Everything was expected to go easily for Patrick Mahomes after he helped his team, the Kansas City Chiefs, win Super Bowl LIV. But things took a drastic turn after the George Floyd case.

The young quarterback joined Odell Beckham Jr., Saquon Barkley, Michael Thomas, and a dozen more Black NFL stars in a powerful 71-second clip that urged their employer to take a stand against racism.

Black NFL Players Were Heard This Time

This was a bold move by Patrick Mahomes and the other players as they called the NFL to address a particularly egregious track record. After all, this was the same institution that promptly removed Colin Kaepernick from its landscape after he decided to protest against police brutality.

Less than  24 hours after the video release, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell made a clip of his own. He offered a point-by-point affirmation of the players’ requests. Many experts believe that the quick response was mostly due to Mahomes’ involvement in the movement.

Patrick Mahomes Placed His Future in Second Place

In an interview, Patrick Mahomes told a reporter that he understood perfectly the weight of his presence in the video. At the time, the talented quarterback was negotiating a new contract, which he knew he could jeopardize with his decision to speak up against racism. However, his future with the Kansas City Chiefs was of secondary importance at the time because this was an issue that he needed to address. It wasn’t about money or fame, it was about doing what’s right.

The commissioner’s clip was well-met by the players, especially Mahomes who is committed to working with the NFL in order to implement changes and use the organization’s audience to raise awareness about different issues that are polluting American society.

His readiness to speak against injustice, not only didn’t compromise his contract negotiations but also brought him an unprecedented ten-year deal worth up to $503 million. It’s beyond any doubt that Mahomes and NFL are in for a long-lasting partnership.

Being an NHL goalie must be one of the toughest jobs in sports. You’re the last line of defense – any mistake you make typically leads to a goal, so there’s nowhere to hide. It’s not like you can skate to the bench after an embarrassing slip up. But the true greats rarely made mistakes and were often the difference between a win and a loss. But who are the greatest NHL goalies of all time?

He may have played in an ancient era of the NHL, but that doesn’t mean Benedict is any less worthy of being recognized as one of the best goalies in history.

For starters, he was the first goalie to wear a mask, donning one in 1930, and he was also the first netminder who would drop to his knees to stop pucks along the ice. He won four Stanley Cups and led the league in shutouts seven times throughout his career. In 1965, he was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame.

Though Holtby may currently be playing for the Vancouver Canucks, he made his name playing for the Washington Capitals, where he spent the first 10 seasons of his career.

A five-time NHL All-Star, Holtby shares the record for most wins by a goaltender in a single season (shared with Martin Brodeur) with 48, won the Vezina Trophy as the league’s best goaltender in 2016, and helped lead the Capitals to their first Stanley Cup championship in franchise history in 2018. Though his career seems to be slowly winding down, the Canadian will go down as one of the greatest goalies in Capitals history.

Bill Durnan only played for seven seasons in the NHL as a member of the Montreal Canadiens, but boy did he make it count. Before retiring in 1950 after dealing with a nervous condition throughout his career, the ambidextrous goalie won the Vezina Trophy for fewest goals allowed six times, being named First All-Star Team as best goaltender six times, and helped the Canadiens win the Stanley Cup two times.

In 1964 Durnan was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame and was named one of the ‘100 Greatest NHL Players’ in history in 2017.

Mike Smith is one of the few goalies in the history of the NHL to score a goal (one of only 11), which he did back in the 2013/14 season.

But his resume is more impressive than that, considering he is a two-time All-Star and won a gold medal with the Canadian Olympic Hockey Team at the 2014 Winter Olympics. Currently a member of the Edmonton Oilers, Smith has also played for the Dallas Stars, Tampa Bay Lightning, Arizona Coyotes, and the Calgary Flames.

Nicknamed the “Big Cat”, Vasilevskiy is one of the best goaltenders currently in the NHL, where he plays for the Tampa Bay Lightning.

