Terrance Gordon Sawchuk(December 28, 1929 – May 31, 1970) was a Canadianprofessionalice hockeygoaltenderwho played 21 seasons in theNational Hockey League(NHL) for theDetroit Red Wings,Boston Bruins,Toronto Maple Leafs,Los Angeles Kings,andNew York Rangersbetween 1950 and 1970. He won theCalder Trophy,earned theVezina Trophyfour times, was a four-timeStanley Cupchampion, and was elected to theHockey Hall of Famethe year after his final season, one of 10 players for whom the three-year waiting period was waived.
| Terry Sawchuk | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Hockey Hall of Fame,1971 | |||
 Sawchuk with theDetroit Red Wingsin 1963 | |||
| Born |
December 28, 1929 Winnipeg,Manitoba, Canada | ||
| Died |
May 31, 1970(aged 40) New York City,New York, U.S. | ||
| Height | 5 ft 11 in (180 cm) | ||
| Weight | 195 lb (88 kg; 13 st 13 lb) | ||
| Position | Goaltender | ||
| Caught | Left | ||
| Played for |
Detroit Red Wings Boston Bruins Toronto Maple Leafs Los Angeles Kings New York Rangers | ||
| Playing career | 1949–1970 | ||
At the time of his death, Sawchuk was the all-time leader among NHL goaltenders with447 winsand with103 shutouts.In the decades following his death, his NHL win record has been surpassed by seven goaltenders, and his NHL shutout record has been surpassed by one goaltender, though Sawchuk was the all-time leader in wins and shutouts by goaltenders who played in theOriginal Sixera (1942–1967). In 2017, Sawchuk was named one of the "100 Greatest NHL Players".[1][2]
Early life and playing career
editChildhood and junior career
editSawchuk was born in theNorth End of Winnipeg and raised there until his family moved to Bowman Avenue in East Kildonan, a working-class, formerly Ukrainian section ofWinnipeg,Manitoba,Canada. He was the third of four sons and one adopted daughter of Louis Sawchuk, a tinsmith who had immigrated to Canada as a boy fromGalicia,Austria-Hungary(now Ukraine), and his wife Anne (neeMaslak), a homemaker. The second son died young fromscarlet feverand the oldest, an aspiring hockey goaltender whom Terry idolized, died suddenly of a heart attack at age seventeen. At age twelve, Sawchuk injured his right elbow playing rugby and, not wanting to be punished by his parents, hid the injury, preventing the dislocation from properly healing. Thus, the injury left his right arm with limited mobility and was now also several inches shorter than the left, which bothered him for his entire athletic career. After inheriting his good friend's goalie equipment, Sawchuk began playing ice hockey in a local league and worked for a sheet-metal company installing vents over bakery ovens. His goaltending talent was so evident that at age fourteen a local scout for theDetroit Red Wingshad him work out with the team, who later signed him to an amateur contract and sent him to play for their junior team inGalt,Ontario,in 1946, where he also finished the eleventh grade but most likely did not graduate from high school. He excelled in many sports. He played baseball for a number of years for the Elmwood Giants first in the Manitoba Senior AA League starting in 1948, when he won the league's batting title, and then in Mandak League. He played in both the infield and the outfield.
Detroit Red Wings
editThe Red Wings signed Sawchuk to a professional contract in 1947, and he quickly progressed through their developmental system, winning honors as theRookie of the Yearin both the U.S. and American Hockey Leagues. Sawchuk also filled in for seven games when the Detroit goalieHarry Lumleywas injured in January 1950. Sawchuk showed such promise that the Red Wings traded Lumley to theChicago Black Hawks,though he had just led the team to the1950 Stanley Cup.Nicknamed "Ukey" or "The Uke" by his teammates because of hisUkrainianancestry, Sawchuk led the Red Wings to threeStanley Cupwins in five years, winning theCalder Memorial Trophyas the top rookie and threeVezina Trophiesfor the fewest goals allowed (he missed out the other two years by one goal). He was selected as an All-Star five times in his first five years in the NHL, had fifty-six shutouts, and his goals-against average (GAA) remained under 2.00. In the 1951–52playoffs,the Red Wings swept both the Toronto Maple Leafs and theMontreal Canadiens,with Sawchuk surrendering five goals in eight games (for a 0.625 GAA), with four shutouts.[3]During the last of these eight games, theLegend of the Octopusbegan as the first of theeight-limbed molluscswas hurled onto the ice from the stands.
