Terry Sawchuk had the career of a lifetime. During his days with the Detroit Red Wings, Sawchuk won three Stanley Cups, was a three-time First-Team All-Star, took the Calder in 1950-51, snagged three Vezinas, and that all helped him carve his way onto the 100th Anniversary Team.
And I don't have to tell you this, but he's in the Hockey Hall of Fame. Sawchuk accomplished about everything you could during his playing days, and it's no wonder he holds more than a few franchise records at goaltender.
And if he doesn't hold the record, he's in the top 10.
Category | Career Statistic |
|---|---|
Wins | 350 |
Shutouts | 85 |
Save Percentage | 0.904 |
GAA | 2.44 |
Saves | 10,376 |
Those two stats marked bold text are where he holds notable records in the net. Sawchuk is also one of just three netminders in Red Wings history to make 10,000-plus saves, with the other two being Jimmy Howard (13,970) and Chris Osgood (12,801).
Those are some good names to stand alongside. And the Wings also had legendary netminders like Dominik Hasek, but it's hard to imagine another Terry Sawchuk coming along anytime soon. If that were the case, then that future netminder needs durability, and to show off immediate results the second they find themselves in the crease.
Terry Sawchuk's statistics were off the charts early in his career with the Red Wings
Between 1950-51 and 1954-55, Sawchuk snagged 195 wins, a 1.93 GAA, and 56 shutouts. By his age-25 season, fans even back then probably knew the Wings wouldn't see another netminder quite like Sawchuk far into the future.
He also won three of his four Vezinas during that time, and he even took fourth for the Hart in 1952. Sawchuk won the Calder during this time, and was a three-time First-Team All-Star.
He then went to Boston for two seasons before returning to Detroit. Sawchuk then won another 147 games in the Winged Wheel, and by this time, the NHL started tracking save percentage. This is when he ended with his career percentage of 0.904 with the Wings, and who knows where it would've been had they tracked the stat earlier.
Stint No. 2 in the Motor City also saw him end up with a 2.89 GAA, and an additonal 28 shutouts. He played that second stint between 1957-58 and 1963-64, before leaving again, this time for Toronto and later, the expanson Los Angeles Kings.
Terry Sawchuk's legacy lives on in Hockeytown to this day
Sawchuk made one last run with the Red Wings in 1968-69 in his age-39 season, seeing action in 13 games, recording a 0.912 save percentage, and a 2.63 GAA. He ended his career following the 1969-70 campaign with the New York Rangers.
Yeah, you had one of the most durable netminders in league history, who played in 971 games over those 20 years, or 49 per season. He also led the league with 70 games played in a single season on three different occasions.
Overall, Sawchuk's firmly entrenched in not just Red Wings, but NHL history, because of the way he produced at a high level for so long until he finally called it quits. He's a name fans will remember another century from now, and even longer.
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