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To conclude the “Original Six team’s goalies and their masks” series, today will cover Part 6 with the Detroit Red Wings. I hope everyone has enjoyed the six part series, as it was an attempt to take our minds off the CBA jargon and go down memory lane.
As expressed, there are simply too many goalies to write about for each respective team, so there will be some criteria followed for a goalie to make the list. Each goalie included under the “Past Goalies” category must have played at least three seasons with the team, and must have also had an interesting or unique mask.
Enjoy!
Present Goalies
Jimmy Howard – 35
cdn.turner.com/si/multimedia/photo_gallery
Detroit’s current starter, Howard took over duties in 2009 and has done quite well so far. The 28 year old still has a ton of hockey to play and has shown the level of compete that a team like Detroit will need carrying forward. Given that Detroit is slowly losing some of their important pieces due to age, he will need to continue his strong play to give the team a chance to compete every year. Detroit, albeit not having a ton of success over the last few seasons, will likely continue to be a dominant force and Howard should be their guy for another few years.
31 Joey MacDonald
2.bp.blogspot.com
As Howard’s backstopper last season, MacDonald split duties with Conklin last year and has played about 30 games over the last two seasons, not showing the team that he can be given more responsibility. MacDonald will now have an even bigger task as his job may be challenged by newly acquired Jonas Gustavsson. The two goalies will battle it out for backup duties this upcoming season as Conklin hit the free agency market.
Jonas Gustavsson
daveart.com
Recently acquired from the Toronto Maple Leafs, Gustavsson will have a lot to prove with the Red Wings if he’s going to stick around. He had a rough go with the Leafs and many feel as though he wasn’t given a fair shake considering the team lacked a proper defensive system. Gustavsson will need to overcome his mental weaknesses in his game if he’s going to win over the coaches and fans of Detroit. He will be competing with MacDonald for backup duties in the upcoming 2012-13 season.
Thomas McCollum – 38
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Drafted by Detroit in 2008 as their 30th overall selection, McCollum as only played one NHL game for the Wings to date. The young tender has shown much promise, albeit a struggling season last year in the AHL, and has plenty of time left at the age of 23 to prove his worth to the club. He currently plays for Grand Rapids Griffins.
Jordan Pearce – 36
bleacherreport.net
Not drafted in the NHL, Pearce is arguably next in line for goaltending depth for the Red Wings. The 24 year old was signed as a free agent by Detroit in 2009 and has been splitting duties with McCollum in the AHL.
Past Goalies
Honorable Mention: Ty Conklin – 29
2.bp.blogspot.com
Acquired via free agency in 2008, Conklin played one full season as a starter for the Wings in 2008-09 then was lost to the St Louis Blues via free agency. He was later reacquired from the Blues in 2011 via free agency where he played as a backup tender behind Howard. Conklin currently sits, for the 3rd time since 2008, as a free agent.
Mike Vernon – 29
www.bestsportsphotos.com
Acquired from the Calgary Flames for Steve Chiasson in 1994, Vernon would play with the Red Wings for three seasons tallying 95 games played. Vernon helped lead the Red Wings to a Stanley Cup victory in 1997 then shortly after he was traded to the San Jose Sharks with Detroits 5th round in the 1999 Entry Draft for San Jose's 2nd round choice in 1998 in the 1998 Entry Draft and San Jose's 2nd round in the 1999 Entry Draft.
Chris Osgood – 30
gunaxin.com
Detroit's 3rd choice (54th overall) in the 1991 Entry Draft, Osgood was mentored by Mike Vernon for three years until he took over full duties after the 1996-97 season. Osgood played the majority of the regular season but begun to struggle late in the year and the Wings went into the playoffs with veteran Vernon who would lead them to the Cup. Osgood would bring the Wings to the Stanley Cup finals the very next year winning back to back Stanley Cups. Osgood played as a starter for the Wings for 9out of 14 seasons and would register a total of 565 games played and set several personal records. As time passed, Osgood’s role would eventually be taken over by Manny Legace.
Manny Legace – 34
www.bestsportsphotos.com
Acquired from the Los Angeles Kings as a free agent in 1999, Legace backstopped Osgood for a few years before taking over in 2003. Legace would play with the Wings for a total of six seasons and 180 games. While he was only a backup goalie, he was apart of the Detroit Red Wings Stanley Cup team in 2001-02. Legace would eventually be lost via free agency to the St Louis Blues in 2006.
Dominik Hasek – 39
www.aolcdn.com
Acquired from the Buffalo Sabres for Viacheslav Kozlov, Detroit's 1st round choice in 2002 Entry Draft and future considerations, Hasek would play one year with the Red Wings before retiring in 2002. A year later Hasek would come out of retirement and play with the Ottawa Senators for two years before being reacquired by the Wings in 2006 as a free agent. Hasek would win two Stanley Cups with Detroit, in 2001 as their starter and in 2007 as their backup. He would retire for the second, and final time, in 2008.