Sawchuk was ordered by Detroit general managerJack Adamsto lose weight before the1951–52season. After his weight loss, his personality seemed to change and he became sullen and withdrawn. He became increasingly surly with reporters and fans, preferring to do crossword puzzles than give interviews. He also struggled for years to regain the weight. Also contributing to his moodiness and self-doubt was the pressure of playing every day despite repeated injuries — there were no backup goaltenders. He frequently played through pain, and during his career he had three operations on his right elbow, an appendectomy, countless cuts and bruises, a broken foot, a collapsed lung, ruptured discs in his back, and severed tendons in his hand. A standup goaltender, he adopted a crouching stance to see through the legs of skaters.[4]Years of crouching in the net caused Sawchuk to walk with a permanent stoop and resulted inlordosis(swayback), which prevented him from sleeping for more than two hours at a time. He also received approximately 400 stitches to his face (including three in his right eyeball) before finally adopting a protective facemask in 1962.[5]In 1966,Life Magazinehad a make-up artist apply stitches and scars to Sawchuk's face to demonstrate all of the injuries his face sustained over the years. The make-up artist did not have enough room for everything.[6]
Boston Bruins; return to Detroit; Toronto and Los Angeles
editThe Red Wings traded Sawchuk to theBoston Bruinsin June 1955 because they had a capable younger goaltender in the minor leagues (Glenn Hall). This devastated Sawchuk. During his second season with Boston, Sawchuk was diagnosed withmononucleosis,but returned to the team after only two weeks. Physically weak, playing poorly, and on the verge of a nervous breakdown and exhaustion, he announced his retirement in early 1957 and was labeled a "quitter" by team executives and several newspapers. Detroit reacquired Sawchuk by trading young forwardJohnny Bucykto Boston. After seven seasons, when they had another promising young goalie (Roger Crozier) ready for promotion from the minor leagues, Detroit left Sawchuk unprotected in the1964 NHL Intra-League Draft,and he was quickly claimed by the Maple Leafs.[7]With Sawchuk sharing goaltending duties with the forty-year-oldJohnny Bower,the veteran duo won the 1964–65 Vezina Trophy and led Toronto to the1967 Stanley Cup.In Sawchuk's last game with the Maple Leafs, he stopped 40 of 41 shots in 3-1 victory over the Montreal Canadiens in the Cup clinching game 6. Left unprotected in theJune 1967 expansion draft,Sawchuk was the first player selected, taken by theLos Angeles Kingswhere he played one season before being traded back to Detroit.
New York Rangers
editIn June 1969, the Red Wings traded Sawchuk andSandy Snowto theNew York RangersforLarry Jeffrey.[8]Sawchuk played sparingly for the Rangers, starting only six games.[5]On February 1, 1970, in only his fourth start of the season, he recorded his 103rd and final shutout of his career by blanking thePittsburgh Penguins6–0.[9]This was also his last NHL win.[10]His last regular season start was on March 14, 1970, in a 7–4 loss to the Chicago Black Hawks.[11]Sawchuk's last playoff start was in a 5–3 playoff quarterfinals loss to the Boston Bruins on April 9, 1970.[12]Sawchuk appeared in his last NHL game on April 14 in the sameplayoff series.[13]In game 5,[14]afterPhil Espositohad scored at 7:59 of the third period to put Boston in the lead, Rangers coachEmile Francis,in an effort to slow down the game, replaced goalieEd Giacominwith Sawchuk. He was in the net for less than a minute before Giacomin returned and the Rangers lost the game 3–2. Boston went on to win theseries4 games to 2.
