Important Goaltenders

[MXD]

Kirk McLean?

I think it would be Sean Burke, actually.

 

[Blackhawkswincup]

I think it would be Sean Burke, actually.

I thought Burke was a hybrid

Mclean was all standup

 

[Canadiens1958]

70 Games

Brodeur's durability is impressive, but starting goaltenders were regularly starting 65+ games a season by 1993-94. Brodeur is probably surprisingly "unimportant" for a goalie with such an impressive career, as few goaltenders have imitated his playing style. His main impact was the trapezoid rule.

Whether Patrick Roy personally invented the butterfly style or not, his success with it certainly helped to popularize it.

Clint Benedict caused the NHL to allow goalies to drop to their knees to make a save.

70 games is the equivalent of a full O6 season, the old one goalie system. 65+ is a bit short of 70.

http://www.hockey-reference.com/pla...4stat=&c4comp=gt&c4val=&order_by=games_goalie

If you look at the list, Martin Brodeur has almost 20% of the 70+ seasons since 1990-91. Starting with the 1995-96 season Brodeur showed that it could be done season after season while producing individual and team success.Previously goalies would do it ocassionally.

In the last ten years there has been a steady increase in the number of goalies playing 70+ games reflecting their training, conditioning going back to junior and earlier days.

 

[Scott1980]

Where to begin with the stuff Tony Esposito did for goalies? The butterfly, the bigger equipment (remember his mask in his later career?), piling up snow in the crease...


Tony-0!

 

[Axxellien]

Mr. Goalie:

I do not understand why Glenn Hall is questioned about his ``importance``???..Absolutely the best, most original, spectacular Goaltender ever!!

 

[onlyalad]

For the Kings it is Vachon. He made the Kings a relavent team. This made the idea of expansion of the league easier to sell to other markets. Also he was the first goalie credited with scoring a goal. He didn't shot it.
The Islanders pulled their goalie to get an extra attacker on a delayed penalty against the Kings. There was a shot, Rogie made a pass clear the zone, then the penalty, NYI brought the puck down low and made a pass to the point with no one at the point and history well almost.
After the game they reviewed the tape and took the goal away and gave it to a differnt Kings player who touched the puck on the clearing pass.

 

[MonzaSpyder]

Burke definitely used a lot of butterfly mixed in with stand-up. Without checking stats, wouldn't Bill Ranford have been the last true stand-up in the game? Can't recall if he retired prior to or after McLean.

 

[vadim sharifijanov]

Burke definitely used a lot of butterfly mixed in with stand-up. Without checking stats, wouldn't Bill Ranford have been the last true stand-up in the game? Can't recall if he retired prior to or after McLean.

i never saw a lot of his teams outside of his short time in vancouver, but my recollection is that he was a stand up, much like captain kirk, until he completely changed his technique working with benoit allaire in phoenix. really rejuvenated his career too-- i think he was a vezina candidate one year in phoenix.

 

[goalsversusthreshold*]

Important could be taken many ways. Roy was important to his TEAMS as much as anyone. But he also was an important influence to many, many goalies after him (mostly French Canadian) who copied his style.

So if we're looking at impact that doesn't include what they acheived on the ice but rather new things they were credited with being innovators with then I'd say:

Benedict - first to wear a mask
Plante - first to wander from the net, first to popularize the mask
Tretiak - first grat Soviet goalie comparable to Canadians
Roy - popularized a new style copied by everyone
Hextall - first goalie to be a policeman on his team and popularized the full length shot

More like first goalie to be bat **** insane. I don't think you get points for being first when you were also the only, and your innovation constitutes punching people who scored on you. Not that I don't love it.

Irbe - first goalie to do his own sewing

 

[Psycho Papa Joe]

Tony Espo for cheating/developing with equipment and further evolving the butterfly style from Hall. Oversized jersey's, cage/fiberglass mask combo, mesh between the legs, oversized equipment, piling up snow ect.

 

[seventieslord]

Irbe - first goalie to do his own sewing

Nah, Plante was already doing his own knitting decades before