A three-time All-Star, the Russian was also voted as the best goaltender at the 2017 Ice Hockey World Championships. He was the NHL’s wins leader in 2018 (tied with Connor Hellebuyck) and 2019, and won the Vezina Trophy as the league’s top goaltender in the 2018/19 season. In 2020, Vasilevskiy helped lead the Lightning to the 2020 Stanley Cup championship.

Quick by name, quick by nature, the Los Angeles Kings goaltender is one of the most successful active players in the NHL, with three All-Star appearances, one Conn Smythe Trophy, one William M. Jennings Trophy, one Olympic silver medal, and two Stanley Cup championships to his name.

King has spent his entire career with the Kings after being drafted 72nd overall at the 2005 NHL Entry Draft, and will largely go down as one of the greatest players in franchise history after helping win the Kings’ first Stanley Cup in franchise history.

Broda is considered by many to be the first ‘great’ goaltender to play in the National Hockey League. The Ukrainian started his career in 1935, playing nearly 20 years with the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Broda won five Stanley Cups with the Leafs but is arguably best remembered for his stunning performance in Toronto’s improbable comeback against the Detroit Red Wings in the 1942 Stanley Cup Finals. Down three games to none in the best of seven series, Broda anchored the Leafs as they won the next four games to win the title.

Nikolai Alexandrovich Khabibulin, known by his nickname “The Bulin Wall”, is one of the greatest Russian players in NHL history.

During his career in the league, he played with the Winnipeg Jets, Phoenix Coyotes, Chicago Blackhawks, Tampa Bay Lightning, and Edmonton Oilers, winning the Stanley Cup with the Lightning in 2004 (becoming the first Russian to do so in the process). He was also a four-time NHL All-Star and won two Olympic medals (gold and bronze) during his career.

Nicknamed “the Beezer” and “VBK”, John Vanbiesbrouck is a member of the United States Hockey Hall of Fame following a stellar 20-year career.

The goaltender played for the New York Rangers, Florida Panthers, Philadelphia Flyers, New York Islanders, and New Jersey Devils in the NHL, winning the Vezina Trophy in 1986. A three-time All-Star, he became the 15th, and only the second American, goaltender in NHL history to record 300 career wins.

Olaf Kölzig is the current goaltender coach and player development coach for the Washington Capitals, extending his relationship with the franchise following his 14-year NHL career playing for the team (with the exception of eight games with the Tampa Bay Lightning).

“Olie the Goalie” or “Godzilla”, as he was affectionately known, ranks among the NHL’s top 30 in career saves, wins, games, and minutes. He was a two-time All-Star and won the Vezina Trophy in 2000.

The late, great George Henry Hainsworth may have been undersized for a goaltender (at 5’6 and 150lbs), but he still holds numerous records in the NHL, including the single-season shutout record (22) and the single-playoff record of time in net without allowing a goal, at 270 minutes and 8 seconds.

A two-time Stanley Cup champion and three-time Vezina Trophy winner, Hainsworth was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1961. His 94 career NHL shutouts are third on the NHL’s all-time list.

Mike Vernon played 19 seasons in the NHL, winning over 300 games during a career that included stints with the Calgary Flames, Detroit Red Wings, San Jose Sharks and Florida Panthers.

He is a five-time All-Star, shared the William M. Jennings Trophy in 1996 and was named the winner of the Conn Smythe Trophy as the most valuable player of the playoffs in 1997. He also won two Stanley Cups – the first with the Flames in 1989 and the second with the Red Wings in 1997.

Fuhr is one of the most decorated NHL players in history, with five Stanley Cups and six All-Star nominations to his name. He set a number of firsts for black hockey players in the NHL, including being the first to win the Stanley Cup and being the first inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame.

Fuhr also holds a number of records among goaltenders in the NHL, including the record for most games played by a goaltender in a single season (79), most wins in a single season postseason (16), and most assists and points by a goaltender regular season and playoffs combined (61).

