ALEX TANGUAY 18 Left Wing Height 6' 1" Weight 190 Shoots Left Born Nov 21, 1979
STE-JUSTINE, QC, CAN COLORADO's 1st-round choice (12th overall) in the 1998 NHL Entry Draft. The Colorado Avalanche selected Tanguay in the first round (12th overall) of the 1998 NHL Entry Draft. The versatile forward made his NHL debut Oct. 5 against the Nashville Predators. He scored his first NHL goal Oct. 8 against the Pittsburgh Penguins. He finished his rookie season second among first-year players in scoring with 51 points (17 goals, 34 assists). In 2000-01 he totaled 27 goals and 50 assists and played brilliantly during Colorado's Stanley Cup Championship run, scoring 21 points (6 goals, 15 assists) in 23 Stanley Cup Playoff games. With Halifax of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League, Tanguay earned Rookie of the Year Honors in 1997 and was selected to the 1999 All-Star squad.

Born Ste-Justine, Quebec, Alex Tanguay scored 101 goals in three junior seasons with the QMJHL's Halifax Mooseheads and was a QMJHL/CHL All-Rookie Team member in 1997 as well as a member of Canada's 1998 World Junior Team.

He was chosen 12th overall by the Colorado Avalanche in the 1998 NHL Entry Draft. After his final season in Halifax, Tanguay joined the AHL's Hershey Bears before making his NHL debut in 1999-00, scoring 17 goals as an NHL rookie. The next year Tanguay broke through with 27 goals and registered 21 post-season points while helping the Avalanche capture their second the Stanley Cup in franchise history. Tanguay scored two key goals in the seventh game of the finals versus the New Jersey Devils and was a key to the fortunes of the club after the injuries felled star pivot Peter Forsberg.

A versatile forward, Tanguay's offensive numbers dropped in 2001-02 before rebounding the following year with 67 points. In 2003-04, Tanguay established a career high in assists (54) tying teammate Joe Sakic for second in the league and points (79) despite missing 13 games in the latter stages of the season.