canadian ice hockey coach and former professional player. Nicknamed "Cujo", Joseph was immediately recognizable on the ice for his masks featuring a snarling dog, drawing inspiration fro ...

. He was able to make his first playoff appearance with the Blues that season as well. While Joseph was the goaltender who led St. Louis in the opening round of the playoffs, Riendeau took over during the second round, in which they were eliminated by the

Chicago Blackhawks The Chicago Blackhawks (spelled Black Hawks until 1986, and known colloquially as the Hawks) are a professional ice hockey team based in Chicago. The Blackhawks compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division i ...

. Riendeau's most successful season in the NHL was the 1990–91 season, in which he posted a 29-9-6 record in 44 games, with Joseph serving as his backup. Riendeau would once again lead St. Louis into the playoffs. While they eliminated Detroit in the opening round, they lost to the

Minnesota North Stars The Minnesota North Stars were a professional ice hockey team in the National Hockey League (NHL) for 26 seasons, from 1967 to 1993. The North Stars played their home games at the Met Center in Bloomington, Minnesota, and the team's colors for ...

in the next round. In the playoffs,

Bob Probert Robert Alan Probert (June 5, 1965 – July 5, 2010) was a Canadian professional ice hockey forward. Probert played for the National Hockey League's Detroit Red Wings and Chicago Blackhawks. While a successful player by some measures, including bei ...

punched Riendeau after Riendeau pointed Probert's actions out to a referee in an unsuccessful attempt to draw a penalty.

Career with Detroit

For the start of the 1991–92 season, St. Louis opted to go with Joseph as their starting goaltender and prospects

Guy Hebert Guy Andre Hebert (; born January 7, 1967) is an American former professional ice hockey goaltender. He is a graduate of La Salle Institute in Troy and Hamilton College (New York), Hamilton College in Clinton, Oneida County, New York, Clinton, New ...

and

Pat Jablonski Patrick David "Pat" Jablonski (born June 20, 1967) is an American former professional ice hockey goaltender. Between 1989 and 1998, he played for five teams in the National Hockey League: the St. Louis Blues, Tampa Bay Lightning, Montreal Canadiens ...

in the backup role. On 18 October 1991, Riendeau was traded to Detroit for

Rick Zombo Richard James Zombo (born May 8, 1963) is an American former professional ice hockey defenseman who played in the National Hockey League (NHL) for 12 seasons between 1984 and 1996. He is the men's ice hockey head coach at Lindenwood University. ...

. Riendeau would make his first appearance for Detroit on 25 October 1991 against the

Toronto Maple Leafs The Toronto Maple Leafs (officially the Toronto Maple Leaf Hockey Club and often referred to as the Leafs) are a professional ice hockey team based in Toronto. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Div ...

, in which he would suffer a knee injury 27 minutes into the game, during a shared shutout with

Tim Cheveldae Timothy M. Cheveldae (born February 15, 1968) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey goaltender. During his ten-year National Hockey League career, he played with the Detroit Red Wings, Winnipeg Jets, and Boston Bruins. Playing career Chev ...

, and sideline him for most of the season. When Riendeau recovered, he went on to backup Cheveldae for the remainder of the season and into the playoffs, where they were eliminated by Chicago in the second round. Riendeau continued to support Cheveldae during the 1992–93 season, appearing in 22 regular season games. Riendeau did not appear in any playoff games that season, where Detroit was eliminated in the opening round by the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Career with Boston

By the time the 1993–94 season came around, Detroit gave the starting goaltender position to

Chris Osgood Christopher John Osgood (born November 26, 1972) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey goaltender who is currently a Detroit Red Wings studio analyst and part-time color commentator for Bally Sports Detroit. He won three Stanley Cup champio ...

and designated Cheveldae as his back up. Riendeau had now become Detroit's third goaltender. After appearing in 8 games for Detroit and 10 games for their minor league affiliate, the

Adirondack Red Wings The Adirondack Red Wings were a minor professional ice hockey team in the American Hockey League. They played in Glens Falls, New York, United States at the Glens Falls Civic Center. The team was affiliated with the Detroit Red Wings of the Natio ...

of the AHL, Riendeau was traded to Boston on 17 January 1994 for a conditional 5th round draft choice in 1995 Entry Draft, which became Chad Wilchynski. Boston was able to send John Blue to the minors so that Riendeau could support

Jon Casey Jonathon James Casey (born March 29, 1962) is an American former professional ice hockey goaltender. He played in the National Hockey League with the Minnesota North Stars, Boston Bruins, and St. Louis Blues from 1984 to 1997. Early life Jon Case ...

