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To continue from where we left off in the previous two blogs, today will cover Part 3 of this “Original Six team’s goalies and their masks” series. Today I will be going over the Boston Bruins.
As expressed, there are simply too many goalies to write about for each respective team, so there will be some criteria followed for a goalie to make the list. Each goalie included under the “Past Goalies” category must have played at least three seasons with the team, and must have also had an interesting or unique mask.
Enjoy!
Present Goalies
Tim Thomas – 30
turner.com/si/multimedia/photo_gallery
Signed as a free agent in 2002, Thomas has played 378 regular season games for the Bruins to date, and has won a Stanley Cup with the team in 2011. Thomas has been the starter for the Bruins since 2006, and is currently debating coming back to play another year of hockey, or taking a year off. He is currently 38 years old and has was drafted in the NHL in 1994 by Quebec.
Tuukka Rask – 40
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turner.com/si/multimedia/photo_gallery
Rask was acquired by the Bruins from the Toronto Maple Leafs in 2006 for goaltender Andrew Raycroft. Rask is expected to take on a much larger role with the Bruins this upcoming year, with the uncertainties of starter Tim Thomas. He has only played as a backup tender so far, and will likely be given the chance to play closer to 60 games this year.
Anton Khudobin – 35
1.bp.blogspot.com
Arguably 2nd in the Bruins depth chart for goaltenders, Khudobin was drafted by Minnesota in the 7th round (206th overall) in 2004. He has only played one NHL games so far in his career with the Bruins, but will be challenging for a spot on the roster this year. If Thomas does take a year off as expected, he will likely be the Bruins choice to backup Rask.
Past Goalies
Andrew Raycroft – 1
sportsmemorabilia.com
Drafted by Boston in the 5th round (135th overall) in 1998, Raycroft has played five seasons with the Bruins for a total of 108 games. Of the five years played, he was primarily their backup but was given the chance to play more games in 2003-04 where he started for 57 games. After returning to the Bruins following the lockout, Raycroft struggled in 2006 winning only eight games of the 30 played, and was demoted to third string goaltender as Tim Thomas took over his duties.
Byron Dafoe – 34
sbnation.com
Dafoe was drafted 35th overall in the 2nd round of the 1989 NHL Entry Draft by the Washington Capitals. He was acquired from the Los Angeles Kings with Dimitri Khristich for Jozef Stumpef, Sandy Moger and Boston's 4th round choice in 1998 Entry. Dafoe was the Bruins starter for five years, playing a total of 283 games.
John Grahame – 47
www.jeffsjerseys.com
Boston's 7th choice, 9th round (229th overall) in the 1994 Entry Draft, Grahame would play with the Bruins for four years as a backup to Byron Dafoe, tallying 76 games. Grahame provided steady backup goaltending for the Bruins until he injured his ankle in 2000 and was not able to regain his form. He was later traded to the Tampa Bay Lightning for Tampa Bay's 4th round choice in the 2004 Entry Draft.
Andy Moog – 35
thehockeynews.com
Drafted by Edmonton in the 6th round (132nd overall) in 1980, Moog was acquired from the Oilers in 2008 for Bill Ranford, Geoff Courtnall and Boston 2nd choice in 1988 Entry Draft (Petro Koivunen). Moog would play with the Bruins for six seasons as their starter before being traded to the Dallas Stars for Jon Casey in 1993. Moog would take the Bruins to the Stanley Cup finals in 1989-90 and would eventually lose to Edmonton Oilers.
Bill Ranford – 30
sbnation.com
Ranford was drafted by Boston in the 3rd round (52nd overall) in 1988 and played with the Bruins for four years tallying 122 games. After one full season with Boston, Ranford was traded to the Edmonton Oilers with Geoff Courtnall and Boston's 2nd round draft pick in 1988 Entry Draft (Petro Koivunen) for Andy Moog. He would later be reacquired from the Oilers for Mariusz Czerkawski, Sean Brown and Boston's 1st choice in 1996 Entry Draft. Ranford could not find the same success he found in Edmonton, while playing with Boston, and two years after being reacquired by the Bruins, he was dealt to the Washington Capitals with Rick Tocchet and Adam Oates for Jim Carey, Jason Alisson, Anson Carter and Washington's 3rd round pick in 1997 Entry Draft.
Jim Pettie – 31
www.vintagehockeyphotos.ca
Pettie was Boston's 10th choice (142nd overall) in 1973 Amateur Draft. He would play with the Bruins for three seasons tallying 21 games as a backup. Pettie also managed to pick up 13 penalty minutes in 21 games in the NHL.
Gilles Gilbert – 1
www.hockeymasks.com
Drafted by the Minnesota North Stars in the 3rd round (25th overall) in 1969, Gilbert was acquired from the Minnesota North stars for Freddie Stanfield in 1973. He would go on to play with the Bruins for seven years playing both as a starter and backup. Gilbert was brought in by Boston to replace Gerry Cheevers. Gilbert holds the NHL record for most consecutive wins by a goaltender with 17 which was accomplished during the 1975–76 NHL season.
Gerry Cheevers – 30
4.bp.blogspot.com
Received from the Toronto Maple leafs in Intra-League Draft in 1965, Cheevers played as Boston’s starting goaltender for eight of the twelve years played in a Bruins jersey. Cheevers is famous for his two stints with the Boston Bruins, where he backstopped the team to Stanley Cup wins in 1970 and 1972. The history behind his iconic mask came when he took a puck off the front of his mask, and given he never missed an opportunity to skip practice, he went to the dressing room shortly after. Following the incident, Bruins coach Harry Sinden would enter the dressing room where he found Cheevers having a beer and smoking a cigarette and instructed the uninjured goalie to resume practice. Bruins trainer John Forestall would return the mask to Cheevers, where he painted stitch marks over the spot where the puck made contact with the mask. Gerry would continue this tradition every time a puck hit him in the mask from that point on.
Thanks for reading!
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