FEBRUARY 2001 TOP TEN

1. Tom Mascioli            74
2. Bryan McCready          64
3. Gary Balentine          41
4. Chris Polehoykie        38
6. Alex                    32
6. Mike Taylor             28
7. Bill Clare              9
8. Gord Brost              3
   GoalieJr                3
   Eric Hansen             3     

GOALTENDER TRIVIA YEAR SEVEN WEEK SIXTEEN (Answers due 10pm MST 02/09/01):

TWO-POINT QUESTION: Name the winning goaltender in the 2001 NHL All-Star Game.
CORRECT ANSWER: By being in the North American net when they scored their thirteenth (and game-winning) goal, New Jersey's Martin Brodeur became the official game-winning goaltender. Evgeni Nabokov took the loss.

THREE-POINT QUESTION: In yesterday's game, Philadephia Flyer Roman Cechmanek allowed six goals to the North American team. Who holds the individual record for most goals allowed in one All-Star Game?
CORRECT ANSWER: In the 1990 contest, held at the Igloo in Pittsburgh, the Western Conference allowed twelve goals, with Calgary's Mike Vernon in net for the first eight. Hometown hero Mario Lemieux was the MVP.

FIVE-POINT QUESTION: In the history of the National Hockey League All-Star Game, only five netminders have been named Most Valuable Player. Name the first.
CORRECT ANSWER: Toronto's Bruce Gamble, in his first full season with the Maple Leafs, backstopped his club to a 4-3 victory over the NHL All-Stars, winning the Most Valuable Player award. This was the final game featuring the reigning Stanley Cup champion versus the league all-stars.

BONUS QUESTION: Amongst goaltenders who played only one season in the National Hockey League (not counting goaltenders who debuted this year), who holds the record for the greatest number of NHL victories?
CORRECT ANSWER: Three netminders share this dubious distinction. Herb Rheaume (10-20-1 with 1925-26 Montreal) was replacing a fallen Georges Vezina, whereas both Hec Highton (10-14-0 with 1943-44 Chicago) and Harvey Bennett (10-12-2 with 1944-45 Boston) were replacements for goaltenders fighting overseas during World War II.


GOALTENDER TRIVIA YEAR SEVEN WEEK SEVENTEEN (Answers due 10pm MST 02/18/01):

TWO-POINT QUESTION: Traditionally, goaltenders are not selected with high draft selections in the annual National Hockey League entry draft. In the draft's history, name the highest-selected netminder never to play in the NHL (Hint: now that Rick DiPietro has played with the Islanders, I don't have to limit the question to "before 19xx")
CORRECT ANSWER: Well, there are two "correct" answers to this, and I gave a bonus point to anyone who answered with both. Most would say that Ray Martyniuk, the Flin Flon Bomber goaltender selected fifth overall by Montreal in 1970, is the highest-drafted non-NHL goaltender. However, I never said NHL *universal* entry draft, so when the expansion Pittsburgh Penguins took Belleville's Steve Rexe second overall in 1967, they technically took the highest-drafted future minor leaguer.

THREE-POINT QUESTION: This goaltender, who was the answer to one of last week's questions, had his playing career ended prematurely due to a heart attack suffered on-ice during an NHL game. Name him.
CORRECT ANSWER: On February 9, 1972, then-Philadelphia Flyer Bruce Gamble had to leave the game against Vancouver. Bryan McCready seems to remember a story where Gamble suffered a second (fatal) attack in an old-timers' game on December 29, 1982 - can anyone confirm this for us?

FIVE-POINT QUESTION: Name the goaltender who surrendered Gordie Howe's 1000th (including postseason) professional hockey goal.
CORRECT ANSWER: In a World Hockey Association game in Birmingham, Bulls' goaltender John Garrett allowed Howe to one-hop a pass past him for his 1000th. The date was December 7, 1978.

BONUS QUESTION: Name the goaltender who was in net for the Philadelphia Flyers when they eclipsed Montreal's record for consecutive National Hockey League regular-season games without a defeat.
CORRECT ANSWER: On December 22, 1979, the Flyers earned their 29th consecutive non-loss when Phil Myre led his squad to a 5-2 win at the Boston Garden, defeating the Bruins (and Gilles Gilbert).


