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

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) /

6 of 9

SUNRISE, FL – FEBRUARY 28: Goaltender Roberto Luongo #1 of the Florida Panthers low fives team Mascot Stanley C. Panther after their shootout win against the Carolina Hurricanes at the BB&T Center on February 28, 2017 in Sunrise, Florida. (Photo by Eliot J. Schechter/NHLI via Getty Images) /

Toskala Region

Vesa Toskala is a name that causes Maple Leafs fans to suffer from indigestion and many other painful symptoms. His region features arguably the two most famous goalies of all-time. Roy won four Stanley Cups and is arguably the most clutch goalie of all-time. Vezina might have been the NHL’s first great goaltender. Roy gets the nod here. He dominated better competition. Sure, Roy is probably the most hated goalie of all-time. But he should consider it a compliment because no one hates the irrelevant.

McAuley Region

The Ken McAuley region doesn’t live up to the almost impressive mediocrity of its namesake. Dominik Hasek and Roberto Luongo are easily two of the top goalies of the 21st century. Sadly, the latter’s magical run ends here. Hasek’s resume is much better than Luongo’s. Maybe if The Dominator didn’t wisely join the Red Wings after not winning a Stanley Cup with the Sabres, this one is closer. But to be fair, Luongo signed up for his fate by playing for the Vancouver Canucks. We still love you Lu.

Tsujimoto Region

Martin Brodeur and Henrik Lundqvist are the North Carolina and Duke of this tournament. People will yell and scream that the matchup was rigged solely for ratings. But deep down, it’s also the matchup all fans want to see. These two goalies existed unlike Taro Tsujimoto. So who’s better? Both sides have strong arguing points. This comes down to which stats you like to evaluate goaltenders. Personally, team stats (wins, Stanley Cups, shutouts) aren’t the most efficient ways to determine how great a goalie is. Neither are games played. Durability matters, but it doesn’t tell you how great someone is. Devils fans aren’t going to like this, but Lundqvist gets the nod. He’s done so much despite having to drag the Rangers kicking and screaming for his entire career.

Red Light Region

How did André “Red Light” Racicot get his nickname? By allowing three goals on five shots. Safe to say both of these goalies were better than him. Glenn Hall is a very tempting choice here. But this Final Four is going to feature three number one seeds. Sawchuk’s toughness and durability defined his career, along with his excellence. Even against his peers, he stood out.

Home/NHL