Best Ice Hockey Goalies of All Time

The Top Ten
1 Dominik Hasek Dominik Hašek (born January 29, 1965) is a Czech former ice hockey goaltender. In his 16-season National Hockey League (NHL) career, he played for the Chicago Blackhawks, Buffalo Sabres, Detroit Red Wings and the Ottawa Senators. During his years in Buffalo, he became one of the league's finest goaltenders, earning him the nickname "The Dominator". His strong play has been credited with establishing... read more

Unlike any goaltender before or after him, Hasek never had or ever needed a playing style. The czech team in 98 didn't even bother coming close to winning gold, but he was the best PLAYER in the world in the late 90's, when he almost wrote a very similar story in the 99 playoffs with Buffalo. This was crashed only because of a controversial call. 2 HART trophies, SIX VEZINAS, more than both roy & brodeur, and only planet won more vezinas, but only because they had 6 teams when Hasek won his 6 vezinas with a lot more competition and has the best career save percentage by a retired goaltender in modern era, while still playing for teams that were no were near playoff ready, until detroit in 2002 when he won it all

Sheer talent put the Dominator at the top of the list, no single player has had larger impact on a team in the NHL. He may not have won as many Cups, but his TWO Heart Trophies say all you need to know.

2 Martin Brodeur

Brodeur is the greatest goaltender of all time. Critics say the trap helped him but they conveniently or ignorantly neglect the fact that he was one of the main key components of the trap being as successful as it was. The canadiens played the neutral zone trap as well when Roy played there. The difference was Brodeur's remarkable puck handling skills. The trap forces teams to dump the puck in the neutral zone, Brodeur would then use his stick handling skills and make passes, immediately putting the Devils back on the attack. When Montreal played the trap, Roy was almost inept when it came to handling the puck. Therefore he could not limit shots or scoring opportunities as Brodeur did. Brodeur gets criticized for not facing as many shots on average per game as Roy or Hasek. However, instead of stopping shots, he was stopping the scoring/shooting chances all together by handling the puck, simultaneously creating a scoring opportunity for his team. What more could you want in a goaltender? Brodeur literally helped his team defensively and offensively. No other goalie can say that. Then the Brodeur rule came in to effect and now goalies can't handle the puck outside the trapezoid all because of Brodeur's dominant puck handling skills. AFTER the Stevens, Neidermayer and Daneyko days, Brodeur went on to win 4 vezinas and still was a force on the ice at age 40 leading his Devils to a 5th Stanley Cup appearance! Critics want to discredit him for the teams he played for because of their defense primarily in the 90's with Stevens, Daneyko and Neidermeyer. However, only one of them won the James Norris award for best defenseman and that was Neidermeyer in 2004. Stevens was a bruiser and a force to be reckoned with physically, but to overrate him as a means to underrate Brodeur doesn't work. Lastly Daneyko was a tough guy and a very durable guy as well, but again when Brodeur detractors are at work this guy gets lifted to a status only he dreams about. The fact is brodeur is... more

3 Patrick Roy Patrick Jacques Roy is a Canadian former professional ice hockey goaltender and the former head coach and vice-president of hockey operations for the Colorado Avalanche of the National Hockey League.

My team is the Ava and Roy was a God but how many of us wanted to choke him when he would leave the net to play the puck. Why? Because he had no skills away and every time he did we got scored on. That is why he isn't the greatest. I watched hasek in those Stanley cup playoffs exhibit superior skill away from the net and Roy and ego would do the same and I'm screaming no NoNoNo and we know the rest. Hasek punked Roy every match they met. DOMINATOR for a reason.

Roy could of went to any team and won, Marty was a product of the trap system... And would of not been any good on a team that didn't have such a great defense. He played in a different era than Roy with giant pads, small nets, the crap ass two line pass. If we played for the islanders we wouldn't be having this convo., but Patrick woulda made any team relevent... Any team. And just to put a nice bow on all this 2001 Cup Finals Roy vs. Marty who won again? Oh right Roy, enough said...

4 Vladislav Tretiak

As a goalie myself. I found him to be extremely intimidating to players because he very rarely gave them a second chance from rebounds. His very quick reflexes reduced quick passes, redirects, and deflections by 50% at least. The saddest part is that he was not allowed to play in the N.H.L. so that he could set new standards for up and coming goalies. I'm positive that he would have set records that like Gretzky and Orr would not be matched or beaten for years. By far an unsung hero.

