Terry Sawchuk

Canadian ice hockey goaltender widely regarded as one of the greatest netminders in NHL history, known for his innovative playing style and durability.

Terrance Gordon Sawchuk was born in Winnipeg, Manitoba in 1929. He is considered by many the greatest goaltender in the history of hockey. He won four Stanley Cup championships — three with Detroit (1952, 1954, 1955) and one with Toronto (1967). He won the Vezina Trophy as the NHL's best goaltender four times (1952, 1953, 1955, 1965) and the Calder Trophy as best rookie in 1951. His career record of 103 shutouts remains the NHL record. He won 447 games across 21 NHL seasons. His crouching, deeply bent style — he could see between and under his own defensemen — was revolutionary and is the basis of the butterfly style that modern goalies use. He played through severe injuries and personal demons throughout his career — he had over 400 stitches on his face from puck injuries before the era of masks. He died in May 1970 aged 40 from injuries sustained in a fight with a teammate. He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1971. He was named one of the 100 Greatest NHL Players in 2017.

Sawchuk pioneered the crouch style of goaltending, staying low to the ice and using a compact stance that became the foundation for modern goaltending technique. He was exceptionally quick with his glove hand and possessed remarkable reflexes that allowed him to make spectacular saves. His aggressive style often put him in harm's way, but his fearless approach and positioning made him nearly unbeatable.

Sawchuk revolutionized goaltending technique and established many records that stood for decades, fundamentally changing how the position was played. His influence on goaltending methodology continues to be felt in hockey today.

• Stanley Cup 4x
• Vezina Trophy 4x
• Calder Trophy
• Hall of Fame (1971)
• NHL 100 Greatest Players