By Zane Miller
70- Braden Holtby (Capitals, Stars)
Another goalie who came agonizingly close to reaching the 300-win mark (though not yet officially retired), Holtby collected 292 career wins with the number 70 jersey as 282 were with the Washington Capitals and 10 were as a member of the Dallas Stars. Perhaps most notably, Holtby tied the single-season wins record with 48 victories in 2015-16, a season which saw him claim the Vezina Trophy thanks to a .922 save percentage and 2.20 goals against average mark. In 2018, however, Holtby would claim the ultimate prize, lifting the Stanley Cup after getting all 16 postseason wins.
40-win seasons: 3
Stanley Cups: 1
MVP awards: 0
Last won Vezina: 2015-16 season (Braden Holtby)
72- Sergei Bobrovsky (Blue Jackets, Panthers)
One of the greatest Russian-born goaltenders in NHL history, Bobrovsky has earned a total of 354 wins while wearing the number 72 jersey to this point, with 213 coming with the Columbus Blue Jackets and 141 with the Florida Panthers. Bobrovsky secured the Vezina Trophy in both 2013 and 2017 for the Blue Jackets, as the 2016-17 campaign saw him cross the 40-win barrier for the only time in his career so far, while also posting a dominant .931 SV% and 2.06 GAA. However, he would claim the ultimate prize during his time in Florida, winning the Stanley Cup with the Panthers in 2024.
40-win seasons: 1
Stanley Cups: 1
MVP awards: 0
Last won Vezina: 2016-17 season (Sergei Bobrovsky)
74- Juuse Saros (Predators)
One of the newer starting goalies to join the scene, the player affectionately known as “Juice” has scored 182 wins since joining the Nashville Predators in 2016-17, all of which happening while wearing the number 74. Saros had his career best season so far in the 2021-22 season, as he racked up 38 wins along with a .918 SV% and a GAA of 2.64.
40-win seasons: 0
Stanley Cups: 0
MVP awards: 0
Last won Vezina: N/A
79- Carter Hart (Flyers)
Hart began play during the 2018-19 season, using the number 79 with the Philadelphia Flyers. He has since taken 96 career wins, all of which with Philadelphia, before his arrest midway through the 2023-24 season on sexual assault charges, for which he is currently awaiting trial.
40-win seasons: 0
Stanley Cups: 0
MVP awards: 0
Last won Vezina: N/A
80- Kevin Weekes (Islanders, Lightning, Hurricanes, Rangers)
Despite playing primarily as a backup throughout his career, Weekes still captured a total of 90 victories while wearing the #80 jersey for four different teams, with 39 coming as a member of the Carolina Hurricanes, 23 for the Tampa Bay Lightning, 18 as a New York Ranger and 10 with the New York Islanders. 2003-04 would see his best career season, as Weekes picked up a .933 SV% and 2.33 GAA for the Hurricanes.
40-win seasons: 0
Stanley Cups: 0
MVP awards: 0
Last won Vezina: N/A
88- Andrei Vasilevskiy (Lightning)
Almost certainly a future Hall of Famer despite just having turned 30 years old, Vasilevskiy has made his mark on the history books with the Tampa Bay Lightning, winning 293 games so far with all occurring using the number 88 jersey. Vasilevskiy claimed the Vezina Trophy in 2019, thanks to a .925 SV% and 2.40 GAA, though his only 40-win season to date came a season prior in 2017-18, when he won 44 games. Most impressively though, he would take full control of the net in the Lightning’s back-to-back Stanley Cup titles in 2020 and 2021, as he would never have to be replaced by a backup in either of the two postseason runs. As a result, Vasilevskiy also earned the Conn Smythe Trophy for playoff MVP in 2021.
40-win seasons: 1
Stanley Cups: 2
MVP awards: 0
Last won Vezina: 2018-19 season (Andrei Vasilevskiy)
90- Elvis Merzlikins (Blue Jackets)
The winningest Latvian netminder in NHL history, Merzlikins has picked up 67 wins while wearing the number 90 for the Columbus Blue Jackets during his still-young NHL career. Unfortunately, Merzlikins’ production has been hampered by numerous injuries, leading to him only having one season as the team’s primary starter, taking place in 2021-22 where he had a .907 SV% and 3.22 GAA.
40-win seasons: 0
Stanley Cups: 0
MVP awards: 0
Last won Vezina: N/A
93- Daren Puppa (Lightning)
One of just 24 goaltenders to record a shutout in their NHL debut, Puppa went on to join the Tampa Bay Lightning years later during the 1993-94 season, appropriately choosing the #93 jersey. Puppa claimed 77 wins with the number, including arguably the top season of his career in 1995-96, where he took a .918 SV% and 2.46 GAA as an unexpected Vezina finalist.
40-win seasons: 0
Stanley Cups: 0
MVP awards: 0
Last won Vezina: N/A
With modern goaltenders choosing more and more unique jersey numbers, there will definitely be more additions to this list, we’ll just have to wait and see which numbers they are.
R.I.P. Johnny & Matthew Gaudreau
Comments