Personal life
editSawchuk married Patricia Ann Bowman Morey on August 6, 1953, after a brief courtship. They had seven children, and the family endured many years of Sawchuk's increasing alcoholism, philandering (he impregnated a Toronto girlfriend in 1967), and verbal and physical abuse. Morey threatened to divorce him numerous times, and finally did so in 1969.[5]
Death
edit
Sawchuk struggled with untreateddepression,a condition that often affected his conduct. On April 29, 1970, after the 1969–70 season ended, Sawchuk and Rangers teammateRon Stewart,both of whom had been drinking, physically fought over expenses for the house they rented together onLong Island,New York.[15]Sawchuk suffered severe internal injuries during the scuffle from falling on top of Stewart's bent knee. At Long Beach Memorial Hospital, Sawchuk's gallbladder was removed and he had a second operation on his damaged and bleeding liver. The press described the incident as "horseplay", and Sawchuk told the police that he accepted full responsibility for the events. Chronic traumatic encephalopathy was little understood during his era in sports but may have contributed to his depression and behavior and would be consistent with the degree of head trauma he experienced during his career.
At New York HospitalManhattan,another operation was performed on Sawchuk's bleeding liver. He never recovered and died shortly thereafter from apulmonary embolismon May 31, 1970, at the age of 40.[16]The last reporter to speak to him, a week before his death, was Shirley Fischler (wife ofStan Fischler), who went to see him in the hospital as a visitor, not identifying herself as a reporter. Sawchuk told her the incident with Stewart "was just a fluke, a complete fluke accident." Fischler described him as "so pale and thin that the scars had almost disappeared from his face."[17]A Nassau County grand jury exonerated Stewart and ruled that Sawchuk's death was accidental. Sawchuk was buried in Mount Hope Cemetery inPontiac,Michigan.[5]
Legacy
edit
During his career, Sawchuk won 501 games (447 regular season and 54 playoff), while recording 115shutouts,(103 in the regular season and 12 in the playoffs).[18]Sawchuk set the standard for measuring goaltenders, and was publicly hailed as the "best goalie ever" by a rival general manager in 1952, during only his second season.[19]Sawchuk finished his hockey career with 447 wins, a record that stood for thirty years, and his career record of 103 shutouts remained unsurpassed among NHL goaltenders, untilMartin Brodeurbested that mark on December 21, 2009. In 1971, Sawchuk was posthumously elected to theHockey Hall of Fameand awarded theLester Patrick Trophyfor his contribution to hockey in the United States. The Red Wings retired his number 1 in 1994. In 1996, the bookShutout: The Legend of Terry Sawchukby sports author Brian Kendall, was published. A second bookSawchuk: The troubles and triumphs of the World's Greatest Goaliewas published in 1998 by David Dupuis, with the participation of the Sawchuk family. In 2001, he was honored with his image on aCanadian postage stamp,even though he had become a U.S. citizen in 1959. In 2008,Night Work: The Sawchuk Poems,a book of poetry about Sawchuk byRandall Maggs,was published. The Terry Sawchuk Arena in his hometown ofWinnipegis named in his honour. In 2019, a film about his life and times was released, titledGoalie.