. The duo led Boston into the playoffs, where they lost in the second round to the

New Jersey Devils The New Jersey Devils are a professional sports, professional ice hockey team based in Newark, New Jersey. The Devils compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference (NHL), Eastern ...

. Riendeau continued his role as a backup during the 1994–95 season, supporting Blaine Lacher. Riendeau did not fare well during the regular season, posting a 3-6-1 record, leaving Boston to rely on Lacher in the playoffs, where Boston was eliminated in the opening round by New Jersey, who were the eventual

Stanley Cup The Stanley Cup (french: La Coupe Stanley) is the championship trophy awarded annually to the National Hockey League (NHL) playoff champion. It is the oldest existing trophy to be awarded to a professional sports franchise in North America, an ...

Champions. Riendeau did participate in one playoff game for the minor league affiliate

Providence Bruins The Providence Bruins are a professional ice hockey team in the American Hockey League (AHL), and are the primary development team for the Boston Bruins of the National Hockey League (NHL). They play at the Amica Mutual Pavilion in Providence, Rh ...

of the AHL that season. On 21 August 1995, Riendeau was released by Boston.

Career after the NHL

Riendeau spent the 1995–96 season with SC Riessersee Garmisch-Partenkirchen in Germany, where he appeared in 47 games. Riendeau would return to North America for the 1996–97 season, where he would play for the

Manitoba Moose The Manitoba Moose are a professional ice hockey team based in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, and a member of the American Hockey League (AHL). The team plays its home games at Canada Life Centre, the home arena of its parent club, Winnipeg Jets o ...

of the IHL. Despite having a prolific previous season, Riendeau would post a 10-18-5 record at a minor league level. Riendeau began to believe that his playing career was over when he received an offer from the German club ECR Revier Lowen Ratingen during the summer prior to the 1997–98 season. After appearing in 14 games, the club began to suffer financial difficulties, causing Riendeau to sign on with

HC Lugano Hockey Club Lugano, often abbreviated to HC Lugano or HCL, is a professional ice hockey club based in Lugano, Switzerland. The team competes in the National League (NL) and has won seven Swiss championships. History The founding of HC Lugano took ...

of the Swiss Nationalliga A, where he would appear in one game. Riendeau found himself with the

Ayr Scottish Eagles The Ayr Scottish Eagles were a professional Scottish ice hockey club, from Ayr, Scotland. They were formed in 1996 and played their home games at the Centrum Arena (Prestwick), Centrum Arena. The team competed in the Ice Hockey Superleague and t ...

of the British

Ice Hockey Superleague The British Ice Hockey Superleague (BISL, also known as the Sekonda Ice Hockey Superleague from 1998 to 1999 for sponsorship reasons) was a professional ice hockey league in the United Kingdom between 1996 and 2003. Devised in 1995, it replaced ...

for the start of the 1998–99. Riendeau would play both regular season games and in tournaments, where he would come to play against members of the

. Riendeau admired the Russians work ethic and sought to join the Russian Superleague. After playing in 32 games and tournament appearances, a clause in Riendeau's contract came into effect in January 1999 that the club had to renegotiate his contract. Riendeau was able to negotiate a deal to be released by Ayr and join

HC Lada Togliatti HC Lada Togliatti (russian: ХК Лада) is a Russian professional ice hockey team based in Tolyatti, Russia. They play in the Supreme Hockey League (VHL). Due to a lack of a satisfactory arena, the KHL expelled the team. The team dropped one ...

