The NHL has seen many of the game’s greatest players at the goalie position. This article will rank the top 5 NHL goalies of all time with an explanation as to why the players rank where they rank.
5. Terry Sawchuk
Terry Sawchuk won four Stanley Cups, four Vezina Trophies, and finished top five in Hart voting three times during his career. Sawchuk was known for his toughness, and his list of injuries that he played through is something else.
Sawchuk would also lead the league in wins five consecutive years, and lead the league in goals against average twice. Sawchuk was the last goaltender to win a Stanley Cup in Toronto when he helped the Maple Leafs win in 1967.
4. Jacques Plante
The man who is the reason goalies wear masks today, Jacques Plante revolutionized the position as well as dominated like no one else. Plante won the Vezina Trophy seven times, which is the most in NHL history.
Plante would also add a Hart trophy to his resume in 1961-62, and helped the Montreal Canadiens win six Stanley Cups during his career. Plante led the league in goals against average eight times, save percentage five times, and wins five times.
3. Martin Brodeur
Martin Brodeur has the most wins of any goalie in the history of the NHL. Brodeur helped the New Jersey Devils win three Stanley Cups during his legendary career, and he is second all-time in playoff wins.
Brodeur won the Vezina trophy four times during his career, and finished second another three times. Brodeur led the league in wins nine times, and goals against once. The reason Brodeur doesn’t rank higher is the talent of the team in front of him.
It may seem unfair, but when ranking the top three goalies on this list there had to be tie breakers and this one doesn’t go Brodeur’s way.
2. Dominik Hasek
The single most dominating prime in NHL history not named Wayne Gretzky, Dominik Hasek caused havoc in the league for a eight year stretch from 1993-94 to 2000-01. He won six Vezina trophies, and added back to back Hart trophies 1996-97 and 1997-98.
Hasek led the league save percentage six consecutive years while also have the most shots faced twice during that time, which no other goalie has ever done. Hasek also led the league in shutouts four times during his career.
Hasek also won two Stanley Cups with the Detroit Red Wings, however, Hasek isn’t number one because at that time in his career he was a rotation goalie. Hasek had the most dominating prime of all time, but the man at number one had no weakness.
1. Patrick Roy
Patrick Roy has the most career playoff wins of all time, and won the Conn Smythe three times, and he is the only goalie to ever win the award. Roy won a total of four Stanley Cups during his career with the Montreal Canadiens and Colorado Avalanche.
Roy won the Vezina trophy three times during his career and led the league in save percentage four times, and goals against average two times. Roy also changed the goalie position more than anyone with the invention of the butterfly.
Roy revolutionized the position, has the career number, the dominating prime, but the number one reason he is ranked at number one is his dominating playoff career.