Tretiak was the most intimidating goalie to ever put on pads. His three gold medals and one silver spanning 12 years of near total dominance are unprecedented. In that time Tretiak won every game played against NHL teams including all star competitions. Had he been allowed to play in the NHL for those 12 plus years, all indications are that Tretiak would have dominated the NHL.

Tretiak was feared by the Americans. That should be enough to take the Number 1 spot. He stopped some of the best NHL goal scorers. If the Soviet Union let him play in the NHL, there is no doubt in my mind that he would be Number 1. You can't discredit him for playing on a rival "team," you have to give credit where credit is do.

5 Jacques Plante

When Jacques Plante was together with Bernie Parent in Toronto He refined the Goaltending Methods of Bernie Parent and taught Him everything He knew about the Position. After that Bernie Parent improved dramatically and is now in the Hockey Hall of Fame with Jacques Plante! That is just one of many reasons why Jacques Plante is the best ever!

When some else is awarded their seventh vezina, only then will you see his equal.

6 Terry Sawchuk

4 Stanley Cups, 103 wins with smaller schedules, and unbelievable 4 shutouts and 8 straight wins in the Stanley cup playoffs. Best goalie ever!

Put his body on the line at an age when keepers didn't wear face masks. THAT'S how hard he was. Check his stats. Legend

As far as I concerned, Terry Sawchuck was the greatest hockey goaltender of all time.

7 Ken Dryden

I am a montreal born in the sixties, Ken Dryden is a god!

No question. His 5 cups in 8 years is all you need to know.

an amazing goalie that decided to stop hockey because he said that NHL wasnt tough enough for his level of player so he decided to finish his law degree!

8 Georges Vezina

He does have the top goalie trophy named after him.

9 Mike Richter

Mike Richter was a brick wall when it came to breakaways and penalty shots.

10 Marc-Andre Fleury Marc-André Fleury is a Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender for the Minnesota Wild of the National Hockey League.

Most entertaining goalie on the ice today. Combines skill, natural talent and just plain fun to watch

He's awesome and he just got six wins Ina row with penguins.

I love Flower! Great personality and a great goaltender.

The Contenders
11 Carey Price Carey Price is a Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender who plays for the Montreal Canadiens of the National Hockey League.

Of any of the listed goalies, this is the guy I would have starting on my all-time team. He is as close as you can get to a perfect goalie.

It is because of him that montreal went to the conference finals. If only kreider didn't injured him, we would have win the cup.

Only hasek has more ted lindsays and harts, but carey price has way better stats. He had 44 wins, 1.96 GAA.933 SV%, and 9 shutouts in one year. That's better than Dominik Hasek.

12 Glenn Hall

His records speak for themselves. He had 84 shut outs. Played 502 games in a row. Made the first all star team 7 times when competing against Sawchuck and Plante. Won two Vezina trophies. the best of his time.

Glenn Hall deserves to be in the top five goalies on this or any list. He won three Vezina trophies, the Calder trophy and the Conn Smythe trophy in the 1968 playoffs. He played 552 games in a row--an all time record. He also made seven first all star teams and four second teams. Was rated No.16 by the Hockey news in 1998 of the NHL greatest players of all time.

13 Henrik Lundqvist Henrik Lundqvist is a Swedish professional ice hockey goaltender for the Washington Capitals of the National Hockey League.

I think he should be ahead of brodeur. Brodeur is very overrated and I think Lundqvist is very underrated. Lundqvist has a better save percentage, and has the record for most consecutive game seven wins ever, which shows his clutchness. Brodeur got all his wins on one of the best defensive teams of all time while Lundqvist had to get his on a team with a crappy defense for the last 10 years. For as long as I have seen Lundqvist in net the rangers have never had a GOOD defense. And Lundqvist still managed to get a better save percentage then Brodeur. Think about this Brodeur has a worse save percentage then Lundqvist by a lot but a better goals against average. How is this so? This is because Brodeur faced a lot less shots on his great defensive team so he gave up more goals per shot then Lundqvist but still gave up less goals per game because he only had like 15-20 shots against him per game. This is why save percentage is way more accurate in ranking goalies then goals against average. And also people say Brodeur has the most win! Well guess what he also has the most losses! Seems pretty irrelevant now right. And even after that if you still think wins is an important stat and I can't change your mind, Lundqvist still wins in that column because Brodeur played 11 more seasons then Lundqvist and only Has about 250 more wins. Lundqvist averages about 30 wins a season so if he played as long as brodeur he would have an extra 330 wins and he would pass Brodeur in wins. This is just for people who think wins is a good stat for ranking goalies I sure don't. This was just to prove that even if it was Lundqvist still wins. Simply Lundqvist is the better goalie. And Brodeur is overrated.

