Goalie Depth

[FerrisRox]

There plenty of stories from the six-team and twelve-team incarnations of the National Hockey League about solid goaltending depth in large part due to how few NHL goaltending jobs were available at the time.

But in more recent times, has their every been an organization with as much goaltending depth as the 1998 Montreal Canadiens? There wasn't a lot to cheer about in the late 90's in Montreal, but they managed to accumulate a ton of NHL talent in the organization that year.

In the summer of 1998, veteran Andy Moog had just completed his first season in Montreal. Brought in to provide a stable back up and a role model for the Canadiens young starter Jocelyn Thibault, Moog was solid that season posting a winning record and played a large role in Montreal knocking off the Penguins in the first round.

However, despite having another year on his contract, Moog retired that June because his family had remained in Dallas when he signed with the Canadiens the previous year and he struggled with the separation and was frustrated that at age 38, he wasn't able to play up to his standard. Moog hung up the pads with 713 games to his credit.

You would think this would be a tough loss to the depth chart to lose a veteran you had penciled into your starting lineup, but even with Moog off the team, the Canadiens still had the aforementioned Thibault who had just finished his fifth season in the league and would go on to play 586 NHL games.

Vying for the open spot that Moog created on the roster was Jose Theodore who had 17 games under his belt before appearing for the Canadiens - in relief of Moog - in the post season the year before. Theodore would go on to play 648 NHL games in is career which included a Hart Trophy and a Vezina Trophy.

Also in the organization was Tomas Vokoun. Vokoun had played one game for the Canadiens in 1996-97 and had spent the entire '97-'98 season backing up Theodore in Fredricton of the American Hockey League. He'd get claimed by Nashville that summer and went to play 700 NHL games.

Replacing him in Fredricton (and becoming the starter with Theodore splitting his time between the NHL and the AHL) was 1996 draft pick Mathieu Garon. Garon had a 341 game career split over six teams including seasons as the starter for the Los Angeles Kings, Edmonton Oilers and Tampa Bay Lightning.

That means that, amazingly, in June of 1998, before Moog retired and Vokoun was claimed on waivers, there was a time that the organization had on their goaltending depth chart five net minders that accumulated 2,988 NHL games played.

Click to read more...

 

[Mickey Marner]

Vokoun was part of another solid group in 2007 with Nashville. Vokoun, Chris Mason, Michael Leighton (briefly) and Pekka Rinne all part of the organization.

At the 1990 draft, New Jersey added Brodeur, Dunham and Schwab to a group that included Burke, Terreri and Billington. They hit on 10/14 picks in that draft, with their picks totalling 4283 NHL games. David Conte sure had an eye for talent.

That group of six goalies played 3365 regular season games. 3648 including playoffs. That's the greatest number of total games that I am aware of.

 

[Canadiens1958]

1949-50. Detroit Red Wings had Harry Lumley, Terry Sawchuk, Glenn Hall on the team or the system. Three,future HHOFers, Vezina winners, SC Winners. Not as many GPs due to shorter seasons and playoffs.

 

[Johnny Engine]

Around the turn of the century, Dallas brought up Roman Turek, Manny Fernandez and Marty Turco during a 5 year run when Ed Belfour played 60-plus games every year. One interesting thing about seeing that develop - a few years before that in 1995, both Moog and Wakaluk went down at the same time late in the season, and they had to play out the stretch with a very young Fernandez, and Mike Torchia, who unlike the rest of those guys sunk without a trace, ending up in Italy and the UK, among other places. Fernandez wouldn't get a shot at starting until he was 26, but his first time being "next up" on Dallas' depth chart had been much, much earlier.

 

[FerrisRox]

and Schwab to a group that included Burke, Terreri and Billington.

I always found Chris Terreri's relationship with the Devils interesting.

They drafted him in 1983 and he spent the next twelve years in the organization then in November of '95, with Corey Schwab on the scene, he was traded to the San Jose Sharks for a 2nd round draft pick.

