Ray Giroux had an outstanding college hockey career at Yale University, where he was a defenseman from 1994 to 1998. In his senior season, he captained the team to their first ECAC regular-season title. That same year, he was a 1st-team All-American, was named ECAC Player of the Year, and was one of ten finalists for the Hobey Baker Award. He finished his four years at Yale with 22 goals and 62 assists for 84 points.

After his collegiate career, Giroux played professionally for 16 seasons in three different countries. Although he was drafted by the Philadelphia Flyers in the 1994 NHL Entry Draft, he only played in 38 NHL games with the New York Islanders and New Jersey Devils. He had a successful minor league career, playing in 389 games in the AHL with several teams. He also played in various leagues in Europe, including the Russian Super League and the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL).