By Zane Miller
30- Martin Brodeur (Devils, Blues)
The winningest goaltender in NHL history, Brodeur secured his place as the best goalie to wear the #30 jersey, despite some incredibly strong competition. Brodeur spent nearly all of his career with the New Jersey Devils, winning 686 games while using the #30 with the team, though he also added three wins at the tail end of his playing career for the St. Louis Blues, earning a whopping 689 wins in total. On top of that, Brodeur backstopped the Devils to three Stanley Cups, the only titles the franchise has won in their history, before going on to win the Vezina Trophy four times to further cement his legacy. Unsurprisingly, Brodeur had no shortage of 40-win seasons under his belt, accomplishing the feat eight times, including setting an NHL record of 48 wins in 2006-07, which was later tied by Braden Holtby in 2015-16.
40-win seasons: 14
Stanley Cups: 21
MVP awards: 0
Last won Vezina: 2011-12 season (Henrik Lundqvist)
Retired by: Buffalo Sabres (Ryan Miller), Calgary Flames (Mike Vernon), Los Angeles Kings (Rogie Vachon), New Jersey Devils (Martin Brodeur), New York Rangers (Henrik Lundqvist)
31- Grant Fuhr (Oilers, Maple Leafs, Sabres, Kings, Blues, Flames)
Fuhr scored a total of 375 wins while wearing the number 31 jersey, getting 198 with #31 for the Edmonton Oilers, 108 for the St. Louis Blues, 38 with the Toronto Maple Leafs, 25 with the Buffalo Sabres, five as a member of the Calgary Flames and one while on the Los Angeles Kings. Fuhr also got the job done in the playoffs, winning four Stanley Cups with the Oilers as he and the team went back-to-back in 1984 and 1985, before doing it again in 1987 and 1988. He also locked up his lone Vezina Trophy in 1987-88, a season which also saw him reach the 40-win mark.
40-win seasons: 3
Stanley Cups: 15
MVP awards: 1
Last won Vezina: 2021-22 season (Igor Shesterkin)
Retired by: Edmonton Oilers (Grant Fuhr), Billy Smith (New York Islanders)
32- Jonathan Quick (Kings, Golden Knights, Rangers)
The appropriately-named Quick wasted no time in establishing himself amongst the best goalies to use the number 32, a number which he has worn in every game of his NHL career. Quick nearly broke the 40-win barrier in his first full season in 2009-10, though he would eventually do so in the 2015-16 season. Quick claimed a franchise-record 370 wins with the Los Angeles Kings, almost 200 more than runner-up Rogie Vachon, while adding 18 wins and five wins while backing up the New York Rangers and Vegas Golden Knights respectively. Though he currently sits at 393 career wins, Quick has a chance to cross 400 this upcoming season as he is still an active player for the Rangers. In 2012 and 2014, he led the Kings to both of their Stanley Cup championships, including being awarded the Conn Smythe Trophy for playoff MVP in the former.
40-win seasons: 1
Stanley Cups: 3
MVP awards: 0
Last won Vezina: 1980-81 season (Denis Herron)
33- Patrick Roy (Canadiens, Avalanche)
The only goaltender besides Brodeur and Marc-Andre Fleury to win over 500 games, Roy snagged 289 wins with the Montreal Canadiens and 262 with the Colorado Avalanche for 551 career wins, all of which with the number 33 uniform. Like every goalie on this list so far, Roy won multiple Stanley Cups, in this case winning two for the Canadiens and two more while on the Avalanche as he was named the Conn Smythe winner in three of the four seasons. Speaking of hardware, Roy also won the Vezina Trophy three times, despite only reaching the 40-win mark once during his illustrious career.
40-win seasons: 2
Stanley Cups: 7
MVP awards: 0
Last won Vezina: 1991-92 season (Patrick Roy)
Retired by: Colorado Avalanche (Patrick Roy), Montreal Canadiens (Patrick Roy)
34- Miikka Kiprusoff (Sharks, Flames)
Nicknamed “Kipper”, Kiprusoff picked up 314 career wins while using the number 34 jersey, as he captured 305 wins with the Calgary Flames and nine as a San Jose Shark. Kiprusoff also nabbed a Vezina Trophy during the 2005-06 campaign, a season which saw him earn the first of his three career 40-win efforts.
40-win seasons: 3
Stanley Cups: 2
MVP awards: 0
Last won Vezina: 2005-06 season (Miikka Kiprusoff)
Retired by: Calgary Flames (Miikka Kiprusoff)
35- Tom Barrasso (Penguins, Senators, Hurricanes)
Barrasso captured 242 victories during his time with the number 35 jersey, the vast majority coming with the Pittsburgh Penguins as he won 226 in the Steel City, while going on to win 13 more with the Carolina Hurricanes and three more for the Ottawa Senators. The American netminder also led the Penguins to their first Stanley Cup title in franchise history in 1991, before taking it back-to-back in 1992. Despite being unable to pull off the three-peat in 1992-93, Barrasso had his only career season of at least 40 wins, plus a run in which the Penguins won a still-standing record 17 consecutive games, with Barrasso in net for 14 of the contests.
40-win seasons: 8
Stanley Cups: 13
MVP awards: 0
Last won Vezina: 2022-23 season (Linus Ullmark)
Retired by: Chicago Blackhawks (Tony Esposito), Nashville Predators (Pekka Rinne), New York Rangers (Mike Richter)
36- John Gibson (Ducks)
Although he likely still has several good seasons left in him, Gibson has already built a reputation as one of the league’s better goaltenders of the late 2010’s and early 2020’s, in spite of playing for an Anaheim Ducks team which has been largely lackluster during his time there. Though his career has been shrouded in constant trade rumors in recent years, Gibson has still helped the Ducks to 193 wins so far, all while wearing the unconventional (for a goalie) number 36.
40-win seasons: 0
Stanley Cups: 0
MVP awards: 0
Last won Vezina: N/A
37- Connor Hellebuyck (Jets)
Speaking of goaltenders who are currently in the upper echelon of the league, Hellebuyck, born just two months before Gibson, has made himself known as the best goalie of the current Winnipeg Jets franchise with 262 wins under the number 37 jersey, with many more likely still to go. Not only that, Hellebuyck has also won the Vezina Trophy twice as of this writing, including the most recent 2023-24 season. Despite not winning the Vezina in the 2017-18 season, he reached the 40-win mark for the first and only time of his career to this point.
40-win seasons: 2
Stanley Cups: 2
MVP awards: 0
Last won Vezina: 2023-24 season (Connor Hellebuyck)
38- Jeff Deslauriers (Oilers)
Deslauriers won 20 games during his time wearing my favorite number for the Edmonton Oilers, though, unfortunately for him, the Oilers were easily the worst team in the NHL in 2009-10, a season which saw Deslauriers lead the league in losses.
40-win seasons: 0
Stanley Cups: 0
MVP awards: 0
Last won Vezina: N/A
39- Dominik Hasek (Sabres, Red Wings, Senators)
Hasek claimed 376 victories while using the number 39 jersey, picking up 234 as a member of the Buffalo Sabres, 114 with the Detroit Red Wings and 28 in his brief stint with the Ottawa Senators. Hasek also won the Stanley Cup twice as a Red Wing, first as the primary starter in 2002 and again as a backup in 2008, with the rings being added in with his collection of six Vezina Trophies, including three straight with the Sabres from 1997 to 1999. Also with Detroit, Hasek had his only 40-win season, coming in the 2001-02 campaign.
40-win seasons: 1
Stanley Cups: 5
MVP awards: 2
Last won Vezina: 2000-01 season (Dominik Hasek)
Retired by: Buffalo Sabres (Dominik Hasek)
Comments