Best goalie in NHL history.

[The Macho King]

that's just it, I dont see a run by any other goalie that can match that 6 year run by Hasek, and thats not even looking at actual stats.

6 year span from 93-94 to 98-99:

5x Vezina
2x Hart
2x Pearson
5x AS-1
6x led the league in sv%
2x led the league in GAA
3x led the league in SO

that's dominating your contemporaries and is even more impressive since he did it against Roy and Brodeur.

Also finished top 3 in Hart voting 5 times (2 wins, 1 2nd place finish, 2 3rd place finishes). INSANE.

 

[KoozNetsOff 92]

Hasek. Always

 

[MightySelanne8]

Dominator, this is one of the easiest choices. He dominated Roy and Brodeur who are concidered #2 and #3 goalies on all-time lists.

 

[Wolfpuck]

Hasek dominated just like he's dominating this poll.

 

[Regal]

I think it's impossible to compare goalies across eras, more so than any other position. Hasek is one of the only ones that you actually can though. Not that hockey in the mid 90s was a different sport than what it is today, but there's no question that goaltending and defensive structure has come a long way since then. How many times in the last 5-10 years have you heard a stat like "Goalie x now has the best career save %"? It's no coincidence that goalies that are still playing or have only very recently retired jam-pack the career save % leaders. But who is currently sitting at the top? Yep, Hasek. Goalies inevitably pass him, but always end up dipping back under his mark on the downside of their careers. And honestly, it doesn't even matter if someone ends ups staying above him, because comparing a stat like save % today to save % back when Hasek was playing is basically like comparing apples to oranges.

That 6 year period he had is right there with Gretzky and Orr in terms of level of dominance over their peers. .929 save % when the next closest was Roy at .915 and Brodeur at .914. The average (not the official average but if you add up each year's save % and divide by 6) was .902. That's essentially the equivalent of lapping the field, when the field includes 2 other goalies that people consider to be the best of all time. And then he still closed out his career among the elite as well.

Roy did have similar SV% dominance. In a 5 year stretch from 87-88 to 91-92, he had a .909 SV%. The next closest were Joseph and Richter at .904 and .903 but each only played just over 100 games to Roy's 260, and missed the first few years of this time period where percentages were lower. The next highest goalie with at least 200 games was Jon Casey with .892. And the average over this period was .881.

 

[The Macho King]

Roy did have similar SV% dominance. In a 5 year stretch from 87-88 to 91-92, he had a .909 SV%. The next closest were Joseph and Richter at .904 and .903 but each only played just over 100 games to Roy's 260, and missed the first few years of this time period where percentages were lower. The next highest goalie with at least 200 games was Jon Casey with .892. And the average over this period was .881.

I think the point is that Hasek's dominance was huge *over Roy and Brodeur*.

 

[Hisch13r]

Easily Hasek

 

[Regal]

I think the point is that Hasek's dominance was huge *over Roy and Brodeur*.

True, but the question is whether Roy was still at his best by that point, or just still very good. When Lemieux started outplaying Gretzky after Gretzky started to decline, it didn't mean he was necessarily better than the Gretzky that was lapping the field. Of course, even a declined Roy was still better than Jon Casey, so it is a fair point either way. I do believe Hasek was the best, at least in his prime, also because I think SV% is more influenced by team defense in higher scoring eras, and the Canadiens were pretty stingy at the time, but I do think people overlook Roy's dominance at his best, because the numbers don't hold up today like Hasek's do.

 

[The Macho King]

True, but the question is whether Roy was still at his best by that point, or just still very good. When Lemieux started outplaying Gretzky after Gretzky started to decline, it didn't mean he was necessarily better than the Gretzky that was lapping the field. Of course, even a declined Roy was still better than Jon Casey, so it is a fair point either way. I do believe Hasek was the best, at least in his prime, also because I think SV% is more influenced by team defense in higher scoring eras, and the Canadiens were pretty stingy at the time, but I do think people overlook Roy's dominance at his best, because the numbers don't hold up today like Hasek's do.

I don't know if I agree with that analysis. I mean - on one hand, sure his save percentage isn't nearly as impressive, but I think people generally get that it was an era where save percentages were just lower, largely due to equipment issues. But Roy is widely to be considered a great largely due to that dominance (in addition to his playoff successes). So - I guess on one hand I see where you're coming from. Discussions on Roy v. Hasek always revolve around playoff dominance v. Hasek's peak, but on the other hand, I think Hasek's regular season peak is so clearly above a Roy who was still considered one of the best goalies in the game, that it is the only metric that really makes a comparison between the two fair.

It comes down to Roy was beating out mediocre talent for his Vezina trophies in an era that is basically a desert for good goaltenders outside of Roy, while Hasek was beating out guys *like* Roy, but also Brodeur, Belfour, and CuJo.