When he joined the Maple Leafs, Sawchuk originally worejersey number24, but switched to 30. In the decades since, NHL goaltenders have chosen numbers in the 30s inspired by his example and that of players like the Canadiens'Patrick Roy,who would have used 30 (the jersey numberRogie Vachonhad used), but he was forced to pick another since it was already taken by right wingerChris Nilan(he instead chose 33, which itself became popular as a choice).[20]
Awards and achievements
edit- USHLRookie of the Year (1948)
- AHLRookie of the Year (1949)
- Calder Memorial Trophywinner (1951)
- NHL All-Star Game(1950,1951,1952,1953,1954,1955,1956,1959,1963,1964,and1968)
- NHL First All-Star Team(1951,1952,and1953)
- NHL Second All-Star Team(1954,1955,1959,and1963)
- Vezina Trophywinner (1952, 1953, 1955, and1965)
- Stanley Cupchampionships (1952,1954,1955,and1967)
- Lester Patrick Trophywinner (1971)
- First goaltender to record 100 career regular-season shutouts (1967)
- Inducted into theHockey Hall of Famein 1971
- Inducted into theManitoba Sports Hall of Fame and Museumin 1982
- In 1998, he was ranked number 9 onThe Hockey News'list of the 100 Greatest Hockey Players,the highest-ranking goaltender
- Detroit Red Wings #1retired on March 6, 1994
- Selected toManitoba's All-Century First All-Star Team
- Selected as Manitoba's Player of the Century
- Honoured Member of theManitoba Hockey Hall of Fame
- Inducted into theCanada's Sports Hall of Famein 1975.[21]
- In January 2017, Sawchuk was part of the first group of players to be named '100 Greatest NHL Players' in history.[1]
Records
edit- NHL record - Career ties leader - 172.[22]
- Sawchuk's NHL record for career shutouts (103) stood until broken byMartin Brodeurin 2009. Sawchuk held the record for shutouts for 46 years. He passed George Hainsworth with his 95th shutout on January 18, 1964, for the all-time shutout record.
Career statistics
editRegular season and playoffs
edit| Regular season | Playoffs | ||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | League | GP | W | L | T | MIN | GA | SO | GAA | SV% | GP | W | L | MIN | GA | SO | GAA | SV% | ||
| 1945–46 | Winnipeg Rangers | MJHL | 10 | 8 | 2 | 1 | 600 | 58 | 0 | 5.80 | — | 2 | 0 | 2 | 120 | 12 | 0 | 6.00 | — | ||
| 1946–47 | Galt Red Wings | OHA | 30 | — | — | — | 1800 | 94 | 4 | 3.13 | — | 2 | 0 | 2 | 125 | 9 | 0 | 4.32 | — | ||
| 1947–48 | Windsor Spitfires | IHL | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 180 | 5 | 0 | 1.67 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1947–48 | Omaha Knights | USHL | 54 | 30 | 18 | 5 | 3248 | 174 | 4 | 3.21 | — | 3 | 1 | 2 | 180 | 9 | 0 | 3.00 | — | ||
| 1948–49 | Indianapolis Capitals | AHL | 67 | 38 | 17 | 2 | 4020 | 205 | 2 | 3.06 | — | 2 | 0 | 2 | 120 | 9 | 0 | 4.50 | — | ||
| 1949–50 | Indianapolis Capitals | AHL | 61 | 31 | 20 | 10 | 3660 | 188 | 3 | 3.08 | — | 8 | 8 | 0 | 480 | 12 | 0 | 1.50 | — | ||
| 1949–50 | Detroit Red Wings | NHL | 7 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 420 | 16 | 1 | 2.29 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1950–51 | Detroit Red Wings | NHL | 70 | 44 | 13 | 13 | 4200 | 138 | 11 | 1.97 | — | 6 | 2 | 4 | 463 | 13 | 1 | 1.68 | — | ||
