Special Sub-Topic: NHL Goaltending Greats Authored by: hockeyguy33 Sub-topic of: NHL Goalies

In 1930, this goalie posted the longest shutout streak in the NHL playoffs. It was almost beaten by Ilya Bryzgalov in the 2006 playoffs. Who was this goalie?

George Hainsworth. His shutout streak lasted 270 minutes and 8 seconds in the 1930 NHL playoffs for the Montreal Canadiens. He also set a record for the most major league shutouts at 104, and 94 of those shutouts were in the NHL.

Ken Dryden's book "_________" is about the pressures of being an NHL goaltender and a behind the scenes look at a Stanley Cup winning hockey team.

The Game. Ken Dryden was special in his own way, because he was the first NHL player where the Canadiens needed him more than he needed the Canadiens. Most players were completely dedicated to hockey, and if they were unable to play, didn't have any other skills to support themselves. Dryden had a Bachelor of Arts degree in history at the Cornell University and a Law degree at McGill University.

Who was the pioneer of the goaltending style known as "butterfly"?

Glenn Hall. Glenn Hall was known as "Mr. Goalie". He almost never missed a game and won the Vezina Trophy 3 times. In his first season with the Detroit Red Wings, he posted 12 shutouts and won the Calder Trophy. He then played every game of the next season for the Red Wings, but was traded at the end of the season to the Chicago Blackhawks.

Who was the first Soviet player to named into the Hockey Hall of Fame?

Vladislav Tretiak. Well known for his performance in the 1972 Summit Series where a national USSR team played a national Canadian hockey team in eight games, four in Moscow, and one each in Montreal, Winnipeg, Vancouver and Toronto. Heading into game eight, the series was tied 3-3-1, with the Soviets leading 5-3 going into the third period, things looked grim. Then Phil Esposito and Yvan Cournoyer scored to tie it up. In the last 34 seconds, Paul Henderson won the game with a goal past Tretiak's left side. Canada erupted, and the goal was named "the goal heard around the world". Anyone who watched the series will tell you that Tretiak made sure that the last game was played.

Who uttered the line, "I can't hear what Jeremy [Roenick] says, because I've got my two Stanley Cup rings plugging my ears"?

Patrick Roy. Patrick Roy is an outstanding goaltender who, as told to a reporter in a press conference, fears nothing. This statement is further proved with his two fights against Mike Vernon in 1997 and Chris Osgood in the 1998 regular season.

Who was the first goaltender to score a goal by physically shooting the puck down the ice?

Ron Hextall. In a game on December 8th, 1987, Ron Hextall cleared the puck down the ice. Since the Philadelphia Flyers were winning by one in the last minute, the other team had pulled their goalie. The puck slid down the ice and into the net. Hextall has also scored a playoff goal, also becoming the first goalie to score a playoff goal. Martin Brodeur has scored twice, once by putting the puck in the net during the playoffs, and once by the last-touch rule. Patrick Roy is not known as a puck-handling goalie, but he tries.

The Vezina Trohpy was named after Georges Vezina.

t. Georges Vezina played his last game 1925-26 season. He died on March 27, 1926, due to advanced tuberculosis. On his last game, he played the first period with a fever of 105 degrees. He collapsed in the crease and had to be taken to hospital. His successor, George Hainsworth, received the first Vezina Trophy the next year.

Bill Durnan is special in his own way, and a memorable goal was scored on him by a player, Gordie Howe, who had the exact same gift as Durnan. What was this gift?

Being ambidextrous. Bill Durnan wore special gloves that would enable him to both catch pucks and protect the back of his hands. Durnan would always switch his stick to the strong side of the shooter, to his left with a left-handed shooter and to the right on a righty. When Gordie Howe, a righty, came down on him, Durnan switched to the left. Howe then changed over to a left-handed shot, and fired it past Durnan.

In his first NHL game, Dominik Hasek was virtually unknown, except to one player on the opposite team. Who was that player?

Jaromir Jagr. Everyone was confused because Chicago coach Mike Keenan pulled Vezina-winning goaltender Ed Belfour for a rookie unknown. Only Jagr knew that it was Dominik Hasek, both being from the Czech Republic. Hasek was almost unbeatable. The Penguins were winning the game when Belfour was pulled by 3-0, the end of the game it was 6-5 for the Penguins.

Known as the worst practice goalie ever, he owned the NHL record for the most shutouts and played for the Detroit Red Wings from 1952 to 1955. Who is he?

Terry Sawchuck. This goaltender influenced many modern goalies, the most famous being Patrick Roy. Sawchuck had 103 shutouts, and was dubbed the bravest man to play the game. He stood in net without a mask against snipers like Bobby Hull and Stan Mikita, who had mastered the banana-blade boomerang shots that were rifled at eye level.