GOALTENDER TRIVIA YEAR SEVEN WEEK EIGHTEEN (Answers due 10pm MST 02/23/01):

TWO-POINT QUESTION: This current National Hockey League goaltending coach once made the mistake of "cricking" his neck just as team owner Eddie Shore walked into the dressing room, minutes before game time. Shore forced the unfortunate goaltender onto the training table for a massage that was more akin to a strangling. During the "massage", teammate Dennis Olson asked Shore if "one a those necks ever come off in your hand?" Name the too-scared-to-be-relaxed goaltender.
CORRECT ANSWER: This was then-Springfield Indian goaltender Jacques Caron, currently the goaltending coach for the New Jersey Devils.

THREE-POINT QUESTION: Name the first goaltender in the history of the league to record ten career National Hockey League shutouts.
CORRECT ANSWER: In each of the league's first four seasons, Clint Benedict either led or tied for the league lead in whitewashings and, since he finished the 1920-21 campaign with precisely ten shutouts, he was the first one there.

FIVE-POINT QUESTION: Glenn Hall holds the true hardest record to break in sports, with his consecutive games-played streak. Who held this record at the time Hall broke it?
CORRECT ANSWER: I'm still having difficulty proving it, but I've convinced myself that the correct answer is Tiny Thompson. What's absolutely incredible is that you won't find any mention of this in the literature and, for a sport that prides itself so greatly on its rich and storied past, I find this very odd, indeed.

BONUS QUESTION: Name the National Hockey League goaltender who posted twelve consecutive seasons, each with forty games or more, with a sub-3.00 goals-against average.
CORRECT ANSWER: Tiny Thompson holds the record here, although without the "forty games or more" clause, Glenn Hall would be the recordholder.


GOALTENDER TRIVIA YEAR SEVEN WEEK NINETEEN (Answers due 10pm MST 03/02/01):

TWO-POINT QUESTION: In the 1983 Stanley Cup Finals, this goaltender stifled the great Wayne Gretzky, holding him without a goal and capturing the Stanley Cup. Name him.
CORRECT ANSWER: Winning his fourth consecutive Stanley Cup, New York Islander Billy Smith went 13-3 with a 2.68 goals-against average, winning the Conn Smythe Trophy as most valuable player in the postseason.

THREE-POINT QUESTION: Longtime GT readers will recall that Dave Reece was the goaltender that surrendered Darryl Sittler's NHL record-setting ten-point night. What many don't remember is that Reece got the nod that night, even though a future Hall-of-Famer returned to the team for that game. Who was he?
CORRECT ANSWER: As a reward for his good play that season with the Bruins, the team gave Reece the start, even though Gerry Cheevers was returning from more than three seasons with the WHA's Cleveland Crusaders. It proved to be Reece's last NHL game, and many thought that he was demoted to the minor leagues because of the (11-4) shellacking. However, Reece had been informed prior to the game that, since Cheevers and Gilles Gilbert were now both on the roster, he would be returned to Springfield of the American Hockey League.

FIVE-POINT QUESTION: This future Hall-of-Famer was supposed to be a part of the Allied invasion of Normandy in World War II, but suffered a respiratory infecton and was unable to attend.
CORRECT ANSWER: One of the top clutch goaltenders of all time, Walter "Turk" Broda suffered the infection just a few days before the invasion. After his return from active duty, Broda recorded 167 more victories, 32 of them in the postseason, winning four more Stanley Cups with the Maple Leafs.

BONUS QUESTION: In the early 1970's, this National Hockey League goaltender announced his retirement not once, not twice, but three times (twice with the same club). Name him.
CORRECT ANSWER: Roy Edwards planned to retire from the Detroit Red Wings following the 1970-71 season. However, he was claimed by the Pittsburgh Penguins, went to their camp, and played well, but decided to remain retired due to the aftereffects of a previously-suffered head injury. Midway through the season, Edwards returned to the Penguins and performed well for a poor team, but retired before the end of the year. Prior to the 1972-73 season, the Wings reacquired Edwards, who returned to active duty and responded with his best season (six shutouts). Edwards finally retired again, this time for good, following the 1973-74 season, in which he only played four games.