Barrasso enjoyed an 18-season career in the National Hockey League, playing for the Buffalo Sabres, Pittsburgh Penguins, Ottawa Senators, Carolina Hurricanes, Toronto Maple Leafs, and St. Louis Blues.

He is the only goaltender ever to have gone directly to the NHL from high school without having played major junior, college, or some other form of professional hockey first. He’s the youngest-ever winner of the Vezina Trophy (he won it as an 18-year-old rookie). Barrasso is a two-time Stanley Cup champion and was inducted into the United States Hockey Hall of Fame in 2009.

Among his many accolades, Gerald Michael “Cheesie” Cheevers was the first goaltender to decorate his mask with stitch markings where a puck had struck, which over the years has now evolved to the tradition of goaltenders decorating their masks with distinctive visual stylings.

He is a two-time Stanley Cup winner and was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1985. In 1972, while playing for the Boston Bruins, he went undefeated in 32 consecutive games, an NHL record that still stands.

Andy Moog experienced plenty of success in his 18-year career in the NHL, playing for the Edmonton Oilers, Boston Bruins, Dallas Stars, and Montreal Canadiens.

Moog is a three-time Stanley Cup champion, and also was the joint winner of the William M. Jennings Trophy for the fewest total goals against the team during the regular season. Moog is the second-fastest goaltender to reach the 300 win mark, doing so in his 543rd game.

Price, the current goaltender for the Montreal Canadiens, is considered to be one of the best goalies in the world. He is a seven-time All-Star, and recipient of two most valuable player awards in the same season (Ted Lindsay Award, voted by NHL Players Association, and Hart Memorial Trophy, voted by Professional Hockey Writer’s Association).

He is an Olympic gold medalist after Canada won the hockey tournament at the 2014 Winter Olympics, and is one of only 36 goaltenders to have won 300 regular-season games.

Rask is the current goaltender for the Boston Bruins, having been traded to the team from the Toronto Maple Leafs, who drafted him in 2005. Rask never played for the Maple Leafs, yet the trade is considered one of the worst in Maple Leafs franchise history, which gives you an indication of Rask’s success since.

The Fin won the Stanley Cup in 2011 and the Vezina Trophy in 2014, as well as the William M. Jennings Trophy in 2020. He is a two-time All-Star, an Olympic bronze medallist, and holds the record for most wins by a Boston Bruins goaltender in franchise history.

Canadian Chris Osgood is ranked 13th in wins in NHL regular-season history with 401, accumulating the lofty figure during his 17-year career in the league playing with the Detroit Red Wings, the New York Islanders, and the St. Louis Blues.

Known affectionately by his nicknames “Ozzie,” and “The Wizard of Oz”, Osgood won three Stanley Cup championships in his career, all with the Red Wings. He’s also a three-time All-Star, two-time winner of the William M. Jennings Trophy, and one of only 12 goaltenders in NHL history to have scored a goal.

Despite a relatively short NHL career of just 13 seasons, Parent is widely regarded as one of the greatest goaltenders of all time. The Canadian played for the Philadelphia Flyers, Boston Bruins, and Toronto Maple Leafs, winning two Stanley Cups as well as the Vezina Trophy and Conn Smythe Trophy in back-to-back seasons (1973/74, 1974/75).

He is also a five-time All-Star and holds the record for most regulation time wins in a single season with 47. He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1984.

Göran Per-Eric “Pelle” Lindbergh’s burgeoning career and life was tragically cut short when the Swedish goaltender passed away in a single-car accident in 1985. He was just 26 years old.

Five months earlier, Lindbergh led the Philadelphia Flyers to the Stanley Cup Finals and won the Vezina Trophy as the NHL’s top goaltender for the 1984/85 season. He also made two All-Star teams and was an Olympic bronze medalist. The Flyers named a team award, the Pelle Lindbergh Memorial Trophy, in his honor, which is annually awarded to the most improved player on the team.

Mike Liut joined the NHL as a member of the St. Louis Blues in 1979 after a two-year spell playing in the World Hockey Association. The Canadian spent 12 years in the league, playing for the aforementioned Blues, Hartford Whalers, and Washington Capitals.

