Montreal Canadiens: Top Five Goalies All Time – # 5 Georges Vezina

The Montreal Canadiens have entered the quietest time on the calendar. While there is little to look forward to in the month of August, we decided to take a look back at some of the greatest players in franchise history. We start our site countdown of the five best goaltenders in Canadiens history with our fifth-ranked goalie, Georges Vezina.

A pioneer for the next generation of goalies, George Vezina stood just five-foot-six, but he played much bigger. He led the league in goals/against average in seven of his 16 seasons and won two Stanley Cup championships, one before and one after the NHA-NHL merger. His brilliance in the net earned him the distinction of having the league’s annual best goaltender award named after him.

The numbers and all are impressive, but the fact that he didn’t skate until he was 18 years old, because of his family’s financial limitations makes it a true display of athleticism. Growing up in Chicoutimi, Vezina would play goalie in his boots, which is objectively most fitting as a pioneer for the position. Playing the stand-up position, he was forced to get in front of shots, without dropping down to take away space.

One of the 14 members of the first Hockey Hall of Fame induction class in 1945-46, Vezina’s brilliance paved the way for today’s elite goaltenders. His career came to an end when he collapsed to the ice on the opening night of the 1925-26 season. Vezina was later diagnosed with tuberculosis and would pass away just a few months later.

He may be gone, but his inclusion in the NHL’s Top 100 list in 2017, and his accolades will never be forgotten. A star before any of the superstars came around, Vezina revolutionized the position, and became the first goalie to have an assist, after tallying on a Newsy Lalonde goal, he also recorded a shutout in the same game. Vezina played in 328 consecutive regular season games, which spanned his entire career, and he played 39 consecutive playoff games, never missing a game throughout his entire career.

Universally loved by the Montreal Canadiens fans and organization, Vezina ranks fifth on our countdown of the top five Canadiens goalies of all time. He continued to play a stand up-style, even though the drop-down rule had been abolished, and, as such he earned the distinction as one of the greatest goalies in the history of the league. His hometown arena was named after him, honouring his distinction of first Chicoutimi-born professional athlete.

Want your voice heard? Join the A Winning Habit team!

Write for us!