OCTOBER 2003 TOP TEN

1.  Tom Mascioli                 50
    Bryan McCready               50
    Doug Simmons                 50
    Mike Taylor                  50
5.  Gilles Carmel                38
6.  Marie Armstrong              30
    Lawrence Deswiage            30
8.  Bill Clare                   22
9.  Jason Kurylo                 20
10. Glenn Black                  19
GOALTENDER TRIVIA YEAR NINE WEEK ONE (Answers due 10pm MDT 10/17/03):
TWO-POINT QUESTION: Among goaltenders who have not won a Stanley Cup, name the one with the greatest number of regular-season NHL victories.
CORRECT ANSWER: Curtis Joseph, currently in limbo with the Detroit Red Wings, has a total of 380 regular-season (and 58 postseason) wins to his name, but has yet to even play in the Cup finals. Tony Esposito would be correct, except that (and many people don't know this) his name is on the Stanley Cup as a member of the 1969 Montreal Canadiens.

THREE-POINT QUESTION: The tiny country of Switzerland currently has two National Hockey League netminders, David Aebischer and Martin Gerber. It was less than ten years ago, however, when the first Swiss-born goaltender appeared in an NHL game. Name him.
CORRECT ANSWER: It was just over a week after the lockout ended, when Schaffhausen's Pauli Jaks entered the Los Angeles Kings' game against Chicago on Janaury 29, 1995 in relief of starter Jamie Storr. Jaks played two periods, giving up two goals on twenty shots in a 6-3 loss. Jaks can thank Kelly Hrudey - who was recovering from a bruised kneecap - for the callup from IHL Phoenix.

FIVE-POINT QUESTION: In early 1983, this future Hall-of-Fame goaltender missed a regular-season NHL game with a strong case of poison ivy. Name him.
CORRECT ANSWER: The New York Islanders' Billy Smith , who missed the Islanders' season opener in Quebec City against the Nordiques. Quoting from the New York Times the following day: "The Islanders played without Billy Smith, whose absence allowed Kelly Hrudey, the No. 3 goalie, to dress for his first N.H.L. game. Smith, sidelined with poison ivy, couldn't remember the last time he didn't dress for a season-opener, but added that he "should be able to practice on Wednesday and dress for the next game.""

BONUS QUESTION: This former National Hockey League goaltender also played two seasons of professional baseball (in the Montreal Expos' system). Name this two-sport athlete.
CORRECT ANSWER: Michel Dion, who played catcher during the 1971 and 1972 seasons before returing to the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League and a path that would see him eventually play eleven big-league seasons.

PICTORIAL QUESTION: Identify the goaltender in the following picture:
CORRECT ANSWER: This one is Buffalo's Don Edwards, in the process of yielding Wayne Gretzky's seventy-seventh goal of the 1981-82 season, which would break Phil Esposito's longtime National Hockey League record.

GOALTENDER TRIVIA YEAR NINE WEEK TWO (Answers due 10pm MDT 10/24/03):
TWO-POINT QUESTION: Alright, this is Goaltender Trivia tradition. Name the goaltender to give up the first National Hockey League goal of the 2003-04 regular season.
CORRECT ANSWER: On October 8, 2003, at 2:27 of the first period in the game between the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim and the Dallas Stars, Dallas defenseman Sergei Zubov found the back of the Ducks' net, getting the shot past Jean-Sebastien Giguere for the first of four goals in a 4-1 Stars win. Mike Modano and Jere Lehtinen picked up the assists. Thirty seconds later, Giguere also gave up the second goal of the 2003-04 season.

THREE-POINT QUESTION: With the Atlanta Thrashers' hot start to begin the year, let's go back a few years. Name the goaltender who recorded the first victory in Thrashers' club history.
CORRECT ANSWER: He's largely (and unfortunately) forgotten these days after a slew of injuries derailed his career, but Damian Rhodes earned the club's first win on October 14, 1999, and it was twenty-save shutout no less. Felix Potvin and the New York Islanders were the opponent, Nassau Coliseum was the venue, and Andrew Brunette (he of the many expansion team rosters) netted the first goal (and game-winner).

FIVE-POINT QUESTION: With each of his past two teams, this current National Hockey League goaltender recorded a shutout in his debut. Name him.
CORRECT ANSWER: Jeff Hackett, now with the Flyers. After being traded from Montreal (via San Jose) to the Boston Bruins last January, Hackett picked up a 1-0 overtime win against Philadelphia in his Beantown debut. The Flyers must have been sufficiently impressed, as they signed the unrestricted free agent to a contract this July, and he actually trumped himself, getting shutouts in his first two starts, against the Sabres and Sharks.