14 Pekka Rinne Pekka Rinne is a Finnish professional hockey goaltender currently playing for the Nashville Predators of the National Hockey League.

Who could hate Rinne? There's some dumb Quick fanboy in the comments that hates Pekka for some reason, but this guy is everything you can want in a player and a person. Extremely Humble guy who more than deserves the cup

Best finnish goalie sharp and very good blocker. Good with team play and doesent take any bad riskies. Good winning precent because he is good

Best in Predators history. He will never be forgotten! Possibly 1st ballot

15 Jaroslav Halak

Absolute brick wall. Catches fire often and turns into the terminator. The single goalie that strikes the most fear in my heart when in the opposing pipes.

Probably the best goaltender ever to know how to get his defense to rally around him. Hockey is a team sport and he is a team player.

"Not better than the 30 on the Rangers" How is Halak not better than Lundqvist? Lundqvist lost 8 games in a row to halak.

16 Ed Belfour
17 Roberto Luongo Roberto Luongo is a Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender for the Florida Panthers of the National Hockey League.

Carried Canucks to the finals in 2011 wherein he had two shutouts and currently making a horrendous team appear at least respectable in Florida. Lu was simply never fortunate enough to be blessed with a dominant team.

Luongo has always played elite tier he has only played on a good team for 1 or 2 years and yet he is amoung the best in wins. he carries every team he has been on and gets the unfair blame because he couldn't win a game by being the only person on the ice to actually be playing

Don't forget he won the Olympic gold for Canada in Vancouver in 2010. He should be Number 1!

18 Ron Hextall

1st goalie to score a goal in the regular season and playoffs. By far the most aggressive and feared goalie ever! Youtube Ron Hextall and you will have a greater respect for him!

19 Grant Fuhr

He is the best! He served the Oilers in the great times and have been a great goalie. I'm surprised he did not make the top 5

20 Jack Campbell
21 Tuukka Rask Tuukka Mikael Rask is a Finnish professional ice hockey goaltender currently playing for the Boston Bruins of the National Hockey League.

Eh... Tim Thomas is better than him when it comes to Bruins goalies.

22 Artūrs Irbe

He was a great gk he played for latvia. The highest point of his career with the Hurricanes was 2001�"02 when Irbe was instrumental in leading the Hurricanes to the Stanley Cup finals where they fell to the Detroit Red Wings.

Irbe was best goal keeper in the world!

This guy has Heart, not in the top 5 but his name will always come out in a conversation has a lot of great games under his belt

23 Jonathan Quick Jonathan Douglas Quick is an American professional ice hockey goaltender currently playing for the Los Angeles Kings of the National Hockey League.

He needs to be above RINNE. He is amazing he always makes amazing saves. Love him. I'm a goalie person I like other positions but love goalies but I HATE rinne.

The most naturally skilled goalie ever.

Kings won the cup with this guy!

24 Tony Esposito

I don't think he's the number one best goalie of all time, but Tony Esposito definitely deserves to be a lot higher than he currently is on the list- probably somewhere in the lower half of the top 10. He's very underrated nowadays.

I can't believe he's not on this list.

Best goalie ever consider the amount of shots on net and team in front of him he was a star

25 Bernie Parent

2 Stanley Cups & 2 Vezina's & would have had more wins if not for a freak eye injury. People say that the Flyers & The Broad Street Bullies Gooned their way to those 2 Cups in '74 & '75, but it was his net minding that was the REAL DIFFERENCE! Also if he is not hurt in '76 Cup Finals it might have been 3 Straight Cups!

The ultimate money goalie, so intense.

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