5 greatest NHL goalies in the history of hockey

Debate is the lifeblood of sports popularity. There is no greater debate than debating who is the "greatest." Whether that's the greatest at a certain position, the greatest at a certain skill, or just the straight-up greatest player of all time. Unfortunately for hockey, that debate is pretty boring. Who is the greatest hockey player ever? It's Wayne Gretzky, and it's not particularly close. Sure, some will argue Mario Lemieux or Gordie Howe, but Gretzky is the guy. Even the defensemen debate is probably Nicklas Lidstrom without too much of an argument (although this one is at least more debatable).

However, that is not the case when it comes to the best goalie in hockey history. Ask anyone who the greatest goaltender of all time is, and you might get a different answer every time. There are three names that come up often, but that might just be biased since they all played in the same era and won championships.

There are a ton of goaltenders who deserve mention who don't make the top five. Henrik Lundqvist is the best goalie of the 2000s. His statistics are insane, but he failed to win the big one. The Rangers are still clinging to 1994 because Lundqvist couldn't get his name on the Stanley Cup. Marc Andre Fleury is great as well, winning Cups with Pittsburgh and winning a Vezina Trophy at the age of 36. Ken Dryden, Grant Fuhr, and Glenn Hall deserve a mention for how great they were in their time.

There are two goalies who could one day find themselves on this list, and they both play in New York. Ilya Sorokin and Igor Shesterkin are the two most skilled goalies in the league, and if they stay on this trajectory and win Stanley Cups for their proud franchises, it would be hard to keep them off this list. However, it's way too early to talk about it. For now, let's get to the men who established themselves as the best to ever put on pads.

5. Terry Sawchuck
1949-1970
Red Wings, Bruins, Maple Leafs, Kings, and Rangers

Terry Sawchuck was one of the most consistent goaltenders ever. While his numbers aren't the most eye-popping, his ability to win was as good as anyone on this list. He started his dominance early, winning the 1951 Calder Trophy as Rookie of the Year. He led the league in wins (44) and shutouts (11), showing that he was going to be a major player for the Red Wings. Just one year later, he carried the Red Wings to a Stanley Cup, allowing under one goal per game in the playoffs. You saw that right, he averaged less than one goal against per game en route to a Stanley Cup.

He would go on to win four Stanley Cups, including the goalie of record for the last Toronto Maple Leafs Cup win. Not for nothing, but it matters when a star brings a championship to the most important team in the sport. It's why Troy Aikman is still relevant in the NFL.

Sawchuck fell off compared to his early career as time went on, as was the case for most goalies in this era. He was unbeatable in his first five or six seasons. He led the leagues in wins in his first five seasons, but he never did it again. However, he used that run to win three of his four Stanley Cups.

Some of the advanced stats don't go back to the 1950s, and even some of the counting ones aren't calculated. Save percentage wasn't a league stat until 1955-56, which misses all of Sawchuck's best seasons. This causes some to say he's overrated, seeing his career .904 save percentage. Don't get it twisted, when Sawchuck was at his best, there was nobody better.