From there, Legace spent a lengthy apprenticeship in the minor leagues, largely for the Springfield Falcons, between 1994–98. He was a star with Springfield, garnering First Team All-Star honors and the AHL's leading goaltender award in 1996.[citation needed]
Although he spent most of the 1999 season with the IHL Long Beach Ice Dogs, Legace got his first NHL start with the Kings. While he played well in limited action for Los Angeles, he signed with Detroit on July 15, 1999. However, since the Red Wings had both Chris Osgood and Ken Wregget as veteran goaltenders, Legace was left unprotected on waivers. He was then claimed by the Vancouver Canucks on September 29, 1999. Yet almost two weeks later, on October 13, 1999, Legace was reacquired by the Red Wings from the waiver wire when the Canucks in turn left him unprotected. While Legace spent most of his time playing for the IHL's Manitoba Moose, he did get some action while playing for the Red Wings, posting a perfect 4–0–0 record.[citation needed]
Detroit Red Wings
In training camp the next season, Legace beat out Wregget to establish himself as the backup goaltender to Chris Osgood. Osgood had a very slow start, and Legace subsequently saw much action. Posting a 24–5–5 record in 39 games, Legace looked to have assumed the starting role for the team. However, Osgood regained his stride and resumed starting duties in the playoffs.[citation needed]
The next season, with the retirement of Hašek and the signing of star goaltender Curtis Joseph, Legace saw his workload increase from 20 games to 25 games in the 2002–03 season, yet remained the team's backup.[citation needed]
Manny Legace during warmups while with the Detroit Red Wings.
At the start of the 2003–04 season, Hašek made the startling decision to come out of retirement and return to the Red Wings. Curtis Joseph was still being paid $8 million a year and, due to his hefty contract, was not likely to be traded or picked up by a team. While Legace was initially going to be the 3rd goalie behind two elite goaltenders, the Red Wings opted to send Joseph to the minors while Legace served as Hašek's backup. Hašek, however, was not properly conditioned for a return to the NHL. Minor injuries and inconsistent play from Hašek thrust Legace into the starting role. Injuries to both Hašek and Legace opened the door for the Red Wings to call up Joseph from the minors, along with Joey MacDonald to serve as his backup. When Legace returned from injury, MacDonald was sent back to the minors while Legace and Joseph ended up serving as Detroit's goaltending tandem for the remainder of the season, as Hašek opted not to return to the team from injury. An injury to Joseph late in the season found Legace temporarily working with minor-league goaltender Marc Lamothe, but Lamothe was returned to the AHL's Grand Rapids Griffins when Joseph returned to the roster.[citation needed]
Due to Legace's strong play during the regular season, he was announced as Detroit's starting goaltender for the start of the 2004 Stanley Cup Playoffs. The Red Wings faced the Nashville Predators in the opening round of the 2004 playoffs. While Legace won the first two games, he did not perform up to team expectations and was pulled in the middle of the fourth game in favor of Joseph, who ended up backstopping for the remainder of the series. The Red Wings won the series but lost the next series against the Calgary Flames.[citation needed]
Legace briefly played in Russia during the 2004–05 NHL lockout, but eventually sat the rest of the season out, preferring to be close to his family in the States. Legace was the NHLPA Representative for the Detroit Red Wings until 2005, when the role was assumed by Nicklas Lidström. Legace has since become a vocal critic of both the league and the players' union, especially in regard to how both sides handled the 2004–05 NHL lockout.[citation needed]
For the 2005–06 season, Chris Osgood was re-signed by the Red Wings to compete with Legace for the starting job. However, due to Osgood's injuries and general lack of conditioning, Legace was awarded the starting goaltender role for the Detroit Red Wings. By October 2005 with the Red Wings defeating the Chicago Blackhawks 5–2, Legace set the record for the most wins by a goaltender in the month of October (10–1).
He would finish the regular season with a record of 37–8–3, helping lead the Red Wings to the Presidents' Trophy as the NHL's best regular season team by far.
St. Louis Blues
Prior to Detroit's elimination from the 2006 playoffs, Legace indicated to the media that if Detroit failed to win the opening round of the playoffs, he would not be returning to the team.[citation needed] The Red Wings fell to the Edmonton Oilers in six games. On June 10, 2006, Red Wings general manager Ken Holland announced that Legace would not be offered a contract, thus making him a free agent. Legace signed a one-year contract with Wings' division-rivals, the St. Louis Blues on August 8, 2006.[2] In his first season with the Blues Legace played in 45 games, posting a 23–15–5 record. His season was cut short due to a mid-season concussion and season-ending knee surgery, but his play was solid enough to earn him a two-year contract extension with the Blues on February 24, 2007.[citation needed]
Legace enjoyed success with St. Louis in the 2007–08 season, and was named to the 2008 NHL All-Star Game.[3] Despite Legace's numbers, the Blues failed to qualify for the playoffs for the third consecutive season. In the 2008–09 season, Legace shared starting duties with Chris Mason to begin the season. After failing to repeat his previous season efforts the Blues placed Legace on waivers on February 6, 2009. Legace was then demoted to the team's AHL affiliate Peoria Rivermen for the remainder of the season and helped the Rivermen reach the playoffs. Manny admitted later that there was animosity between him and the Blues management.[4]
During the 2011 pre-season, Legace made two exhibition appearances for the Vancouver Canucks on a Professional Tryout basis before being released by the team on September 23. A week later, on September 30, 2011, Legace signed a Professional Tryout contract (PTO) with the San Antonio Rampage of the AHL, the minor league affiliate of the Florida Panthers of the National Hockey League.[7] Legace started for the Rampage for the first game of the season vs. the Chicago Wolves, but after approximately 10 minutes he was plowed into by Chicago forward Mike Duco, resulting in an undisclosed leg injury. He would not return to the ice for San Antonio again. On October 20, 2011, he signed a Professional Tryout contract (PTO) with the Springfield Falcons, the minor league affiliate of the Columbus Blue Jackets and the team he played for in the mid-1990s. Legace finished his career as the backup goaltender in Springfield, after which he briefly served as an intern in the Columbus front office.[citation needed]
Retirement
Broadcasting
On October 25, 2013, it was announced that Legace had also joined Fox Sports Detroit as a college hockey analyst.
Goaltending coaching
On November 14, 2012, Legace accepted the position of goaltender coach for the Muskegon Lumberjacks of the United States Hockey League.[8] After two seasons he joined the Springfield Falcons coaching staff on a full-time basis, serving originally as a goaltending coach before moving into a team consultancy role.
In 2018, Legace became goaltending coach for the Columbus Blue Jackets, a promotion from the same role held with the Blue Jackets' minor league affiliates, the Cleveland Monsters. Legace was relieved of his duties on April 15, 2023, along with head coach Brad Larsen, after the team failed to qualify for the post season and finished with a 25-48-9 record.
Personal life
Legace resides in Novi, Michigan. He has one daughter, Sabrina, and a son, Manny.[9]
