Hebert Also on His Way Out

Goaltender Guy Hebert has apparently played his last game as a Mighty Duck.

Pierre Gauthier, team president and general manager, put the last original Duck on nonroster waivers Monday to make room for newly acquired goalie Steve Shields. Gauthier said he hopes to trade Hebert by next Tuesday’s deadline.

Hebert’s future with the club had been in question for some time. The Ducks demoted him, moving Jean-Sebastien Giguere into the starter’s role last month. Giguere started his 10th consecutive game Sunday, defeating the Kings, 4-0, for his second shutout in six starts.

Hebert’s $3.8-million salary for next season, the last year in a three-year extension he signed Feb. 4, 1999, would make him the league’s most expensive backup. In recent weeks, it became clear he was no longer in the Ducks’ plans.

The Colorado Avalanche and the New York Rangers are two potential destinations for Hebert, 34. League-leading Colorado has expressed a desire to get a better backup for Patrick Roy than rookie David Aebischer for the playoffs. The Rangers, fighting for a playoff spot, set their sights on Nikolai Khabibulin, but he was traded Monday from the Phoenix Coyotes to the Tampa Bay Lightning. Therefore, the Rangers are believed to be interested in Hebert.

“We will help to find Guy a club in the next few days, so he can continue his career,” Gauthier said. “Steve Shields and Jean-Sebastien Giguere will be our goaltenders.”

Efforts to reach Hebert were unsuccessful Monday.

“He’s been a very loyal competitor for a lot of seasons here and won a lot of games for this franchise,” Gauthier said of Hebert, the sole surviving member of the inaugural 1993-94 team. “He was a fan favorite, but his star didn’t shine as brightly the last few seasons.”

Hebert is 12-23-4 this season.