Best puckhandling goaltenders of all time?

[Nick Hansen]

The obvious one is Martin Brodeur who was incredible by goalie standards. Case in point:



I also have a memory of Marty Turco being better than most in this aspect. Anybody else worth mentioning?

 

[JackSlater]

Brodeur and Turco were great at it, but Plante needs to be mentioned as a pioneer in terms of goaltenders playing the puck. In video he not only plays the puck but does quite a good job of playing it.

 

[Nick Hansen]

Brodeur and Turco were great at it, but Plante needs to be mentioned as a pioneer in terms of goaltenders playing the puck. In video he not only plays the puck but does quite a good job of playing it.

Goalie sticks are heavy and clumsy to this day, so I can't even imagine how they were back in Plante's days...

 

[Killion]

Plante
Giacomin
Cheevers
Gary Suitcase Smith
Billy Smith
Ron Hextall
etc...

 

[Killion]

Goalie sticks are heavy and clumsy to this day, so I can't even imagine how they were back in Plante's days...

Until about the mid 60's yes, Goalie sticks not the greatest, heavy (and all that tape seemed to make them even heavier as the tape got wetter & wetter through the game), but if you sorted through a stack you could generally find something decently responsive. SherWood was the first I recall that came out with a stick that looked like theyd actually cared, finished it properly with routered edges & so on, lighter, fiberglass wrap & so on. I used CCM's as the only thing available initially & they were heavy. Later, team I played for a batch of SherWood Lester Binkley rejects I guess they were, Les there traded or demoted yet again, selling off his gear or whatever.... Had L.Binkley stamped on the shafts n' all. Ya. My Hero. Les. Binkley..... I wanna be Les...... Vezinas, Cup Winner, Hall of Famer.... great sticks though.

All of them of course back in the day were straight blades so yes, it did take a lot of practice to become proficient in taking wristers, getting height & speed, semi handcuffed as you were with your lower hand encased in a trapper, giant mitt. Not exactly "responsive" but if you did practice it & kept at it, and really quite critical that you do so, be a good shooter. Accurate passes, raise it if an obstacle in the path or even a 30' lob down past center, like in Rugby with an emergency punt or Football with a short but high punt though thats not something you see much anymore with hockey, only a few Goalies ever really employed it.... Rather amusing really.... Gary Smith for example. Pulled that stunt frequently. Sometimes even deliberately targeting the overhead Scoreboard trying to bust it... oh dear, lights out, game over, cold beer. Others of course over the glass & out of play. That used to be fun too until they made it illegal. A lot of things that are fun & enjoyable in life are illegal. Ever notice that Nick?

 

[Doctor No]

Good to see Suitcase mentioned - his time with the Maple Leafs lived on via HNIC for many years...

Among names not yet mentioned, Sean Burke.

 

[connor35]

No one has mentioned Tom Barrasso yet? He's the all-time assist leader and twice had 8 assists in a single season.

 

[TheAngryHank]

I'll throw ozzy in the mix for fun.

 

[Chili]

No one has mentioned Tom Barrasso yet? He's the all-time assist leader and twice had 8 assists in a single season.

First name that comes to mind for me. He was a 3rd dman if the puck was dumped in and he could fire it.

Ron Hextall was similiar. Brodeur was good too.

Rick DiPietro but his career was so short.

I can`t remember now if Mike Palmeteer was good or he just liked to roam outside his crease?

 

[Sadekuuro]

I'll throw ozzy in the mix for fun.

I'm sure Jamie Baker would agree.

 

[Chili]

All of them of course back in the day were straight blades so yes, it did take a lot of practice to become proficient in taking wristers, getting height & speed, semi handcuffed as you were with your lower hand encased in a trapper, giant mitt. Not exactly "responsive" but if you did practice it & kept at it, and really quite critical that you do so, be a good shooter. Accurate passes, raise it if an obstacle in the path or even a 30' lob down past center, like in Rugby with an emergency punt or Football with a short but high punt though thats not something you see much anymore with hockey, only a few Goalies ever really employed it.... Rather amusing really.... Gary Smith for example. Pulled that stunt frequently. Sometimes even deliberately targeting the overhead Scoreboard trying to bust it... oh dear, lights out, game over, cold beer. Others of course over the glass & out of play. That used to be fun too until they made it illegal. A lot of things that are fun & enjoyable in life are illegal. Ever notice that Nick?

I was at hockey camp in the early 70`s and there was an OHA goaltender who gave us a demonstration of how to blow torch a curve on a goaltender stick.

Was fascinating because the trend was new. Seem to remember Mike Palmeteer with a nice banana curve.

I wonder if some goaltenders used a curve, just so it was easy to shoot the puck in the crowd?

 

[FerrisRox]

Mike Smith and Carey Price are both excellent.

 

[Killion]

I was at hockey camp in the early 70`s and there was an OHA goaltender who gave us a demonstration of how to blow torch a curve on a goaltender stick.

Was fascinating because the trend was new. Seem to remember Mike Palmeteer with a nice banana curve.

I wonder if some goaltenders used a curve, just so it was easy to shoot the puck in the crowd?

... nah, problem is its way too obvious when a Goalie does that so... Busted..... And ya, it did become much more the vogue early 70's on to curve your stick, followed by manufacturers then producing them however both of those innovations after my time. For sure it makes taking shots & getting air a lot easier however... I had a problem with it then & of course being a complete stick in the mud still have a problem with it today....

