HFSJ Quarantine Survival: Burning Question #4: Who is your favorite non-obvious SJ goalie?

[The Nemesis]

We've had a couple of serious(ish) questions, so it's time to lighten things up a bit:

Across the history of the Sharks, 28 goaltenders have stood between the pipes for at least part of one regular season game. Of that group, which one of them is your favorite if we exclude Nabokov and Irbe for being the most obvious answers?

For reference, you can see the complete list here:

San Jose Sharks Goalies | Hockey-Reference.com

Click to read more...

 

[WTFetus]

 

[OrrNumber4]

For anyone thinking of making the obvious joke, please don't.

I can't give just one answer.

Vernon gave the Sharks some legitimacy and was quite gregarious.
Niemi had arguably the best regular season in Shark's history.
Kiprusoff is the most talented goaltender to wear the jersey, and he's a product of their system as well.
Jones was in net for the highest achieving Sharks team ever, and for the greatest comeback in Sharks's history.
Steve Shields had a good story and really shone in San Jose; he took out the President's Trophy-winning Blues.

However, if I had to make a pick then I must concede that only Shields and Vernon are left in the running. The others did the team wrong in some ways: Niemi's horrible playoffs in 2014, Kiprusoff dropping the ball in 2003 and then defeating the Sharks in 2004, Jones from 2018-present.

I can't say the same for Vernon or Shields. Both did their best, played up to their contracts, and were moved due to no fault on their part (I guess Vernon might have had a large contract in 2000). In the end, I suppose I take Shields.

 

[tiburon12]

I kinda feel like all the starters are obvious answers, so i'll go with Brian Boucher. Only a season+ with the team, but he was excellent. Having a reliable backup like that was key to our 09 President's Trophy team having regular season success.

I also met him at a youth tournament in his hometown of Woonsocket, RI during the lockout.

 

[DG93]

Greiss was solid IMO

 

[Harbessix]

If it’s just based on Sharks tenure and not overall career for me it’s Toskala hands down. He was a beast for the Sharks and even took over the starters role from Nabby for a time. He also netted us a sweet return from the Leafs which allowed us to get in range to trade up further and draft Cooch.

 

[RussianShark]

 

[bluefunnel]

While I wasn't interested in him taking the starting role from Nabby, I really liked Toskala during his time here. He would probably be my favorite of the other 25(I refuse to acknowledge one).

 

[Alaskanice]

My favorite, not for his accomplishments here but for what he was SUPPOSED to bring, is Jimmy Waite. In those years, we were thrilled to pick up this kid. Highly touted and young. Then we traded him back to Chicago for a draft pick, if I remember correctly.

 

[The Nemesis]

My favorite, not for his accomplishments here but for what he was SUPPOSED to bring, is Jimmy Waite. In those years, we were thrilled to pick up this kid. Highly touted and young. Then we traded him back to Chicago for a draft pick, if I remember correctly.

Indeed they did.

Waite was dealt from Chicago to the Sharks for futures (which appears to have turned into the rights to inaugural Shark Neil Wilkinson) then dealt back to Chicago 2 years later for a conditional pick in the 1997 draft (which became a 4th rounder, #93 overall. I don't know what the conditions were) that the Sharks then packaged at that 97 draft with a 97 6th rounder so they could move up 11 spots to 4/82.

The ultimate pick was Adam Colagiacomo, a RW from the OHL who played 4 mediocre years in the minors and then vanished.

The kicker here is that while the pick from the Waite trade also turned out to be nothing (Tomi Kallarsson, a Finnish d-man who played out a relatively undistinguished career in his native country except for a brief diversion to Sweden for a couple seasons), that 6th rounder the Sharks packaged into the last deal ended up being long time (nearly 600 games) solid NHLer Mike York.

 

[WTFetus]

I kinda feel like all the starters are obvious answers, so i'll go with Brian Boucher. Only a season+ with the team, but he was excellent. Having a reliable backup like that was key to our 09 President's Trophy team having regular season success.

I also met him at a youth tournament in his hometown of Woonsocket, RI during the lockout.

Good call. Personality-wise, I like Boucher and Dell.

 

[Alaskanice]

Indeed they did.

Waite was dealt from Chicago to the Sharks for futures (which appears to have turned into the rights to inaugural Shark Neil Wilkinson) then dealt back to Chicago 2 years later for a conditional pick in the 1997 draft (which became a 4th rounder, #93 overall. I don't know what the conditions were) that the Sharks then packaged at that 97 draft with a 97 6th rounder so they could move up 11 spots to 4/82.

