Jean-Pierre Vigier (born September 11, 1976) is a
Canadian
Canadians () are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, many (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of their being ''C ...
former
professional
A professional is a member of a profession or any person who work (human activity), works in a specified professional activity. The term also describes the standards of education and training that prepare members of the profession with the partic ...
ice hockey
Ice hockey (or simply hockey in North America) is a team sport played on ice skates, usually on an Ice rink, ice skating rink with Ice hockey rink, lines and markings specific to the sport. It belongs to a family of sports called hockey. Tw ...
right winger
In the sport of association football, a midfielder takes an outfield position primarily in the middle of the pitch. Midfielders may play an exclusively defensive role, breaking up attacks, and are in that case known as defensive midfielders. ...
. He played in the
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League (NHL; , ''LNH'') is a professional ice hockey league in North America composed of 32 teams25 in the United States and 7 in Canada. The NHL is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United States and Cana ...
(NHL) for the
Atlanta Thrashers
The Atlanta Thrashers were a professional ice hockey team based in Atlanta. Atlanta was granted a franchise in the National Hockey League (NHL) on June 25, 1997, and became the League's 28th franchise when it began play in the 1999–2000 NHL sea ...
and in
Switzerland
Switzerland, officially the Swiss Confederation, is a landlocked country located in west-central Europe. It is bordered by Italy to the south, France to the west, Germany to the north, and Austria and Liechtenstein to the east. Switzerland ...
's
National League A
The National League (NL) is a professional ice hockey league in Switzerland and the highest level of the Swiss league system. Prior to the 2017–18 season, the league was known as National League A. During the 2018–19 season, the league h ...
for
Genève-Servette HC and
SC Bern
Schlittschuh Club Bern ('' Ice-skating Club Bern'' in English) is a professional ice hockey
Ice hockey (or simply hockey in North America) is a team sport played on ice skates, usually on an Ice rink, ice skating rink with Ice hockey rin ...
between 2000 and 2012. Vigier served as
captain
Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader or highest rank officer of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police depa ...
for SC Bern during
away games.
Playing career
Vigier spent four seasons at
Northern Michigan University
Northern Michigan University (Northern Michigan, Northern or NMU) is a public university in Marquette, Michigan, United States. It was established in 1899 by the Michigan Legislature as Northern State Normal School. In 1963, the state designa ...
before signing as a
free-agent with the
Atlanta Thrashers
The Atlanta Thrashers were a professional ice hockey team based in Atlanta. Atlanta was granted a franchise in the National Hockey League (NHL) on June 25, 1997, and became the League's 28th franchise when it began play in the 1999–2000 NHL sea ...
of the
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League (NHL; , ''LNH'') is a professional ice hockey league in North America composed of 32 teams25 in the United States and 7 in Canada. The NHL is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United States and Cana ...
.
He began his professorial career in the
International Hockey League with the
Orlando Solar Bears
The Orlando Solar Bears are a professional ice hockey team that plays their home games at Kia Center (formerly Amway Center) in Orlando, Florida. They play in the South Division of the ECHL's Eastern Conference and are affiliated with the Tampa ...
. Vigier played parts of two season with the Solar Bears helping them to win the
Turner Cup
The Turner Cup was the championship trophy of the International Hockey League from 1945 to 2001 and the renamed United Hockey League from 2007 to 2010. The Cup was named for Joe Turner, a goaltender from Windsor, Ontario. Turner became professi ...
in 2001.
[ He also made his NHL debut during the 2000–01 season, one of only two games he played at the NHL level that year. Following the 2000–01 season Vigier joined the ]Chicago Wolves
The Chicago Wolves are a professional ice hockey team based in Rosemont, Illinois. They are the American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate of the Carolina Hurricanes of the National Hockey League (NHL). The Wolves play home games at the Allstate Arena ...
of the American Hockey League
The American Hockey League (AHL) is a professional ice hockey league in North America that serves as the primary developmental league of the National Hockey League (NHL). The league comprises 32 teams, with 26 in the United States and 6 in Cana ...