of the Russian Superleague. Riendeau would go on to appear in 5 regular season contests and 7 playoff contests. Riendeau would continue to play for Lada Togliatti for the 1999–00 season, appearing in 16 regular season games and one playoff game. Riendeau would return to North America for the 2000–01 season and play his final professional season with the

Anchorage Aces The Alaska Aces, known as the Anchorage Aces until 2003, was a professional ice hockey team in Anchorage, Alaska. Home games were played at Sullivan Arena in Anchorage. The Aces won three Kelly Cup championships, with their last championship f ...

of the WCHL. Riendeau posted an 8-10-2 record backing up Dan McIntyre.

Post-playing career

Following his retirement, Riendeau would become a goaltending consultant for the Toronto Maple Leafs, a move that allowed him to work with Joseph again. Riendeau would then spend the 2004–05 season as the goaltender coach for the

Cape Breton Screaming Eagles The Cape Breton Eagles are a major junior ice hockey team in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL). Their home rink is Centre 200 in Sydney, Nova Scotia, Canada. History The franchise was originally granted to the Sorel Éperviers (B ...

of the QMJHL. He is the leader of the Winter Hawks NAHA-Riendeau Goalie Camp. Riendeau worked as Goalkeeper Coach with

Hamburg Freezers The Hamburg Freezers were a German professional men's ice hockey club from Hamburg, Germany that played in the Deutsche Eishockey Liga. The club announced its withdrawal from the DEL and ceased operations on 24 May 2016 when Anschutz Entertainment ...

in Germany.Richer erweitert Trainerteam: Rousson wird Co-, Riendeau Torwarttrainer
/ref> In 2012, Riendeau joined the Canadiens organization as a goaltending consultant to their AHL affiliate, the Hamilton Bulldogs. In 2014, he was named as an assistant general manager of the Bulldogs, a role he continued after the Canadiens AHL affiliate relocated to Newfoundland and Labrador and took control of the IceCaps in 2015. As of 2019 he is the director of goalie development for the Canadiens.

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs

Coaching clubs

Goalkeeper coach

(2001) *

Adler Mannheim The Adler Mannheim (English: ''Mannheim Eagles'', formerly Mannheimer ERC) is a professional ice hockey team of the Deutsche Eishockey Liga, the highest-level ice hockey league in Germany. The team is based in Mannheim, a city in the northern pa ...

(2005–2007) *

HC Fribourg-Gottéron HC Fribourg-Gottéron is a professional ice hockey team based in Fribourg, Switzerland, which competes in the National League (NL). The team is the sixth most attended team in Switzerland for the 2015/16 season with 6,156 spectators. History The ...

(2007) *

Kassel Huskies The EC Kassel Huskies are a professional ice hockey club based in Kassel, Hessen, Germany. The club currently competes in DEL2, the second level of ice hockey in Germany. The Huskies were founded in 1977 and have competed in the top five levels o ...

(2008–2009) *

(2010–2014)

References

External links

*
Official site
{{DEFAULTSORT:Riendeau, Vincent 1966 births Living people Adirondack Red Wings players Anchorage Aces players Ayr Scottish Eagles players Boston Bruins players Canadian expatriate ice hockey players in Scotland Canadian expatriate ice hockey players in Germany Canadian expatriate ice hockey players in Russia Canadian expatriate ice hockey players in Switzerland Canadian ice hockey coaches Canadian ice hockey goaltenders Des Moines Buccaneers players Detroit Red Wings players Drummondville Voltigeurs players French Quebecers HC Lada Togliatti players HC Lugano players Ice hockey people from Quebec Ice Hockey Superleague players Manitoba Moose (IHL) players Montreal Canadiens coaches Montreal Canadiens players Montreal Canadiens scouts Providence Bruins players Revier Löwen players St. Louis Blues players SC Riessersee players Sherbrooke Canadiens players Sportspeople from Saint-Hyacinthe Toronto Maple Leafs coaches Undrafted National Hockey League players Verdun Juniors players