Kevin Hodson – 31
hittheice.com
Acquired from the Chicago Blackhawks as a free agent in 1993, Hodson would provide back up duties for the Red Wings for four seasons playing a total of 35 games. Hodson was part of the Stanley Cup championship team in 1998, although only playing one game during the playoffs. In 1999 Hodson would be traded to the Tampa Bay Lightning with San Jose's previously acquired 2nd round choice in the 1999 Entry Draft, for Wendell Clark and Detroit's 6th round choice in the 1999 Entry Draft.
32 Tim Cheveldae
1.bp.blogspot.com
Detroit's 64th overall selection in the 1986 Entry Draft, Cheveldae would play with the Red Wings over six seaons and a total of 264 games. Cheveldae was Detroit’s starting goalie for three of the six seasons played and would eventually be blamed for Detroits lack of success in the playoffs. His duties would be taken over by Osgood in 1993 and he would be traded to the Winnipeg Jets with Dallas Drake for Bob Essensa and Sergei Bautin in 1994.
30 Greg Stefan
classichockeyimages.com
Detroit's 128th overall selection in the 1981 Entry Draft, Stefan would play with Detroit for nine season and a total of 299 games. Stefan struggled to take over full duties as their starter during his career and would only play around 40 games a season as he split duties with Osgood and Cheveldae. Greg Stefan became known for using his stick to clear skaters in front of the net, many times receiving penalties, and sometimes suspensions. Stefan would suffer an eventual career-ending knee injury in 1989 in game against the Edmonton Oilers.
Ed Mio – 41
classichockeyimages.com
Acquired from the New York Rangers with Ron Duguay and Ed Johnston for Willie Huber, Mike Blaisdell and Mark Osborne in 1983, Mio would play with the Wings as a backup for three seasons, tallying a total of 49 games. He would eventually retire with Detroit in 1986.
Ed Giacomin – 31
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classichockeyimages.com
Acquired from the New York Rangers on waivers in 1975, Giacomin would play as a backup for the Wings for three seasons before retiring in 1977. For his total career in the NHL, Giacomin would be inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1987.
Jim Rutherford – 1
www.thcvintagemask.com
Detroit's 10th overall selection in the 1969 Amateur Draft, Rutherford would spend 10 years with the Red Wings and play a total of 314 games. Rutherford would be lost to the Pittsburgh Penguins in the Inter-League draft in 1971 and was re-acquired from the Penguins with Jack Lynch for Ron Stackhouse. Playing primarily as their starter, Rutherford only played a total of 3 playoff games with the Wings. Rutherford would eventually be traded to the Toronto Maple Leafs for Mark Kirton in 1980, but would be reacquired from the Los Angeles Kings two years later as a free agent. Rutherford retired with the Wings in 1983.
Roy Edwards – 1
www.vintagehockeyphotos.ca
On June 6, 1967 Pittsburgh Penguins selected him in the expansion draft, but traded Edwards to the Detroit Red Wings the next day for Hank Bansen. Edwards would start for the Wings for five of the six years spent with Detroit but would eventually be claimed off waivers by the Buffalo Sabres in 1974.
Doug Grant – 30
cdn.bleacherreport.net
Signed as a free agent in 1972, Grant would play one full season for 37 games in 1973 but would only play a total of nine games the following two years. Grant would eventually be traded to the St.Louis Blues for future considerations in 1976.
Terry Sawchuk – 1
bleacherreport.net
Arguably one of the most iconic names for the Detroit Red Wings, Sawchuk showed such promise at an early age that the Red Wings traded their current starter Harry Lumley to the Chicago Black Hawks, though he had just led the team to the 1949–1950 Stanley Cup. Sawchuk would lead the Wings to three Stanley Cups in five years from 1951-55. With no backups for the Wings during this period, Sawchuk experienced several injuries as he was relied upon to play back to back games. In addition to this stress, Sawchuk would have severe back problems from years of crouching in the net which caused Sawchuk to walk with a permanent stoop and resulted in lordosis (swayback), further preventing him from sleeping for more than two hours at a time . After many injuries and given that the Red Wings would have a younger tender ready to play in Glenn Hall, the Wings would trade Sawchuk to the Boston Bruins with Marcel Bonin, Lorne Davis and Vic Stasiuk for Gilles Boisvert, Réal Chèvrefils, Norm Corcoran, Warren Godfrey and Ed Sanford. In 1957 he was reacquired from the Bruins for Johnny Bucyk and would spend a few more years playing with the team before being placed on waivers in 1964 as another young tender in Roger Crozier should his readiness. The Leafs would quickly pick up Sawchuk from waivers and a few years later in 1968 Detroit would reacquire Sawhuck from the Los Angeles Kings for Jimmy Peters. Playing only 13 games in 1968-69, Sawchuk would be traded to the New York Rangers with Sandy Snow for Larry Jeffrey where he played his final year in the NHL.
Thanks for reading!
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