After underwhelming as the Sharks starter, he was shipped to Chicago in the blockbuster Ed Belfour trade but played just 28 games in the Windy City over the next season and a half before getting sent back to New Jersey.

He spent the next two seasons as Brodeur's back up but was then plucked off the Devils roster by the Minnesota Wild in the Expansion Draft and then later that day, traded back to New Jersey for the third time.

He only played ten games for the Devils in his third stint then they swapped him to the New York Islanders for John Vanbiesbrouck. At the end of that season, he retired, but even still, he made one more return to the Devils organization when he suited up for their AHL affiliate the Albany River Rats as a 40-year old goalie coach who was pressed into action.

In the summer of 2017, the Devils fired him as their goalie coach. The smart money says they will bring him back.

 

[yukoner88]

The ducks should be brought into this conversation as well as they've done well with developing goalie depth from within. During the Giguere days we saw Bryzgalov come and go. We watched Hiller come up and ultimately take over the crease. But not long after Hiller we saw Andersen and Gibson make noise behind him too.

 

[Johnny Engine]

The ducks should be brought into this conversation as well as they've done well with developing goalie depth from within. During the Giguere days we saw Bryzgalov come and go. We watched Hiller come up and ultimately take over the crease. But not long after Hiller we saw Andersen and Gibson make noise behind him too.

Viktor Fasth also split starts with Hiller during that period before getting shipped to the goalie graveyard in Edmonton. Not an overly successful career, but the fact that the Ducks found a buyer for yet another goalie from their system shows they were doing something right.

On that note, the 2014 Oilers have an absolutely fascinating collection of "hey, that guy" goaltenders. 6 goalies, all with at least 47 career games to their names, including a past and a future Vezina nominee, and not one of them worked for Edmonton. There are more than a few teams in NHL history with that sort of mess in their crease, but how many managed to pull off that kind of calamity with 6 (at some point, sort of) established NHLers?

 

[blood gin]

I always found Chris Terreri's relationship with the Devils interesting.

They drafted him in 1983 and he spent the next twelve years in the organization then in November of '95, with Corey Schwab on the scene, he was traded to the San Jose Sharks for a 2nd round draft pick.

After underwhelming as the Sharks starter, he was shipped to Chicago in the blockbuster Ed Belfour trade but played just 28 games in the Windy City over the next season and a half before getting sent back to New Jersey.

He spent the next two seasons as Brodeur's back up but was then plucked off the Devils roster by the Minnesota Wild in the Expansion Draft and then later that day, traded back to New Jersey for the third time.

He only played ten games for the Devils in his third stint then they swapped him to the New York Islanders for John Vanbiesbrouck. At the end of that season, he retired, but even still, he made one more return to the Devils organization when he suited up for their AHL affiliate the Albany River Rats as a 40-year old goalie coach who was pressed into action.

In the summer of 2017, the Devils fired him as their goalie coach. The smart money says they will bring him back.

Maybe, but maybe not. It was Lou who was famous for always firing/re-hiring, trading away/requiring guys. With him gone all his old standby's are probably not going to be popping back in either

 

[mrhockey193195]

I always loved thinking about the depth of the mid-90s capitals. At a stretch, they had three top prospects: Carey, Kolzig, and Dafoe. Two vezina winners and one finalist. The Caps more recently had a similar situation with Varalmov, Neuvirth, and Holtby.

Not sure if it's cheating since Carey was still in college (but was Capitals property), but taking the 93-94 season the depth chart was:

1. Beaupre (666 gp)
2. Tabarracci (286 gp)
3. Kolzig (719 gp)
4. Dafoe (415 gp)
5. Carey (172 gp)

For a total of 2,258 gp.

 

[Sanf]

Sharks went to 99-00 with Mike Vernon (781), Steve Shields (246) having Jevgeni Nabokov (697), Miikka Kiprusoff (624) and Johan Hedberg (373) in the minors and owned rights to Vesa Toskala (266). Total of 2987 gzmes

Season prior that they has already rights to all of those goalies + Bruce Racine, Sean Gauthier and Michel Larocque which would put them just over 3000 gp.