BONUS QUESTION: On Sunday, Philippe Sauve became the most recent second-generation National Hockey League netminder, following in his father Bob's footsteps. Before Sauve, name the most recent son to join his father as an NHL goaltender.
CORRECT ANSWER: On October 4, 1999, John Grahame made his National Hockey League debut for the Boston Bruins in a 4-0 loss in Toronto. Grahame's father, Ron Grahame, played four seasons in both the WHA and NHL, and was traded (by Boston to Los Angeles) for the draft choice that would become defenseman Ray Bourque. He's currently the athletic director at Denver University. As a point of interest, Brent Johnson (son of Bob) was almost the answer to this question, but he made his NHL debut eight months before Grahame.

PICTORIAL QUESTION: Identify the goaltender in the following picture (click on the image for a closer look):
CORRECT ANSWER: Post-career remarks aside, John Vanbiesbrouck had a solid two-decade career in the National Hockey League, probably best being known for leading a nondescript 1996 Florida Panthers team to the Stanley Cup Finals. Beezer's other chance at a Stanley Cup ring came as a backup for the 2002 Devils; both clubs fell to the Colorado Avalanche. Vanbiesbrouck recorded 402 regular and postseason victories in the NHL, appearing in three all-star games. Also, "Eagle Eye" Mike Taylor has convinced me that the goaltender in the *far* net is none other than Daren Puppa. His trapper is definitely on his right hand, and I don't think that it's Pat Jablonski because he's too tall.

GOALTENDER TRIVIA YEAR NINE WEEK THREE (Answers due 10pm MDT 10/31/03):
TWO-POINT QUESTION: Now that Patrick Roy has hung up his goaltending pads, name the active National Hockey League leader in goaltender victories.
CORRECT ANSWER: Toronto's Ed Belfour had a total of 404 regular-season National Hockey League victories at the end of October, and an additional eighty-two in the Stanley Cup playoffs. He should continue to make gains on the next highest on the list, so long as Curtis Joseph remains in limbo as a Red Wing.

THREE-POINT QUESTION: Name the first National Hockey League goaltender to have his sweater number retired by his club.
CORRECT ANSWER: On October 11, 1979, Philadelphia's Bernie Parent had his number one raised to the rafters at the Spectrum. Several have been retired since then, of course, but retiring numbers wasn't as customary back then as it seems to be today.

FIVE-POINT QUESTION: On October 18, Toronto's Ed Belfour shut out the Montreal Canadiens, 1-0, in Montreal. Prior to Belfour, name the last Maple Leafs netminder to earn a shutout in Montreal.
CORRECT ANSWER: Well, it's been awhile. On April 22, 1967, in the second game of the Stanley Cup Finals, Johnny Bower and the Toronto Maple Leafs shut out the Montreal Canadiens, 3-0, at the Forum in Montreal. The Leafs went on to win the Stanley Cup, their last to this day.

BONUS QUESTION: In the classic 1985 book "Open Net", which goaltender stopped Philadelphia Flyer great Reggie Leach on a penalty shot?
CORRECT ANSWER: One of the best sports authors of our time, George Plimpton passed away on September 25. Most famous for his book "Paper Lion" (and the movie with Alan Alda playing Plimpton) and his April Fools' Day article on New York Mets prospect pitcher Sidd Finch, Plimpton also wrote "Open Net", where he came to Boston Bruins camp as a netminder, culminating in an exhibition stint against the fearsome Flyers. Aside from the penalty shot Plimpton saved against Leach, the "highlight" of this game was undoubtedly the brawl where Plimpton found safety in the bowels of the arena. George is one of the many people who I'm sad that I will never have the pleasure of meeting. If you can find "Open Net" (it's out of print, but I've seen it on eBay frequently), definitely pick up a copy.

PICTORIAL QUESTION: Identify the goaltender in the following picture (click on the image for a closer look):
CORRECT ANSWER: On October 24 of this year, the Grand Rapids Griffins defeated Jason Bacashihua and the Utah Grizzlies by a 4-1 count. In net for the Griffins, making his first start in more than six months, was Detroit's Curtis Joseph. In his rehabilitation stint, Cujo stopped twenty of twenty-one shots before being recalled to the Red Wings.