(AHL). While with the Wolves he helped them win the Calder Cup
The Calder Cup is the trophy awarded annually to the playoff champions of the American Hockey League (AHL). It was first presented in 1937 to the Syracuse Stars.
The cup is made of sterling silver mounted on a base of Brazilian mahogany. In it ...
in 2002, scoring 14 points in 21 play-off games. He split time between the Wolves and Thrashers for the next two seasons before becoming an NHL regular during the 2003–04 season.[ Vigier returned to the AHL for the 2004–05 season following the news that the ]2004–05 NHL season
The 2004–05 NHL season would have been the National Hockey League's 88th season of play. The entire 1,230-game schedule, that was set to begin in October, was officially canceled on February 16, 2005, due to an unresolved lockout that began ...
was canceled due to the labor dispute
A labor dispute is a disagreement between an employer and employees regarding the terms of employment. This could include disputes regarding conditions of employment, fringe benefits, hours of work, tenure, and wages to be negotiated during ...
. He went on to score 29 goals and 70 points while posting a career best plus-26, the successful season earned him AHL Second All-Star Team honors. He again helped the Wolves to the Calder Cup finals, registering 11 points in 18 play-off games. However, the Wolves were swept in the Calder Cup finals by the Philadelphia Phantoms
The Philadelphia Phantoms were a professional ice hockey team that played in the American Hockey League (AHL) from 1996 to 2009. The club was based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and played most of its home games at the Spectrum (arena), Spectrum ...
.
Vigier returned to the NHL following the lockout but was limited to only 41 games due to a broken foot and a knee injury. He was re-signed by the Thrashers to a one-year deal in the off-season.[ He played in 72 games during 2006–07 season scoring 5 goals and 13 points.][ In 2007, he signed with Genève-Servette HC in Switzerland where he played for two seasons, scoring a total of 67 points. He joined National League A rival ]SC Bern
Schlittschuh Club Bern ('' Ice-skating Club Bern'' in English) is a professional ice hockey
Ice hockey (or simply hockey in North America) is a team sport played on ice skates, usually on an Ice rink, ice skating rink with Ice hockey rin ...
on 18 June 2009.
International career
Vigier has represented Canada three times as a member of Team Canada Canadian National Team or Team Canada may refer to:
Canada at multi-sport events
* Canada at the Olympics
** Canadian Olympic Committee
* Canada at the Paralympics
** Canadian Paralympic Committee
* Canada at the Commonwealth Games
* Canada at ...
at the 2007
2007 was designated as the International Heliophysical Year and the International Polar Year.
Events
January
* January 1
**Bulgaria and Romania 2007 enlargement of the European Union, join the European Union, while Slovenia joins the Eur ...
, 2008
2008 was designated as:
*International Year of Languages
*International Year of Planet Earth
*International Year of the Potato
*International Year of Sanitation
The Great Recession, a worldwide recession which began in 2007, continued throu ...
, and 2009
2009 was designated as the International Year of Astronomy by the United Nations to coincide with the 400th anniversary of Galileo Galilei's first known astronomical studies with a telescope and the publication of Astronomia Nova by Joha ...
Spengler Cup
The Spengler Cup is an annual invitational ice hockey tournament held in Davos, Switzerland. First held in 1923, the Spengler Cup is often cited as the oldest invitational ice hockey tournament in the world. The event is hosted by the Swiss team ...
tournaments. Winning the Spengler Cup in 2007.
Career statistics
Regular season and playoffs
Awards and honours
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Vigier, J. P.
1976 births
Living people
Atlanta Thrashers players
Canadian ice hockey right wingers
Chicago Wolves players
Franco-Manitoban people
Genève-Servette HC players
Ice hockey people from Manitoba
Northern Michigan Wildcats men's ice hockey players
Orlando Solar Bears (IHL) players
People from Central Plains Region, Manitoba
Portage Terriers players
SC Bern players
Undrafted National Hockey League players
Canadian expatriate ice hockey players in Switzerland