“Absolute Hell”

Kevin Woodley | May 4, 2022 | 4 min read

Giguere kept an IV tube taped to his arm through all five overtimes of a 2003 playoff game to combat severe dehydration and cramping.
Drinking fluids alone is insufficient for goaltenders during extended overtime play — IV hydration delivers fluids directly into muscles far faster than the digestive system allows.
Giguere had worked with Gatorade earlier in his career specifically on hydration protocols, reflecting how seriously elite goaltenders must manage sweat loss.
The team doctor left the IV tube taped in place between overtime periods so medical staff could reconnect quickly without reinserting a needle each time.
The Rangers-Penguins 2022 triple-overtime Game 1 and Casey DeSmith's exit echo the physical toll extended playoff overtimes place on NHL goaltenders.

J.S. Giguere photo: Ric Tapia/Icon Sportswire

Watching the New York Rangers and Pittsburgh Penguins play into a third overtime in Game 1 of their first round Stanley Cup Playoffs series on Wednesday brought back memories of a recent conversation with Jean-Sebastien Giguere about playing with an IV in his arm.

That’s right, after struggling with hydration throughout his career, Giguere decided it would be easier to keep the IV inserted going into the first of what would become five overtime periods between his Anaheim Ducks and the Dallas Stars in the second round of the 2003 playoffs.

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