Best Goalies who never played an NHL game.

[BlueBull]

I've been discussing to my self about the best goaltenders to ever play, and I've been wondering if some of them might have played outside of the NHL.

Who are the best goalies who never got the chance to play an actual NHL game?

-BlueBull

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[VanIslander]

Tretiak.
Holecek.
LeSueur.

 

[Yozhik v tumane]

Among Swedish goaltenders, I’d suggest:
Leif ”Honken” Holmqvist
Peter “Pekka” Lindmark
Stefan Liv

 

[MarkusKetterer]

See my username. :p

 

[Staniowski]

Among Swedish goaltenders, I’d suggest:
Leif ”Honken” Holmqvist
Peter “Pekka” Lindmark
Stefan Liv

I remember in the '80s some of the Swedish players would say Lindmark was the best goalie in the world, but I didn't see him play enough to have a good opinion.

 

[SharksAttack]

Urpo Ylönen from Finnish goalies.

Petri Vehanen, Ari Ahonen, Tuomas Tarkki... There are several goalies whom were good enough to play in NHL.

 

[hypereconomist]

Ari Sulander

 

[Prsut18]

Petr Bříza. He was Hašek´s partner and successor in national team in late 80´s/early 90´s. Hašek always spoke about him with big respect.

 

[Sanf]

Some of these ofcourse had chance to play in NHL, but did decide not to do it...

Well I guess the best goalies has been Percy LeSueur, Paddy Moran, Riley Hern, Jiri Holecek, Vladislav Tretiak and Vladimir Dzurilla.

If I think other goalies from early 1900 I would say Eddie Giroux, Jack Winchester, Billy Nicholson and ofcourse Bouse Hutton who is kind of hard to get read.

Charlie Reid was rather highly regarded amateur in Alberta in 1910´s. Went PCHA development league.. became best goalie of Big Four and one time WCHL all-star and Stanley Cup Finalist. Red McCusker was another quite highly regarded WCHL/WHL goalie who never played in NHL.

Canada´s 1920 olympic goalie Wally Byron was higly regarded.

Vern Turner and Ray Bonney (1920 USA Olympic goalie, Ottawa product) had quite strong competition in USAHA/AHA in 1920´s. Both highly regarded and especially Turner had really hard competition in league (early career Tiny Thompson, Roy Worters, Chuck Gardiner... and many other strong goalies like Flat Walsh, Joe Miller, Frenchy Lacroix, Red McCusker, Hal Winkler...)

Jimmy Foster went to Britain and even represented England in WHC. Maroons and Maple Leafs were atleast after him in 30´s.

And then there is ofcourse the strong/depth goalies in CSSR like Jiri Kralik, Vladimir Nadrchal, Marcel Sakac...

And some of the best Finnish and Swedish goalies like Urpo Ylönen, Jorma Valtonen, Leif Holmqvist and Pekka Lindmark...

Soviet goalies like Viktor Konovalenko etc....

I could go to my notes and list many more..

 

[Fixxer]

Zachary Fucale

 

[Doctor No]

Probably depends on definition of "played", but Fucale did dress for seven Canadiens games between 2015 and 2018.

 

[JMCx4]

... I could go to my notes and list many more..

Give us another week or so to digest your first batch, please.

 

[Stephen]

Urpo Ylönen from Finnish goalies.

Petri Vehanen, Ari Ahonen, Tuomas Tarkki... There are several goalies whom were good enough to play in NHL.

Ari Ahonen spent five seasons in the AHL with the Devils. I don’t think he was good enough to get a sniff despite being a highly touted prospect for many years.

 

[yukoner88]

Probably depends on definition of "played", but Fucale did dress for seven Canadiens games between 2015 and 2018.

Craig Mactavish had a huge man crush on Fucale when he was GM

 

[Boxscore]

Tretiak.
Holecek.
LeSueur.

Good list. How about Vladimir Dzurilla?

 

[SharksAttack]

Ari Ahonen spent five seasons in the AHL with the Devils. I don’t think he was good enough to get a sniff despite being a highly touted prospect for many years.

Reason he didn't get at least one game was mainly Martin Brodeur. He was Brodeur's back up on some games.

 

[alko]

Vasili Koshechkin

 

[Voight]

Craig Mactavish had a huge man crush on Fucale when he was GM

He was severely overrated in junior playing on a team with Drouin & MacKinnon.

 

[Yozhik v tumane]

I remember in the '80s some of the Swedish players would say Lindmark was the best goalie in the world, but I didn't see him play enough to have a good opinion.

I haven’t really seen him either, but I doubt that.

However, apparently he was named the best goaltender over Tretiak in the 1981 World Championships, and won that accolade again in 1986 which was Roy’s rookie year. In 1987 he played a huge part in helping Sweden win their first World Championship in 25 years as well. Perhaps you could make a case for Lindmark being up there as Tretiak was winding down and Roy was emerging?

 

[Fergy22]

IHL's all time greatest goalie...Glenn Ramsay.