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March Madness bracket: Who’s the greatest NHL goalie of all time?

By Dave Stevenson

LOS ANGELES, CA - JANUARY 27: NHL Top 100 players Scott Niedermayer, Scott Stevens, Brian Leetch, Martin Brodeur, Dominik Hasek, Patrik Roy and Chris Chelios pose for a portrait at the Microsoft Theater as part of the 2017 NHL All-Star Weekend on January 27, 2017 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Brian Babineau/NHLI via Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CA - JANUARY 27: NHL Top 100 players Scott Niedermayer, Scott Stevens, Brian Leetch, Martin Brodeur, Dominik Hasek, Patrik Roy and Chris Chelios pose for a portrait at the Microsoft Theater as part of the 2017 NHL All-Star Weekend on January 27, 2017 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Brian Babineau/NHLI via Getty Images) /
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NEWARK, NJ – FEBRUARY 09: Former New Jersey Devils goaltender Martin Brodeur and his family watch as his banner is lifted during his jersey retirement ceremony before the game between the New Jersey Devils and the Edmonton Oilers on 9, 2016 at Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)
NEWARK, NJ – FEBRUARY 09: Former New Jersey Devils goaltender Martin Brodeur and his family watch as his banner is lifted during his jersey retirement ceremony before the game between the New Jersey Devils and the Edmonton Oilers on 9, 2016 at Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images) /

Toskala Region

Patrick Roy faces his first true challenge in this round. Turk Broda won as many Stanley Cups as he did. On the ice, they are very similar. However, Roy has an ace up his sleeve. When you talk about his greatness, his influence on padding must be calculated. Roy stood up for goalies, getting them more optimal padding. He led a rising from an era defined by scoring to an era defined by a lack defined by better goaltending. Roy gets the nod.

Tony Esposito might be the best goalie ever to not win a Stanley Cup. Georges Vezina is the gold standard for goalies. This one’s a tough matchup. Esposito, though, did an excellent job with the Chicago Blackhawks. However, Vezina gets the nod here. The Canadiens won two Stanley Cups with him and were noticeably worse as a team without him.

McAuley Region

Carey Price’s 2014-15 season stands out among goalies. However, Dominik Hasek’s run at excellence still puts him pretty far ahead of the Canadiens’ goaltender. The Dominator is the only goalie ever to win consecutive Hart Trophies. He couldn’t lead the Buffalo Sabres to a Stanley Cup but led the Detroit Red Wings to two titles.

Two goalies who made their teams so much better. It’s hard to say who’s better, but Roberto Luongo will get the win here. His stats, in context, are nothing short of impressive. Even with no Vezina Trophies, his consistency is very rare. Goalies are fickle and understanding them is next to impossible. However, Luongo has been a known quantity for most of his career.

Tsujimoto Region

This is Martin Brodeur’s first true challenge in this competition. Both players led dynasties and both have the “product of their system” reputation tied to them. Marty had the Scotts (Stevens and Niedermayer) patrolling his blue line during his best days. Bower had numerous Hall of Famers. In this case, the nod goes to the one who holds more of the NHL’s records – Brodeur.

On the ice, Jacques Plante and King Henrik are a lot closer than you think. The former’s seven Vezina Trophies must be weighed appropriately. He had five competitors for all but one of his Vezina wins. Plante’s success came during a time of very little offense. On the other hand, Lundqvist’s success has come against much better players. While he has only won one Vezina Trophy, he has been the heart beat of the New York Rangers from the moment he debuted. King Henrik gets the slight nod because of it. Plante’s probably the best goalie to not reach the Elite Eight.

Red Light Region

Two of the best goalies of their respective eras face each other in a closely contested battle. Both have four Vezina Trophies. However, Terry Sawchuk’s three Stanley Cups in five seasons with the Detroit Red Wings stands out. Thompson only won one Stanley Cup.

Glenn Hall advances to the Elite Eight over Alec Connell. His resume speaks for itself, as he was able to take his teams to the next level. While Connell did this as well, Hall did so on a more consistent basis.

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