| 1951–52 | Detroit Red Wings | NHL | 70 | 44 | 14 | 12 | 4200 | 133 | 12 | 1.90 | — | 8 | 8 | 0 | 480 | 5 | 4 | 0.63 | — | ||
| 1952–53 | Detroit Red Wings | NHL | 63 | 32 | 15 | 16 | 3780 | 119 | 9 | 1.89 | — | 6 | 2 | 4 | 372 | 21 | 1 | 3.38 | — | ||
| 1953–54 | Detroit Red Wings | NHL | 67 | 35 | 19 | 13 | 4004 | 129 | 12 | 1.93 | — | 12 | 8 | 4 | 751 | 20 | 2 | 1.60 | — | ||
| 1954–55 | Detroit Red Wings | NHL | 68 | 40 | 17 | 11 | 4040 | 132 | 12 | 1.96 | — | 11 | 8 | 3 | 660 | 26 | 1 | 2.36 | .893 | ||
| 1955–56 | Boston Bruins | NHL | 68 | 22 | 33 | 13 | 4078 | 177 | 9 | 2.60 | .916 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1956–57 | Boston Bruins | NHL | 34 | 18 | 10 | 6 | 2040 | 81 | 2 | 2.38 | .920 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1957–58 | Detroit Red Wings | NHL | 70 | 29 | 29 | 12 | 4198 | 206 | 3 | 2.94 | .905 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 252 | 19 | 0 | 4.53 | .855 | ||
| 1958–59 | Detroit Red Wings | NHL | 67 | 23 | 36 | 8 | 4019 | 207 | 5 | 3.09 | .896 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1959–60 | Detroit Red Wings | NHL | 58 | 24 | 20 | 14 | 3476 | 154 | 5 | 2.66 | .909 | 6 | 2 | 4 | 405 | 19 | 0 | 2.82 | .899 | ||
| 1960–61 | Detroit Red Wings | NHL | 37 | 11 | 17 | 8 | 2148 | 112 | 2 | 3.13 | .897 | 8 | 5 | 3 | 465 | 18 | 1 | 2.32 | .921 | ||
| 1961–62 | Detroit Red Wings | NHL | 43 | 14 | 21 | 8 | 2580 | 141 | 5 | 3.28 | .888 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1962–63 | Detroit Red Wings | NHL | 48 | 21 | 16 | 7 | 2760 | 117 | 3 | 2.54 | .912 | 11 | 5 | 6 | 660 | 35 | 0 | 3.18 | .893 | ||
| 1963–64 | Detroit Red Wings | NHL | 53 | 25 | 20 | 7 | 3139 | 138 | 5 | 2.64 | .916 | 13 | 6 | 5 | 677 | 31 | 1 | 2.75 | .912 | ||
| 1964–65 | Toronto Maple Leafs | NHL | 36 | 16 | 13 | 7 | 2160 | 92 | 1 | 2.56 | .915 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 60 | 3 | 0 | 3.00 | .923 | ||
| 1965–66 | Toronto Maple Leafs | NHL | 27 | 10 | 11 | 3 | 1519 | 80 | 1 | 3.16 | .903 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 120 | 6 | 0 | 3.00 | .917 | ||
| 1966–67 | Toronto Maple Leafs | NHL | 28 | 16 | 6 | 3 | 1409 | 66 | 2 | 2.81 | .917 | 10 | 6 | 4 | 563 | 25 | 0 | 2.66 | .931 | ||
| 1967–68 | Los Angeles Kings | NHL | 36 | 10 | 17 | 5 | 1934 | 99 | 2 | 3.07 | .891 | 5 | 2 | 3 | 280 | 18 | 1 | 3.86 | .871 | ||
| 1968–69 | Detroit Red Wings | NHL | 13 | 4 | 5 | 3 | 640 | 28 | 0 | 2.63 | .912 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1969–70 | New York Rangers | NHL | 8 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 412 | 20 | 1 | 2.91 | .893 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 80 | 6 | 0 | 4.51 | .872 | ||
| NHL totals | 971 | 445 | 336 | 171 | 57,156 | 2,385 | 103 | 2.50 | — | 106 | 54 | 47 | 6,288 | 265 | 12 | 2.53 | — | ||||
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ab"100 Greatest NHL Players".NHL.com.January 1, 2017.RetrievedJanuary 1,2017.
- ^NHL (March 22, 2017),Terry Sawchuk was four-time Vezina-winning goalie,retrievedApril 25,2017
- ^John A. Drobnicki, "Sawchuk, Terrance Gordon ('Terry')," inThe Scribner Encyclopedia of American Lives, Thematic Series: Sports Figures(Scribner's, 2002), Vol. 2, pp. 335-336.