Despite a relatively short professional career (thanks in large part to an ailing back), Liut racked up the accolades and stats, including being named the MVP by the NHLPA in 1980/81 season, leading the league in shutouts in the 1986/87 and 1989/90 seasons, and posting the most shutouts (22) in the 1980s decade.

Kiprusoff was a fifth round draft pick by the San Jose Sharks in the 1995 NHL Entry Draft, and made history with the team in Game 4 of the Sharks’ 2001 Stanley Cup playoff series against the St. Louis Blues by becoming the first Finnish-born goaltender to win an NHL playoff game.

But it was with the Calgary Flames where Kiprusoff really excelled, winning the Vezina Trophy, as well as the William M. Jennings Trophy. He also made one All-Star team during his NHL career.

Thomas only emerged as the Boston Bruins’ starting goaltender aged 32, but boy, did he make the most of his opportunity, winning two Vezina Trophies as well as the Stanley Cup in the 2010/11 season, setting the record for most saves in a single post-season with 798 and the most saves in a Stanley Cup series with 238.

He also won the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP, and at 37 years, 62 days, Thomas is the oldest recipient of the award. Lastly, Thomas became the first goaltender to win the Stanley Cup, Vezina, and Conn Smythe trophies in the same season since Bernie Parent in the 1974/75 season.

Crozier enjoyed 14 seasons in the NHL, playing for the Detroit Red Wings, Buffalo Sabres and Washington Capitals. What made Crozier’s success in the NHL all the more impressive was the fact that he suffered from pancreatitis and other health problems.

Despite that, Crozier was a Calder Memorial Trophy winner, played in over 500 NHL regular-season games, participated in three Stanley Cup Finals, and was the first player to win the Conn Smythe Trophy while playing for the losing team in the Stanley Cup Finals. Crozier passed away in 1996 aged 53.

Théodore was a well-traveled goaltender during his time in the NHL, suiting up for the Montreal Canadiens, Colorado Avalanche, Washington Capitals, Minnesota Wild and Florida Panthers.

Théodore won the Vezina Trophy and Hart Memorial Trophy (both in 2002 with Montreal) and played in the NHL All-Star Game in 2002 and 2004. He also won a World Junior Championships gold medal with Team Canada in 1996.

Brimsek came into the NHL like a rocket and enjoyed immediate success with the Boston Bruins as a rookie, winning the Calder trophy, the Vezina and the Stanley Cup in his rookie campaign – the only rookie goaltender in NHL history to do so.

His stellar play earned him the epic nickname ‘Mr. Zero’, and he would end up winning another Stanley Cup and Vezina trophy during his career to go along with six All-Star game appearances.

Charlie Gardiner’s story is one of the most inspiring yet heart-wrenching tales in NHL history. The Canadian led the Chicago Blackhawks to the Stanley Cup in the 1933/34 season, fighting through a nasty tonsil infection throughout Chicago’s postseason run.

Gardiner battled through the pain to lift the cup, but tragically passed away a few months later from complications brought on by the infection. In addition to the Stanely Cup title, Gardiner also won two Vezina trophies and appeared in one All-Star game.

Cecil “Tiny” Thompson may have only been 5’9″, but his stature in the game is one of a giant. For example, Thompson was one of the first goalies to use their catching glove to make a save.

The man missed just one game in 10 seasons in the NHL and posted a ridiculous 1.88 goals-against average in Stanley Cup play. During the 1929/30 season he won 14 straight games, and posted a .875 winning percentage. He won one Stanley Cup and four Vezina Trophies during his time in the league.

Connell was a fierce competitor on the ice, as evidenced by his decision to immediately retire after being pulled during the 1932/33 season (he would return to the game two years later).

The Canadian led the NHL in shutouts four times on the back of a career goals-against of 1.91, and won two Stanley Cups. Connell holds (or shares) multiple records in NHL history, including the NHL record for the longest shutout streak at 461:29.

