NHL / mike smith

By Zane Miller 40- Tuukka Rask (Bruins) Rask earned a total of 308 wins throughout his impressive NHL career, spent entirely with the Boston Bruins. Wearing the number 40 jersey in every season as well, Rask captured the Vezina Trophy in the 2013-14 season on the strength of a .930 save percentage and 2.04 goals against average. 40-win seasons: 2 Stanley Cups: 1 MVP awards: 0 Last won Vezina: 2013-14 season (Tuukka Rask) 41- Mike Smith (Stars, Lightning, Coyotes, Flames, Oilers) Smith narrowly missed out on 300 career wins, instead being credited with 299 wins, all of which coming while wearing the number 41. 128 of those victories came as a member of the Phoenix/Arizona Coyotes, 56 with the Edmonton Oilers, 48 while on the Calgary Flames, 43 with the Tampa Bay Lightning and 24 as a Dallas Star. Smith had by far his career-best season in 2011-12 with the Coyotes, as he won 38 games while taking a .930 SV% and 2.21 GAA. 40-win seasons: 0 Stanley Cups: 1 MVP awards: 0 Last won Vezina: N/A 42- Robert Esche (Coyotes, Flyers) Esche nabbed 78 wins during his NHL career, as he wore the unconventional #42 jersey throughout his time in the league. The veteran backup scored 60 wins as a Philadelphia Flyer and 18 with the Phoenix Coyotes, with the 2003-04 season seeing him get a .915 SV% and 2.04 GAA while splitting the net with Flyers teammate Jeff Hackett. 40-win seasons: 0 Stanley Cups: 0 MVP awards: 0 Last won Vezina: N/A 43- Martin Biron (Sabres, Flyers, Islanders, Rangers) Biron became a dependable successor for the Buffalo Sabres following the departure of team legend Dominik Hasek, wearing the #43 for nearly his entire career. Biron claimed 134 wins for Buffalo, 65 wins as a member of the Philadelphia Flyers, 22 with the New York Rangers and nine for the New York Islanders to complete the New York State trifecta and get 230 wins as a whole. Biron had arguably his best season in 2001-02 with the Sabres, getting a .915 SV% and 2.22 GAA. 40-win seasons: 0 Stanley Cups: 0 MVP awards: 0 Last won Vezina: N/A 45- Jonathan Bernier (Kings, Maple Leafs, Avalanche, Red Wings, Devils) Bernier won 144 games while using the number 45 jersey, as he nailed down 59 victories while on the Toronto Maple Leafs, 33 as a Detroit Red Wing, 29 with the Los Angeles Kings, 19 for the Colorado Avalanche and four with the New Jersey Devils. Bernier also claimed his career-best season in 2013-14 with Toronto, securing a .922 SV% and 2.70 GAA. 40-win seasons: 0 Stanley Cups: 0 MVP awards: 0 Last won Vezina: N/A 47- John Grahame (Bruins, Lightning, Hurricanes) Grahame scored 97 career wins during his NHL career, wearing the number 47 for all of them. 53 of those victories came with the Tampa Bay Lightning, 29 with the Boston Bruins and 15 as a member of the Carolina Hurricanes, though Grahame had his most notable highlight with Tampa Bay, winning the 2004 Stanley Cup with the team as he saw action in one game during the playoffs. 40-win seasons: 0 Stanley Cups: 1 MVP awards: 0 Last won Vezina: N/A 49- Michael Leighton (Blackhawks, Predators, Flyers, Hurricanes) Leighton picked up 33 wins with the number 49, as he earned 19 with the Philadelphia Flyers, eight with the Carolina Hurricanes and six as a Chicago Blackhawk. Leighton’s most noteworthy season was in 2009-10, where he achieved a .905 SV% and 2.83 GAA as a backup between the Hurricanes and Flyers, though he helped lead Philadelphia to an unlikely Stanley Cup Final appearance later that season. 40-win seasons: 0 Stanley Cups: 0 MVP awards: 0 Last won Vezina: N/A 50- Corey Crawford (Blackhawks) Crawford spent his entire playing career with the Chicago Blackhawks, along with wearing the number 50 for every one of his 260 career wins. Despite never winning a Vezina, Crawford made his mark on the league by backstopping the Blackhawks to a pair of Stanley Cup titles, coming in 2013 and 2015. Crawford had his best regular season performance in 2015-16, winning 35 games to the tone of a .924 SV% and 2.37 GAA. 40-win seasons: 0 Stanley Cups: 3 MVP awards: 0 Last won Vezina: N/A 52- Pyotr Kochetkov (Hurricanes) One of the more recent goaltenders to enter the fray, Kochetkov has earned 38 wins with the number 52 jersey since joining the league in the 2021-22 season. Though his career is still young, Kochetkov looks poised to make an impact for the Hurricanes going forward, especially with the 2022 Calder Cup trophy already to his name. 40-win seasons: 0 Stanley Cups: 0 MVP awards: 0 Last won Vezina: N/A 53- Nikolai Khabibulin (Blackhawks) Despite only using the number 53 for one season, Khabibulin still takes the top spot by default, winning 17 games with the 2005-06 Chicago Blackhawks before switching to 39 the following season. 40-win seasons: 0 Stanley Cups: 0 MVP awards: 0 Last won Vezina: N/A 60- Jose Theodore (Canadiens, Avalanche, Capitals, Wild, Panthers) One of the most controversial Hart Trophy selections in NHL history, Theodore grabbed said MVP title in the 2001-02 season while with the Montreal Canadiens, taking 30 wins, a .931 SV% and 2.11 GAA to also claim that season’s Vezina Trophy. Theodore hung up the skates with 286 career wins, all of which coming while wearing the number 60, as he won 141 games for the Canadiens, 62 for the Washington Capitals, 42 with the Colorado Avalanche, 26 with the Florida Panthers and 15 for the Minnesota Wild. 40-win seasons: 0 Stanley Cups: 0 MVP awards: 1 Last won Vezina: 2001-02 season (Jose Theodore)