- ^NHL (March 22, 2017),Terry Sawchuk was four-time Vezina-winning goalie,retrievedApril 24,2017
- ^abcdJohn A. Drobnicki, "Sawchuk, Terrance Gordon ('Terry')," inThe Scribner Encyclopedia of American Lives, Thematic Series: Sports Figures(Scribner's, 2002), Vol. 2, p. 336.
- ^"Hockey's Reviled and Bludgeoned Fall-Guys: The Goalie is the Goat,"Life(March 4, 1966), p. 33. See an image of the photo in the Life Photo Archive at:[1]
- ^"Historical Hockey Stats & Trivia - 1964 NHL Intra-League Draft".historicalhockey.blogspot.ca.October 27, 2012.RetrievedMarch 9,2015.
- ^"Wings Trade Sawchuk For Larry Jeffrey".Newspapers.com. June 20, 1969.RetrievedJuly 20,2022.
- ^The Montreal Gazette, Feb. 2, 1970,page 17. Retrieved March 16, 2015.
- ^"Hockey Summary Project - Feb. 1, 1970, Pittsburgh Penguins 0 @ New York Rangers 6".Flyershistory.com.Archived fromthe originalon April 2, 2015.RetrievedMarch 16,2015.
- ^"Hockey Summary Project - Mar. 14, 1970, New York Rangers 4 @ Chicago Black Hawks 7".Flyershistory.com.Archived fromthe originalon April 2, 2015.RetrievedMarch 16,2015.
- ^"Hockey Summary Project - April 9, 1970, New York Rangers 3 @ Boston Bruins 5".Flyershistory.com.Archived fromthe originalon April 2, 2015.RetrievedMarch 16,2015.
- ^"Hockey Summary Project - April 14, 1970 New York Rangers 2 @ Boston Bruins 3".Flyershistory.com.Archived fromthe originalon September 24, 2015.RetrievedMarch 16,2015.
- ^The Montreal Gazette, April 15, 1970,page 14. Retrieved March 16, 2015.
- ^https://www.nytimes.com/1970/06/01/archives/sawchuk-of-rangers-dies-here-following-horseplaying-injury-sawchuk.htmlThe New York Times, June 1, 1970, p.1
- ^"Great goalie Terry Sawchuk dies; police investigation is launched".North Bay Nugget.June 1970. p. 13.
- ^Shirley Fischler, "Last Interview,"Hockey Illustrated(Nov. 1970), pp. 21-23.
- ^"Hockey Hall of Fame - Legends Of Hockey, Terry Sawchuk".hhof.com/.RetrievedMarch 9,2015.
- ^John A. Drobnicki, "Sawchuk, Terrance Gordon ('Terry')," inThe Scribner Encyclopedia of American Lives, Thematic Series: Sports Figures(Scribner's, 2002), Vol. 2, p. 337.
- ^Pinchevsky, Tal (November 30, 2016)."Why goalies are increasingly ditching traditional No. 1".ESPN.RetrievedAugust 28,2017.
- ^"Terry Sawchuk".Canada Sports Hall of Fame.RetrievedFebruary 20,2015.
- ^Chaves, Kevin."The Best Non-Gretzky Records in NHL History".nhl.com.RetrievedJune 4,2012.
External links
edit- Biographical information and career statistics fromNHL.com,orEliteprospects.com,orHockey-Reference.com,orLegends of Hockey,orThe Internet Hockey Database
- Terry Sawchuk's biographyatCanadian Sports Hall of Fame
- Terry Sawchuk’s biographyatManitoba Sports Hall of Fame and Museum
- Terry Sawchuk's biographyatManitoba Hockey Hall of Fame
- Picture of Terry Sawchuk's Name on the 1952 and 1954 Stanley Cup Plaques
- http://redwingslegends.blogspot.com/2006/11/terry-sawchuk.html
- History by the Minute, Terry Sawchuk