Mark Giordano

Mark Giordano (born October 3, 1983) is a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman, an captain for the Calgary Flames of the National Hockey League (NHL). He was a leading scorer amongst defencemen in two seasons with the Owen Sound Attack of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) but went unselected in the NHL Entry Draft. The Flames signed him a contract in 2004, and after playing two seasons in the American Hockey League (AHL), he made his NHL debut in 2006. He spent the 2007–08 season with Dynamo Moscow of the Russian Super League before returning to the Flames the following season. Internationally, Giordano played with Team Canada at the 2010 IIHF World Championship.

Early life
Giordano was born in Toronto, Ontario on October 3, 1983. His father, Paul, is a real estate agent and his mother, Anna, a hairdresser. He has an older sister, Michelle, and had another older sister, Mia, who was killed in a car accident when he was 14. He taps his helmet twice with his stick at the end of the national anthems before each game as a quiet tribute to his sister, whose death had a lasting impact on Giordano and his family, bringing them closer together.

Giordano played his early minor hockey with the OMHA's Richmond Hill Stars up to Bantam before moving to the GTHL North York Rangers for Major Midget hockey. Giordano was never drafted by an OHL team.

Giordano then played a season of Junior A hockey with the Brampton Capitals of the Ontario Junior Hockey League in 2001–02, scoring 24 goals in the playoffs to help lead the Capitals to the Ontario provincial championship. He then moved up to major junior, playing two seasons with the Owen Sound Attack of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL). He was the top scoring defenceman on the team years, scoring 48 and 49 points in 2002–03 and 2003–04 respectively.

Playing career
In spite of his offensive success in junior, Giordano went unselected at the NHL Entry Draft. He had enrolled in York University's school of business in 2004 when he received a late invitation from the Calgary Flames to attend their summer camp. The Flames signed him to a contract following the camp, and assigned him to their American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Lowell Lock Monsters, for the 2004–05 season, appearing in 66 games.

He remained in the AHL for much of the 2005–06 season, transferring to Calgary's new affiliate, the Omaha Ak-Sar-Ben Knights. Giordano led the Knights in scoring, recording 16 goals and 58 points in 73 games. Additionally, he was second amongst defencemen in the AHL in goal scoring and fourth in points. He appeared in seven games with the Flames, and made his NHL debut on January 30, 2006, against the St. Louis Blues. He split the 2006–07 season between Omaha and Calgary, scoring 15 points in 48 games in a Flames uniform that year. Giordano scored his first two NHL goals on October 14, 2006, against the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Unable to come to terms on a new contract with the Flames, Giordano left the NHL to sign with HC Dynamo Moscow of the Russian Super League. He appeared in 50 games with Moscow, and played with the winning Canadian team at the 2007 Spengler Cup. He was named an alternate for the Canadian roster at the 2008 IIHF World Championship, though he never appeared in a game. Though he feared his decision to leave for Russia would damage his relationship with the Flames, who retained his NHL rights, he was able to come to terms on a three-year contract that brought him back to Calgary for the 2008–09 NHL season.

Giordano appeared in 58 games for the Flames, scoring 19 points before a shoulder injury ended his season. He required surgery to repair the damage suffered in a game against the Minnesota Wild. He recovered in time to begin the 2009–10 season, but several new additions to Calgary's blue line left him concerned about his position with the team. Instead, he solidified his place on the roster with a career year; he set personal highs in goals (11), points (30) and was +17 for the Flames. The Hockey News named him one of the most underrated players in the league, and was invited to join Team Canada at the 2010 IIHF World Championship. He appeared in seven games in the tournament, scoring three goals and an assist.

Though he had the option to become an unrestricted free agent following the 2010–11 season, Giordano opted to remain in Calgary, signing a five-year, $20 million contract extension with the Flames on October 29, 2010.

Off the ice
Giordano and his wife Lauren are spokespeople for Habitat for Humanity. They launched a program called "5-for-5" in January 2011 that aims to build five homes for the organization, one in the Calgary area and four in Africa and Asia. Giordano donated $25,000 of the $130,000 cost himself, and his contribution was matched by the Flames charitable foundation.