 

[Trap Jesus]

Roy did have similar SV% dominance. In a 5 year stretch from 87-88 to 91-92, he had a .909 SV%. The next closest were Joseph and Richter at .904 and .903 but each only played just over 100 games to Roy's 260, and missed the first few years of this time period where percentages were lower. The next highest goalie with at least 200 games was Jon Casey with .892. And the average over this period was .881.

The higher the save % creeps up, the harder it is to separate. I think Hasek maintaining that type of gap on the competition when goaltending in general was better is more impressive. The equivalent increase today would be a goalie putting up low .940s consistently over 5/6 years, when the reality is that there are a handful of goalies that can challenge for the Vezina each year, and in great years will do so with a save % around .930 (which, funnily enough, was the number Hasek put up consistently on his stretch of 6 seasons). It starts to approach the impossible the more the average goes up.

Hasek's 6 seasons:

NHL.com - Stats

Roy's 5 seasons:

NHL.com - Stats

Hasek's numbers are something that hit you like a ton of bricks no matter what kind of games requirement you put on it. Hell, here's a minimum requirement of 3 games (Roberto Romano's 53 saves on 56 shots in 2 games is just too damning to not cherry-pick around):

NHL.com - Stats

And then obviously there's the other point on who the competition itself was.

 

[StoneHands]

Roy did have similar SV% dominance. In a 5 year stretch from 87-88 to 91-92, he had a .909 SV%. The next closest were Joseph and Richter at .904 and .903 but each only played just over 100 games to Roy's 260, and missed the first few years of this time period where percentages were lower. The next highest goalie with at least 200 games was Jon Casey with .892. And the average over this period was .881.

So Roy was .005 better than Joseph and Richter who were great goalies but not hall of famers. That .005 lead is actually a huge gap when considering it's not a single season but a 5 year stretch of consistency. The difference is, from 94-01 Hasek had a .928 and the next closest was Roy with a .915. That's a massive .013 gap over a goalie who is inarguably a top 3 goalie of all time. There were a bunch of other goalies at that time bunched up from .910 to .913. That's a huge lead for one goalie to have over the field in a single season so the fact that he did that over an 8 year stretch is absolutely mind boggling.

 

[Baxterman]

Roy or Brodeur

 

[Machinehead]

Accolades aside, (all three are impressive) Hasek made goaltending the main attraction instead of goals.

Used to watch the Sabres as a kid just to watch them win 1-0.

That's greatness.

 

[blundluntman]

Roy. Better playoff performer and comparable peak once you adjust numbers compared to his peers. Can't deny his 3 smythes and legendary stretch in MTL. Wouldn't be mad at Hasek though, a matter of taste pretty much.

 

[Puck Dogg]

Peak Hasek, voted all-time most games played Brodeur.

 

[amnesiac]

Hasek
Roy
Sawchuk
Plante

 

[Nathaniel Skywalker]

I usually flip back in forth with my pick but if it's game 7 in the cup final. I'm taking Roy in net.

 

[Voight]

 

[Lauro]

Hasek/Roy
Plante/Hall/Sawchuk
Brodeur/Dryden

 

[joe dirte]

to me there are really three goalies you can make an argument for. Brodeur, Roy, Hasek. all for different reasons.

Brodeur because his longevity of being an elite goalie. the stats he compiled are insane. the devils made the trap popular and they built that because of him. and won cups because of it.

Patrick Roy may not have had the longevity of being elite but definitely peaked higher. maybe the closest in history to dragging a substandard team to a cup.

hasek because he probably peaked the highest. take any single goalie season in history, and in the top 5 hasek appears probably 3 times. but his career and accomplishments a little less than the other 2.

all said and done, I think Brodeur comes third. between Roy and hasek I have a very hard time saying either was better. all a matter of preference. but I also wouldn't argue with someone that said Brodeur. just wouldn't agree.

 

[illpucks]

No Carey Price option?

 

[Daximus]

No Carey Price option?

Why would there be? In 10 seasons he has just 1 Hart, 1 Vezina, 1 Perason and 1 Jennings and although he's been one of the best of his era he didn't dominate it anywhere close to the levels of some of the guys listed above.

 

[illpucks]

Why would there be? In 10 seasons he has just 1 Hart, 1 Vezina, 1 Perason and 1 Jennings and although he's been one of the best of his era he didn't dominate it anywhere close to the levels of some of the guys listed above.

It's just kind of laughable that there are no modern goalies on the list. How is it that all the best goalies in NHL history were all pre lockout 2005?

The goalies now are the best they have ever been.

 

[MikeK]

I voted Hasek. He played on lesser teams than Roy and absolutely dominated the NHL during his prime while playing against the likes of Roy and Brodeur. Roy is my second choice but still bested by Hasek.

 

[ole ole]

I'm sure this poll has been done before but after scrolling for 15 pages I didn't see one so no hating please.

3Conn Smythe No other player has ever done it. Roy.