Québécois goaltender Patrick Lalime announced today that he is retiring from professional hockey after a 12-year career, and will join the RDS team as an NHL hockey analyst.

An alumnus of the QJMHL’s Cataractes de Shawinigan, Lalime was selected by the Pittsburgh Penguins in the 1993 NHL entry draft. During his career he played for the Ottawa Senators, St. Louis Blues, Chicago Blackhawks and, most recently, for the Buffalo Sabres. He holds the all-time NHL record for most consecutive undefeated games (16) for a rookie goalie, while playing for Pittsburgh during the 1996-1997 season. Patrick experienced his most successful seasons while wearing the Ottawa Senators jersey, still holding a number of team records, including most wins in a season, most playoff wins, and most career wins with the Senators. In 2003, as the Sens finished the season first overall, Lalime was chosen to play in the NHL All-Star game.

“I would like to thank my coaches, my teammates, my friends, my spouse and my children, who have allowed me to benefit from this extraordinary experience, and with whom I’ve developed lifelong ties. I have enjoyed every single one of my hockey seasons. I consider myself blessed to have been able to achieve my childhood dream of playing in the NHL, where I’ve met some of the most fascinating people ever. Although I am moving on to a new chapter in my career, I am proud to join a new family of colleagues and excited to be returning to Ottawa, where I’ve experienced many memorable moments,” said Patrick Lalime.

Lalime’s new duties will include providing analysis for all 15 Ottawa Senators games broadcast on RDS as well as participating in the coverage of other NHL games, where he will be joining RDS’ Yanick Bouchard, Félix Séguin and Norman Flynn. He will also be involved with the network’s top-rated shows Hockey 360 and L’antichambre.

“We are extremely proud to welcome Patrick Lalime to our team. We have long been aware of Patrick’s on-air skills, and have had a chance to witness them firsthand when he provided analysis for NHL games on our network in the recent past. We are excited to renew our working relationship with him,” said Domenic Vannelli, Vice President of Production at RDS. “Widely recognized for his professionalism both on and off the ice, this new retiree and former Senator is a great addition to next season’s unparalleled Ottawa Senators broadcast team. Patrick’s presence will allow us to establish closer ties to the team, and will bring a fresh new viewpoint that will undoubtedly please hockey fans.”

“I am very happy to be joining RDS’ team of experts. This is an exciting new challenge for me and I’m thrilled to be working alongside professionals that I’ve admired throughout my career. I would like to thank RDS for providing this opportunity to pursue a career in the world of hockey. I look forward to sharing my passion for hockey with RDS viewers,” added Lalime.