The Best Goalie Debate

Alright, this is a can of worms I've been meaning to open for a while.  The goaltender is probably one of the hardest positions in all of sports, and there have been few that have been able to dominate the game for a long time.  Many goalies sit atop the goalie mountain for a year or two, only to fizzle out.  Most goalies aren't dependable starters for the entirety of their career, or put up numbers that reach the record books.

But there have been a few goalies in the league that have not only succeeded, but dominated, for a long period of time.  They've won cups, broke records, and changed the way the position is played.  But who exactly is the best goaltender of all time?


Bernie Parent - Okay, so he's probably not on the top of most peoples' lists.  An injury made him end his career early at the age of 34.  But he has 2 Vezina Trophies, 2 Conn Smythes, and led a young expansion team, the Flyers, to 2 Stanley Cups.  He probably wasn't the best, but he could have been.

Jacques Plante - He was the backbone of the Montreal Canadiens dynasty through the 50's, and continued to have a long career, spanning over 20 years.  He was the biggest reason goalie masks became a part of the game, and his playing style shaped how most goaltenders play today.  If thats not enough, he also won 7 Vezina Trophies, and won the Hart trophy as league MVP, one of the two goalies to do that.

Terry Sawchuk - If Patrick Roy or Martin Brodeur own a statistical NHL record, they likely had to pass Sawchuk before they got it.  Sawchuk was the leader in wins and shutouts until the two goalies mentioned above passed him.  He won 4 Vezinas, the Calder Trophy, and all while suffering through many injuries and health concerns throughout his career.  And unlike many goalies in his day, he had a very long career.

Clint Benedict - Who? Well, think of Georges Vezina and George Hainsworth.  He's the goalie that outshined both of them.  He was essentially the game's first goalie star, and prompted rule changes to force goalies to stand up, as he would "fall down" to make a save.  Turns out, he had it right the first time, as butterfly goalies are more common than not in todays game.

Patrick Roy - Patty Roy took the league by storm, eventually winning 4 Stanley Cups, 3 Conn Smythe trophies, and 3 Vezinas.  He carried Montreal to 2 Stanley Cups, while they played heavy offence and left the goaltenders high and dry.  He had the most wins of any goaltender (until passed by Brodeur), and will own the record for most playoff wins for a very long time.  He's one of the games most electrifying, iconic goaltenders.

Vladislav Tretiak - He never played a game in the NHL, but is referred to by some as the greatest goalie in hockey history.  He backstopped the Soviets during the '72 Summit Series, at the age of 15.  He was the Soviet's number one goalie for 14 years straight, helping the Soviets win 10 World Championships, 3 Olympic gold medals, and 1 Olympic silver.  No other goalie comes close to having that international resume.

Dominic Hasek - While many look at his longevity, its often forgot that he wasn't a starting NHL goalie until he was 28. But despite his late start, he won 6 Vezina Trophies, and was named the league's MVP twice.  The only other goalie to win the Hart was Jacques Plante.  He led an underdog Czech Republic team to Olympic gold in 1998, the first Olympics with NHL participation.  Gretzky himself named Hasek the world's best player.

Martin Brodeur - While he's still playing, and has the skills capable of adding to his accomplishments, its fair to say his time in pro hockey is limited.  But he had an excellent career and should be an instant first-ballot Hall of Fame player.  He owns the record book for goaltenders, has won several international titles, won 4 Vezinas, 3 Stanley Cups, the Calder Trophy, and has a few goals to boot.


Here's why its tough to make this decision:  Roy is undoubtedly the best playoff goaltender of all time, but has had some really good teams to play with.  Brodeur is the best consistent goalie for any goalie to play as long as he has, but like Roy has played on some really impressive teams that helped him out.  Hasek is probably the most skilled goalie of the bunch, but has played on fairly bad teams most of his career, and only has 2 Stanley Cups to his name.  And all 3 of those goalies are mentioned because of Jacques Plante, who is the creator of the goaltending position as we know it.

Who do you think is the best of all time?