Harry George “Hap” Holmes had one of the most unique careers in professional hockey, given that he won the Stanley Cup four times with four different teams.

He played in an era where multiple leagues had a presence in professional hockey, and played for six different professional leagues during his career! He also holds the distinctive record of being the first NHL Cup winner (Toronto Arenas, 1917/18) and the last Cup winner who didn’t play in the NHL (Seattle Metropolitans, 1916/17).

Giacomin was the iron man of the New York Rangers for the better part of a decade, leading the league in games played and shutouts for four straight years.

To provide just one example of his toughness, Giacomin once finished a playoff game after an opponent skated over his hand, causing a deep cut to his stick-handling hand. Despite never winning the Stanley Cup, Giacomin was the first player in history to record back-to-back playoff MVPs. He won one Vezina Trophy during his career.

Ranford was a dominant figure in the NHL in the early ’90s as he starred for the Edmonton Oilers, winning the Conn Smythe trophy and Stanely Cup in the 1989/90 season alone.

He won another Stanley Cup with the Oilers in 1988, and would go on to win two more Cups – albeit as a goaltending coach for the Los Angeles Kings. Ranford is the only goaltender in history to be awarded the MVP of Stanley Cup Playoffs, Canada Cup/World Cup & Men’s Ice Hockey World Championship.

Cam Ward was drafted 25th overall by the Carolina Hurricanes in 2002, and spent time in the WHL before joining the team as a rookie in 2005.

The Canadian wasted no time in making his presence felt, winning the Stanley Cup with the Hurricanes in 2006 as well as the Conn Smythe Trophy as the most valuable player in the playoffs. In the process, Ward became the first rookie goalie to win the Stanley Cup since Patrick Roy in 1986 and the first rookie goaltender to win the Conn Smythe Trophy as a rookie since Ron Hextall in 1987.

Giguère holds the distinction of being the last active NHL player who had played for the Hartford Whalers, but also boasts some more impressive accolades to boot.

The Canadian became the fifth and most recent player in NHL history to win the Conn Smythe Trophy despite not simultaneously winning the Stanley Cup when he anchored the seventh-seeded Mighty Ducks into the Stanley Cup Finals in 2003. He would finally win a Cup with the Ducks in 2007.

While the former Canadian goaltender never won the Stanely Cup as a player, he did win one as an assistant general manager for the Los Angeles Kings in 2012.

Hextall played 11 of his 13 seasons with the Philadelphia Flyers, winning the Vezina Trophy in his rookie season and leading the team to the Stanley Cup finals. Despite the Flyers’ loss in the finals, he won the Conn Smythe Trophy as the playoffs’ most valuable player, making him one of only five players to win the award despite losing the title. He’s also the first goalie to have scored a goal in the NHL.

Lorne “Gump” Worsley (given the nickname as a youngster due to his facial resemblance to Andy Gump, a cartoon character of the time), is famous for being the last NHL goalie to play without a mask.

But he also had an impressive career too, becoming a four-time Stanley Cup champion, a two-time Vezina Trophy winner, a four-time NHL All-Star, and was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1980. There’s even a term named after him – “Stacking the Gumpers” – which is when a goaltender makes a save by lying on his side and making a “wall” out of his leg pads or “Gumpers.”

Rogie Vachon is considered to be one of the greatest one-on-one goaltenders in his era, evidenced by this truly incredible fact: He never allowed a goal on a penalty shot in his entire career.

The Canadian played for the Montreal Canadiens, Los Angeles Kings, Detroit Red Wings, and Boston Bruins during his career in the NHL, winning the Stanley Cup in 1968, 1969, and 1971. He was a three-time All-Star and won the Vezina Trophy in 1968. He was named to the Hockey Hall of Fame in the Players category in 2016.

