Roger Crozier

Roger Allan Crozier (March 16, 1942 – January 11, 1996) was a Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender who played fourteen seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Detroit Red Wings, Buffalo Sabres and Washington Capitals.

During his career, Crozier was named to the NHL First All-Star Team once, was a Calder Memorial Trophy winner, and was the first player to win the Conn Smythe Trophy while playing for the losing team in the Stanley Cup Finals.

In 1958–59, he helped the Bears become district champions in the Intermediate C playoffs.

Despite them, he helped his junior team win the Memorial Cup in 1959–60, played in over 500 NHL regular season games and participated in three Stanley Cup Finals.

Crozier spent his junior career with the St. Catharines Teepees of the junior Ontario Hockey Association (OHA) from 1959 to 1962.

At the time, the Teepees were sponsored by the Chicago Black Hawks of the National Hockey League.

The sponsorship system gave the Black Hawks the rights to all of the Teepees' players.

In 1959–60, Crozier helped the Teepees win the Memorial Cup.

During his time with the Teepees, Crozier developed his first ulcer, a problem that would plague him for the rest of his career.

Crozier spent most of the 1960–61 season in the OHA.

Because of his small frame and size, he was not a favourite with scouts or critics.

Despite this, the Buffalo Bisons of the American Hockey League (AHL) recruited Crozier to fill in for their injured starting goaltender, Denis DeJordy, that year.

In three games, Crozier recorded two wins and a 2.31 goals against average (GAA).

He returned to the Teepees for the 1961–62 season, during which he also had short stints with the Bisons and the Sault Ste. Marie Thunderbirds of the Eastern Professional Hockey League (EPHL).

While playing in the minors, Crozier adopted the butterfly style of goaltending, which he used during his NHL career.

At first, his coaches in the minors tried to convince him to abandon this style, thinking that it would never succeed in the NHL.

Crozier also added an element of acrobacy in his game.

The Black Hawks traded Crozier to the Detroit Red Wings in 1963.

The young goaltender, now a full-time professional, spent the season in the minors mostly with the St. Louis Braves in the EPHL; he also played four games for the Buffalo Bisons in the AHL.

In 1963–64, he played 44 games with the Pittsburgh Hornets, Detroit's AHL affiliate.

He won numerous awards that year, including the Hap Holmes Memorial Award for the fewest goals given up, the Dudley "Red" Garrett Memorial Award for top rookie, and a spot on the Second All-Star Team.

Crozier also made his NHL debut that season.

The Red Wings' starting goaltender, Terry Sawchuk, was injured and Crozier was called up as a substitute.

In only 15 games, he impressed management so well that he was made the Wings' new starting goaltender.; Sawchuk was left unprotected by the Red Wings during the intraleague waiver draft in the off-season and was picked up by the Toronto Maple Leafs.

This made Crozier the Red Wings' starting goaltender at the age of 22.

He was the last goaltender in the NHL to start all of his team's games in the regular season, in 1964–65.

From his junior hockey career until his death, Crozier was plagued by pancreatitis and other health problems.

In 1964–65, his rookie season, Crozier started all of his team's games, the last goalie to do so in the NHL, and he led the league in wins and shutouts with 40 and six respectively.

His 2.42 GAA was the second lowest in the league.

He was awarded the Calder Memorial Trophy as the NHL's top rookie and he was named to the NHL First All-Star Team.

During his sophomore season, Crozier missed the team's couple of games due to pancreatitis.

In 64 games that year, he posted 27 wins and led the league with seven shutouts, and the Red Wings clinched a spot in the playoffs.

After eliminating the Black Hawks in the semi-finals, the Red Wings squared off against the Montreal Canadiens in the 1966 Stanley Cup Finals.

His health problems led to his retirement in 1976–77 and he joined the Capitals' front office shortly after.

Crozier left the Capitals in 1983 to work for MBNA bank.

In 2000, MBNA unveiled a new trophy called the Roger Crozier Saving Grace Award which was awarded annually from to to the goaltender with the best save percentage during the regular season in the NHL.The Buffalo Sports Hall of Fame inducted Crozier in 2009.

Crozier was born and raised in the town of Bracebridge, Ontario.

He was one of fourteen children of Lloyd and Mildred Crozier (née Austin).

At the age of six, Crozier began playing goaltender, a position that he would grow to "like".

Identified as a "special goaltending talent" by his town's senior hockey team, the Bracebridge Bears, he became their starting goaltender at the age of 14.