See, when your sticks curved liked that & the bottom of the blade flush on the ice, your in a crouch, fast hard spinning puck on the ice or just off it hits that curve you cant control the rebound properly. Puck hits that arc in the blade spinning & its gone baby gone. Straight bladed stick, with bottom of the blade on the ice, then you tilt the blade forward several degrees towards the shooter, puck hits the straight flat blade & stops dead on the ice on your blade or might kick out an inch or 3 but it'll be dead, so you can play it, smother it... put some salt & vinegar on it..... But a curved bladed goalie stick, no control. Better shot sure but look, your a GD Goalie. Jobs to stop the puck. Curved blade wrong tool, liability. Straight blade far superior, accurately re-directing pucks to the corners etc, and with practice, no problem firing the puck. ...

Never mind this former OHA Jr. D Goalie Chili. Clearly the guy hasnt got a clue which would explain why he was playing Jr. D at 20, 21 yrs of age... overage at 22...... Curved blade = lazy Goalie. No rebound control = sieve.

 

[Chili]

.Never mind this former OHA Jr. D Goalie Chili. Clearly the guy hasnt got a clue which would explain why he was playing Jr. D at 20, 21 yrs of age... overage at 22...... Curved blade = lazy Goalie. No rebound control = sieve.

I believe he was a JR A goaltender. Actually all the other instructors at the camp were NHL players, he was the exception.

I never played goal with a curved stick but it sounds logical that rebound control would be lost on some shots.

Memory is telling me that there were at least a few NHL goaltenders who used them, especially Palmateer. Maybe Cheevers?

 

[Hagstrom]

Patrick Roy. I remember he used to spring guys coming out of the penalty box/near the area

 

[JackSlater]

Ron Hextall was similiar. Brodeur was good too.

I saw Hextall at the warmup for a 1987 Canada Cup exhibition/tryout game firing pucks from his net above the glass at the opposite end of the ice to waiting fans. Surprisingly accurate for a goaltender with a goaltender stick over all that distance.

Patrick Roy. I remember he used to spring guys coming out of the penalty box/near the area

I always thought that he was a better stickhandler than passer.

 

[SealsFan]

Killion named all of my choices.

And we determined in a past thread that Don "Smokey" McLeod was the first NHL goalie to be using a curved stick with the 70-71 Redwings. Here's the thread: http://hfboards.mandatory.com/threa...e-a-curved-blade-stick.640104/#post-115149387

Although he didn't have an assist in his brief NHL career, Smokey put up huge assist totals in the WHA -- 43 in 332 games!! Including seasons of 13, 10, 9 and 8!!

 

[Killion]

Killion named all of my choices.

And we determined in a past thread that Don "Smokey" McLeod was the first NHL goalie to be using a curved stick with the 70-71 Redwings. Here's the thread: http://hfboards.mandatory.com/threa...e-a-curved-blade-stick.640104/#post-115149387

Although he didn't have an assist in his brief NHL career, Smokey put up huge assist totals in the WHA -- 43 in 332 games!! Including seasons of 13, 10, 9 and 8!!

.... thats right, old Smokey. His blade near on full Banana & he was one to be tossing the puck full Hail Mary over the heads of everyone to a Center hovering up high around the Blue-Line as well as some pretty damn crisp tape-tape passes for break out line rushes headed the other way. Came close to scoring a few times. He had excellent vision, and he'd really worked on & developed his stickwork as he was playing with a physical handicap, compensating his semi lack of mobility with his stickwork & clearing the puck out of his zone, out of danger.... Born with a really bad club foot, one leg 2"'s shorter than the other. Told he'd likely never be able to play hockey, any number of sports actually. Wore a cane like brace at times, and never complained or even talked about it. Amazing actually that he even made it. Nicknamed Smokey as he was originally from Trail BC however he was also a smoker so..... Died a few years ago.

 

[Ensane]

Patrick Roy. I remember he used to spring guys coming out of the penalty box/near the area

Nah. He really wished he was a great puckhandler and always wanted to retire having scored a goal, but it lead to him taking dumb risks that offset much of the benefit. All told he was pretty mediocre compared to the lot of the names here and was never in the same class as his contemporaries at the top end of the spectrum in this area. Avs fans speculated that coaches were too afraid to reign in Roy in this regard, while others worried that neutering such an arrogant, flamboyant personality would have a negative effect on his abilities elsewhere. I always assumed there was a bit of professional jealousy that Brodeur was far superior in this area since they were compared so often in all other regards.

 

[Killion]

I always assumed there was a bit of professional jealousy that Brodeur was far superior in this area since they were compared so often in all other regards.

I believed so as well. Roy's ego... totally Alpha.... He made me very nervous when he started in with playing the puck, over-playing it. Brodeur on the other hand, brilliant. Had it nailed, employing critical thought and he was a better skater than Roy.

 

[quoipourquoi]

Arturs Irbe sought improvement by shooting through the camera window during practice. Always liked that story about him.

 

[Rebels57]

Hextall and Brodeur.

 

[Mandar]

I seem to recall that Grant Fuhr had a lot of assists too....playing for those high scoring Oiler teams, even the goalies got lots of points.

 

[Numminen]

Not the best or superb by any means, but Dwayne Roloson was quite a puck handlerer. Very unorthodox style at least.

 

[blogofmike]

Not the best indeed. In the 2011 (I think) playoffs Roloson was lights out in Tampa...except when he ventured out to handle the puck and hilarity ensued.