Glenn Hall, or “Mr. Goalie” as he is known, is famed as the pioneer of the butterfly goaltending style, as well as his incredible resilience, holding the NHL record for most consecutive games started by a goaltender at 502 games. Hall played for the Detroit Red Wings, Chicago Black Hawks, and St. Louis Blues during his career from 1952 to 1971.

Hall was a superstitious player, often throwing up before games – but it seemed to work for him, as he won three Stanley Cups, three Vezina Trophies, a Conn Smythe Trophy, and played in 13 All-Star games.

Mike Richter is widely considered to be one of the greatest American-born goaltenders of all time. He played his entire career with the New York Rangers organization, leading the team to the Stanley Cup championship in 1994.

Richter also enjoyed an impressive international career, winning the gold medal at the 1996 World Cup of Hockey and a silver at the 2002 Winter Olympics. He was a three-time All-Star, and was inducted into the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame in 2008.

Billy Smith played in an era where goals flowed freely in NHL games, which is why, compared to the goalies and style of play today, his individual numbers look pretty terrible.

So goalie expectations weren’t the same in the 1970s and ’80s, but even so Smith was the creme de la creme, finishing with 11 top-10 seasons in save percentage, including eight in the top five and four in the top three. And he knew how to finish, backstopping the New York Islanders to four consecutive Stanley Cups in the early 1980s.

The Vegas Golden Knights’ current goalie is one of the most decorated in the modern game. After joining the Pittsburgh Penguins (who picked him first overall in the NHL entry draft) in 2003, Fleury helped the team win Stanley Cup in 2009, 2016, and 2017.

He is a five-time All-Star, a member of the NHL All-Decade First Team (for the 2010s), and a Winter Olympics gold medalist with Canada. He also became the seventh goalie in NHL history to record 450 wins.

In 2017, the NHL commemorated its 100th anniversary with a list of the 100 greatest NHL players. Bower was one of the goalies included, and with good reason.

The Canadian was a dominant presence in the Toronto Maple Leafs’ net, leading the league in save percentage six times between 1959 and 1967. He won a pair of Vezina Trophies and led the Maple Leafs to four Stanley Cups. Overall, his .922 save percentage is the third-best all-time. He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1976.

Joseph spent nearly two decades in the NHL, retiring with the most career wins (454) – at the time – of any goaltender in NHL history who never played on a Stanley Cup-winning team.

The Canadian played for several teams during his time in the league, including the St. Louis Blues, Edmonton Oilers, Toronto Maple Leafs, Detroit Red Wings, Phoenix Coyotes and Calgary Flames. He’s the first goaltender to have 30 or more wins in a regular season for five different teams, and was a member of Canada’s gold medal-winning team at the 2002 Winter Olympics.

Belfour was one of the best goaltenders during his career in the NHL, adapting with the times as the league moved from a high-scoring game to a more defensive style. Belfour won two Vezina Trophies during his first five years in the league with the Chicago Blackhawks, before winning the Stanley Cup with the Dallas Stars in 1999. In doing so, he became one of only two players to have won an NCAA championship, an Olympic Gold medal, and a Stanley Cup.

A six-time All-Star and four-time winner of the William M. Jennings trophy, the Canadian was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2011.

It’s somewhat ridiculous that Lundqvist doesn’t have a Stanley Cup to his name, given just how talented the Swedish goaltender has been throughout his career. His numbers and records are freakishly good: He is the only goaltender in NHL history to record 11 30-win seasons in his first 12 seasons, he is the fastest goaltender to record 400 wins in NHL history, and has the most combined regular-season and playoff saves in history (and that’s just three stats!).

“King Henrik” is also a five-time All-Star, a Vezina Trophy winner, and two-time Winter Olympic medalist (gold in 2006, silver in 2014) with Sweden.

Luongo recently retired from professional hockey in 2019 after a 19-season career in the NHL, where he played for the New York Islanders, Florida Panthers, and the Vancouver Canucks.