The ultimate pick was Adam Colagiacomo, a RW from the OHL who played 4 mediocre years in the minors and then vanished.

The kicker here is that while the pick from the Waite trade also turned out to be nothing (Tomi Kallarsson, a Finnish d-man who played out a relatively undistinguished career in his native country except for a brief diversion to Sweden for a couple seasons), that 6th rounder the Sharks packaged into the last deal ended up being long time (nearly 600 games) solid NHLer Mike York.

I recall an interview that Colagiacomo did right after the draft, he was upset for being drafted so late and he said he was going to prove people wrong. Uh, wrong.

 

[OrrNumber4]

Indeed they did.

Waite was dealt from Chicago to the Sharks for futures (which appears to have turned into the rights to inaugural Shark Neil Wilkinson) then dealt back to Chicago 2 years later for a conditional pick in the 1997 draft (which became a 4th rounder, #93 overall. I don't know what the conditions were) that the Sharks then packaged at that 97 draft with a 97 6th rounder so they could move up 11 spots to 4/82.

The ultimate pick was Adam Colagiacomo, a RW from the OHL who played 4 mediocre years in the minors and then vanished.

The kicker here is that while the pick from the Waite trade also turned out to be nothing (Tomi Kallarsson, a Finnish d-man who played out a relatively undistinguished career in his native country except for a brief diversion to Sweden for a couple seasons), that 6th rounder the Sharks packaged into the last deal ended up being long time (nearly 600 games) solid NHLer Mike York.

I recall an interview that Colagiacomo did right after the draft, he was upset for being drafted so late and he said he was going to prove people wrong. Uh, wrong.

People might not remember, but Colagiacomo was THE steal of the draft at the time. People were raving about the Sharks drafting him in the fourth round; he had been projected as a late-first.

I suppose that's something that Waite and Colagiacomo had in common.

 

[Alaskanice]

People might not remember, but Colagiacomo was THE steal of the draft at the time. People were raving about the Sharks drafting him in the fourth round; he had been projected as a late-first.

I suppose that's something that Waite and Colagiacomo had in common.

But Waite was drafted 8th overall.

 

[OrrNumber4]

But Waite was drafted 8th overall.

I mean more the hype.

 

[Mafoofoo]

Niittymaki was pretty good in the few games where he wasn’t broken down.

 

[SJSharksfan39]

I liked Toskala and I liked the tandem of Toskala and Nabby. I think the only other goalie I remember watching in my early life as a Sharks fan was Mike Vernon (Post Irbe, pre Niemi) but I barely remember much of him.

 

[Alwalys]

Liked boucher, he was good and continues to be a good commentator. The foff had a hilarious deadpan.
But it HAS to be toskala, for without him, vesatoskular would not be a term.
And hm to niitymaki, without whom there would be no opposite to vesatoskular

 

[NWSharkie]

For anyone thinking of making the obvious joke, please don't.

I can't give just one answer.

Vernon gave the Sharks some legitimacy and was quite gregarious.
Niemi had arguably the best regular season in Shark's history.
Kiprusoff is the most talented goaltender to wear the jersey, and he's a product of their system as well.
Jones was in net for the highest achieving Sharks team ever, and for the greatest comeback in Sharks's history.
Steve Shields had a good story and really shone in San Jose; he took out the President's Trophy-winning Blues.

However, if I had to make a pick then I must concede that only Shields and Vernon are left in the running. The others did the team wrong in some ways: Niemi's horrible playoffs in 2014, Kiprusoff dropping the ball in 2003 and then defeating the Sharks in 2004, Jones from 2018-present.

I can't say the same for Vernon or Shields. Both did their best, played up to their contracts, and were moved due to no fault on their part (I guess Vernon might have had a large contract in 2000). In the end, I suppose I take Shields.

I feel the same way. Vernon was a sign the team wanted to really be a Cup contender, and gave the team a sort of gravitas. Shields was the first of a line of goalies that made me think the team was going to be a powerhouse in net forever, going from him to Nabokov to Kiprusoff to Toskala.

I'd add to your list, though, Kelly Hrudey was fun to watch. And as a kid, I always liked Wade Flaherty. Possibly because in my little kid mind, his name was close to Ned Flanders and I liked the idea of him making "saverinos." Possibly.

 

[The Ice Hockey Dude]

Vernon and Wade Flaherty

 

[Harbessix]

Melnichuk