 

[Sanf]

Vokoun was part of another solid group in 2007 with Nashville. Vokoun, Chris Mason, Michael Leighton (briefly) and Pekka Rinne all part of the organization.

At the 1990 draft, New Jersey added Brodeur, Dunham and Schwab to a group that included Burke, Terreri and Billington. They hit on 10/14 picks in that draft, with their picks totalling 4283 NHL games. David Conte sure had an eye for talent.

That group of six goalies played 3365 regular season games. 3648 including playoffs. That's the greatest number of total games that I am aware of.

During 90-91 Devils still had Rollie Melanson (291) games. Billington was with Team Canada put his rights were owned by Devils.

 

[blogofmike]

1991 Chicago

Ed Belfour
Dominik Hasek
Jimmy Waite
Greg Millen
Jacques Cloutier (traded halfway)

 

[Kevs Security]

For a short while Isles had Luongo, DiPietro, Potvin, Valiquette and Weekes. It took some time to finalize the Luongo-trade, but yeh, anyways. Not the greatest group of goalies, but it would be the same if some team today had Gibson, Oettinger, Montoya, Bernier and Condon. Also from the recent memory, Fleury-Murray-Jarry-Gustavsson is as good as it gets.

 

[Sanf]

I know that it isn´t what OP is looking for. Still in my opinion pretty crazy depth situation. Ofcourse the situation was effected by WW2.

In the start of 1943-1944 Canadiens goalie depth was Bill Durnan, Legs Fraser (Manitoba Hall Of Fame goalie who was highly seen in Montreal organization), Gerry McNeill, Paul Bibeault and Bert Gardiner (possibly Connie Dion).

Maple Leafs: Had Bibeault on loan in 1942-1943. Montreal refused to loan him there again cause Bibeault had been too good. Maple Leafs also tried to get 17 year old McNeill (3. in chart and best prospect), but Montreal refused. Were forced to go with Frank McCool.

Bruins: Montreal was willing to loan Bibeault (4. in chart) to Bruins because Bruins wasn´t a contender.

Black Hawks: Montreal traded Bert Gardiner (5. in chart) to Hawks with the right to call him back.

Red Wings: Canadiens reject Connie Dion got the starting job in the mid season. Not entirely sure if Canadiens still hold his right at the start of the season.

So if Canadiens would have been willing to loan McNeill to Toronto every team but Rangers would have had Montreal goalie as a starter. And Rangers had Ken McAuley.

 

[Iron Mike Sharpe]

Habs had some incredible depth at times, particularly during the Vachon years.

66-67 - Charlie Hodge (37), Rogie Vachon (19), Gump Worsley (18), Phil Myre (#5 pick overall 1966)

68-69 - Rogie Vachon (36), Gump Worsley (30), Tony Esposito (13), Ernie Wakely (1), Michel Plasse (#1 overall pick 68), Phil Myre - arguably an all-time deepest group of goalies here

70-71 - Rogie Vachon (47), Ken Dryden (6 + 20 playoff games), Phil Myre, Wayne Thomas

 

[FerrisRox]

For a short while Isles had Luongo, DiPietro, Potvin, Valiquette and Weekes.

A very short while, Luongo and DiPietro were simultaneously Islanders for less than 24 hours. Ditto for Kevin Weeks, who was dealt away for the Isles on the same day that Luongo was. Potvin and DiPietro never overlapped. DiPietro was drafted on June 23rd, 2000 and Potvin left New York in December of 1999.

 

[Kevs Security]

A very short while, Luongo and DiPietro were simultaneously Islanders for less than 24 hours. Ditto for Kevin Weeks, who was dealt away for the Isles on the same day that Luongo was. Potvin and DiPietro never overlapped. DiPietro was drafted on June 23rd, 2000 and Potvin left New York in December of 1999.

Thanks for the clarification, my man! It's been so long. In my mind, DiPietro is still a 20-something young lad entering his prime. Oh, what could've been.