Though he didn’t win many awards during his time in the NHL (outside of the William M. Jennings Trophy in 2011), he is still considered to be on the best goalies of his era and is in the top 10 in wins, shutouts, and maintained a .920 save percentage for his career. Despite his lack of silverware in the NHL, Luongo is a two-time Winter Olympic gold medalist and World Cup champion.

Nashville’s Finnish goalie is currently one of the NHL’s best, and is the Predators’ all-time leader in wins and shutouts, and holds the record for the most NHL wins by a Finnish goaltender.

Though yet to win the Stanley Cup, Rinne has made four All-Star teams and won the Vezina Trophy in 2018. With a .917 career save percentage, Rinne is currently 17th all-time in the category. Rinne is one of only 12 NHL goaltenders to score a goal in either the regular season or the playoffs.

Esposito played in the league from 1967 to 1984, suiting up for just two teams – the Montreal Canadiens and the Chicago Blackhawks. He was a superstar in his day, winning the Stanley Cup with Montreal in 1969 to go along with three Vezina Trophies in the first eight years of his career.

He was also a six-time selection for the NHL All-Star Game, and in 2017 was named one of the ‘100 Greatest NHL Players’ in history, and is enshrined in the Hockey Hall of Fame.

Brodeur is a legend in New Jersey and rightly so, considering he played 21 of his 22 seasons in the NHL with the Devils. Brodeur’s trophy cabinet is a little ridiculous, as it contains five Jennings Trophies, four Vezina Trophies, three Stanley Cup rings, and two Olympic gold medals.

A nine-time All-Star, the Canadian holds numerous records among goaltenders; he ranks as the league’s all-time regular-season leader in wins (691), losses (397), shutouts (125), and games played (1,266). He’s also scored three goals, the most of any goalie ever.

The fact that the award for the best goalie in a season is named after Georges Vézina should tell you everything you need to know about the Canadian legend.

Vezina played in the early days of the NHL, enjoying nine seasons with the Montreal Canadiens. But in 1925 he left a game due to illness and was later diagnosed with tuberculosis. He passed away on March 27, 1926. Vézina won two Stanley Cups and allowed the fewest goals in the league three times in his career. Vézina is one of the original nine inductees of the Hockey Hall of Fame.

Dryden only played eight years in the NHL, but they were eight incredible years. For starters, he won a Conn Smythe Trophy, the Calder Trophy, five Vezina Trophies, and led the league in save percentage three times.

Oh yeah, he also won the Stanley Cup SIX TIMES – four of which came in successive seasons from 1976 to 1979! For all of his accolades, Dryden is rightly enshrined in the Hockey Hall of Fame.

Plante was somewhat of a revolutionary player in the NHL, being the first to leave the net to control the puck, the first to raise a hand on an icing call, and popularized wearing a mask in net.

Plante played for six teams between 1952 and 1973, earning a record six Vezina Trophies in that span, as well as the Hart Memorial Trophy in 1962 as the best player in the league. He won six Stanley Cups with the Montreal Canadiens, but he is arguably best remembered for the impact he had on the game itself.

Roy is considered by many to be the greatest goalie in NHL history, largely due to his records in the league, as well as for perfecting the butterfly style of goaltending.

Speaking of those records, Roy holds no less than five, including for playoff games played, playoff wins, playoff shutouts and Conn Smythe Trophy wins, earning the nod as the MVP of the Stanley Cup Playoffs three times. He won the Stanley Cup four times, the Vezina Trophy three times, the William M. Jennings Trophy five times, and played in 11 All-Star games.

When your nickname is “The Dominator”, you know you’re someone to be respected – and feared. Such was the case for Hasek, who truly was one of the most dominant players in NHL history, regardless of position.

Hasek played for the Chicago Blackhawks, Buffalo Sabres, Detroit Red Wings, and Ottawa Senators during his career, but it was his run with the Sabres from 1993 to 1999 when he led the league in save percentage in six consecutive seasons and won five Vezina Trophies that truly cemented his place among the greats. He still ranks first all-time with a .922 career save percentage and was the first European netminder to win the Stanley Cup (he won two in his career).