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Martin Biron in net for the Philadelphia Flyers.
Born	August 15, 1977 (1977-08-15) (age 32), Lac-Saint-Charles, QC, CAN
Height Weight	6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 170 lb (77 kg; 12 st 2 lb)
Position	Goaltender
Catches	Left
NHL team F. teams	New York Islanders Philadelphia Flyers Buffalo Sabres
Ntl. team	Canada
NHL Draft	16th overall, 1995 Buffalo Sabres
Career	1996 – present

Martin Gaston Biron (born August 15, 1977) is a Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender currently playing for the New York Islanders of the National Hockey League (NHL). His younger brother Mathieu plays for the Hamburg Freezers of the Deutsche Eishockey Liga (DEL).

Playing career

Buffalo Sabres

Biron started his hockey career on the Beauport Harfangs of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL). He was drafted by the Buffalo Sabres in the first round of the 1995 NHL Entry Draft, 16th overall. He got his first NHL start for the Buffalo Sabres in the 1995–96 season. After posting a 5.04 goals against average, with zero wins and two losses, he was sent back to the QMJHL to improve. After the 2000–01 season, he was a consistent goaltender for the Sabres, as his play in the crease improved drastically.

Martin Biron in goal for Buffalo.

Biron, along with Rob Ray and Dominik Hašek, was one of the three Sabres who, in three consecutive years, the NHL made a specific rule against. The "Biron rule" was in regards to which number players could wear on their jerseys, the league limiting it to whole numbers between 1 and 99 (later limited to numbers between 1 and 98 because of the league-wide retirement of number 99 for Wayne Gretzky). Biron was the only NHL player affected as only he wore "00". Upon his return to the NHL three seasons later, Biron switched to number 43, a number he has worn ever since.

Philadelphia Flyers

After losing the number one goaltending job to youngster Ryan Miller, Biron requested a trade from the Sabres on June 26, 2006, in an effort to receive more playing time. Finally, on February 27, 2007, the Sabres traded Biron to the Philadelphia Flyers for a second round draft pick.^[1]

On March 27, 2007, Biron signed a two-year, $7 million contract extension with the Flyers to be the starting goalie in Philadelphia. After appearing in 62 games and recording 30 wins in the 2007–08 season, he led the Flyers to the Eastern Conference Finals, losing in five games to the Eastern Conference champion Pittsburgh Penguins. He appeared in 55 games for the Flyers in the 2008-09 NHL Season, winning 29 and helping the Flyers to the 5th overall seed in the Eastern Conference. The Flyers were once again eliminated by the Pittsburgh Penguins in the 2009 NHL Playoffs, this time in the Eastern Conference Quarter-Finals in six games.

New York Islanders

Biron in goal for the New York Islanders.

On July 1, 2009, Biron entered free agency. He was soon left in a difficult position after the Flyers signed goaltenders Ray Emery and Brian Boucher, while other teams quickly filled up their goaltending roster needs. Biron soon signed a one-year, $1.4 million contract with the New York Islanders on July 22, 2009.^[2] He joins goaltenders Dwayne Roloson and Rick DiPietro.

Awards

• QMJHL All-Rookie Team (1995)
• Canadian Major Junior First All-Star Team (1995)
• Canadian Major Junior Goaltender of the Year (1995)
• AHL First All-Star Team (1999)
• Harry "Hap" Holmes Memorial Award (fewest goals against - AHL) (1999) (shared with Tom Draper)
• Aldege "Baz" Bastien Memorial Award (Outstanding Goaltender - AHL) (1999)

Career statistics

Regular season

Playoffs

International

Personal life

• Biron is married to Anne Marie Biron with three children: Jacob Mathieu, Grace Anne, and Emily Marie, who was born on Tuesday April 14, 2008 (between Games two and three of the Stanley Cup Eastern Quarter-finals).
• Biron is good friends with his former coach Lindy Ruff and Daniel Brière; Daniel signed a contract to play in Philadelphia with Biron.
• Biron has a summer home outside of Buffalo, New York.
• Biron's brother-in-law used to make fun of his middle name — Gaston — and they jokingly came up with the Great Gaston, a fictional lumberjack character which now appears on Biron's helmet.
• Biron speaks Canadian French and English fluently.

See also

• Notable families in the NHL

References

• Meltzer, Bill "Flyers' Biron Getting Settled On, Off Ice" at NHL.com. Retrieved 03-21-07.

External links

• Martin Biron's career stats at The Internet Hockey Database
• Martin Biron's biography at Legends of Hockey
• Martin Biron's NHL player profile
• Profile at Hockey Goalies
• Biron a great member of Seo Bicol