Bill Durnan
Encyclopedia
William Ronald Durnan was a Canadian professional ice hockey
goaltender
who played for the Montreal Canadiens
in the National Hockey League
(NHL).
, but accomplished much in his short career. Durnan was the recipient of the Vezina Trophy
as top goaltender
in each of his first four seasons, from 1943-44 to 1946-47, becoming the first to capture the award in four successive seasons. A poor season by the Montreal Canadiens
in 1947-48 allowed Turk Broda
of the Toronto Maple Leafs
to end Durnan's streak. Durnan, however, returned to prominence the next season, capturing his fifth and sixth Vezina Trophies
in 1948-49 and 1949-50. Durnan would also be selected to the First Team All-Star six times during his career, including four consecutive selections from 1944–47.
During the 1947-48 season
, Durnan served as the Canadiens' captain. However, he left the crease so often to argue calls that other teams claimed he was giving the Canadiens unscheduled timeouts. After the season, the NHL passed a rule barring goaltenders from performing the duties of captain, known as the "Durnan Rule."
Following the 1949–50 NHL season, at the age of 35, Durnan retired, no longer able to stand the stress of playing professional hockey. He later went into coaching, most notably with the Ottawa Senators of the QSHL
in 1950–51, and the Kitchener-Waterloo Dutchmen of the OHA in 1958–59.
Durnan set a long-standing modern NHL
record between February 26 and March 6, 1949, when he amassed four consecutive shutout
s, not allowing a goal over a span of 309 minutes, 21 seconds. This record stood until 2004, when Brian Boucher
, then of the Phoenix Coyotes
, broke it.
He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame
in 1964. In 383 regular-season games, Durnan had 208 wins, and 112 losses, with 34 shutouts and a 2.36 goals-against average. He had 27 wins, and 12 losses, with two shutouts and a 2.07 average in 45 playoff games. Durnan also won the 1940 Allan Cup
with the Kirkland Lake Blue Devils. He died of kidney failure
on October 31, 1972. He suffered from diabetes in his last years and his health had been failing steadily.
goalie, equally adept at using his right or left hand (he wore special gloves that permitted him to catch with either hand while still holding his stick
). Until Roberto Luongo
was named captain of the Vancouver Canucks on September 30, 2008, he was the last goalie to be a captain in the National Hockey League, and one of seven in history.
Ice hockey
Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
goaltender
Goaltender
In ice hockey, the goaltender is the player who defends his team's goal net by stopping shots of the puck from entering his team's net, thus preventing the opposing team from scoring...
who played for the Montreal Canadiens
Montreal Canadiens
The Montreal Canadiens are a professional ice hockey team based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The club is officially known as ...
in the National Hockey League
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States...
(NHL).
Playing career
Durnan, whom John McGourty of NHL.com refers to as "the greatest nearly forgotten player in the history of the NHL," only played seven seasons in the NHLNational Hockey League
The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States...
, but accomplished much in his short career. Durnan was the recipient of the Vezina Trophy
Vezina Trophy
The Vezina Trophy is awarded annually to the National Hockey League's goaltender who is "adjudged to be the best at this position". At the end of each season, the 30 General Managers of the teams in the National Hockey League vote to determine the goaltender who was the most valuable to his team...
as top goaltender
Goaltender
In ice hockey, the goaltender is the player who defends his team's goal net by stopping shots of the puck from entering his team's net, thus preventing the opposing team from scoring...
in each of his first four seasons, from 1943-44 to 1946-47, becoming the first to capture the award in four successive seasons. A poor season by the Montreal Canadiens
Montreal Canadiens
The Montreal Canadiens are a professional ice hockey team based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The club is officially known as ...
in 1947-48 allowed Turk Broda
Turk Broda
Walter "Turk" Broda was an ice hockey goaltender, playing his entire career for the Toronto Maple Leafs of the National Hockey League . Broda was born in Brandon, Manitoba to a Ukrainian family; joining the Maple Leafs in 1936.-Personal:...
of the Toronto Maple Leafs
Toronto Maple Leafs
The Toronto Maple Leafs are a professional ice hockey team based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
to end Durnan's streak. Durnan, however, returned to prominence the next season, capturing his fifth and sixth Vezina Trophies
Vezina Trophy
The Vezina Trophy is awarded annually to the National Hockey League's goaltender who is "adjudged to be the best at this position". At the end of each season, the 30 General Managers of the teams in the National Hockey League vote to determine the goaltender who was the most valuable to his team...
in 1948-49 and 1949-50. Durnan would also be selected to the First Team All-Star six times during his career, including four consecutive selections from 1944–47.
During the 1947-48 season
1947-48 NHL season
-NHL awards:-All-Star teams:-Scoring leaders:GP = Games Played, G = Goals, A = Assists, Pts = Points-Leading goaltenders:GP = Games Played, TOI = Time On Ice , GA = Goals Against, SO = Shutouts, GAA = Goals Against Average-Debuts:...
, Durnan served as the Canadiens' captain. However, he left the crease so often to argue calls that other teams claimed he was giving the Canadiens unscheduled timeouts. After the season, the NHL passed a rule barring goaltenders from performing the duties of captain, known as the "Durnan Rule."
Following the 1949–50 NHL season, at the age of 35, Durnan retired, no longer able to stand the stress of playing professional hockey. He later went into coaching, most notably with the Ottawa Senators of the QSHL
Quebec Senior Hockey League
The Quebec Senior Hockey League was an ice hockey league that operated between 1941 and 1959 in Québec, Canada. From 1941, it operated on an amateur basis, before becoming the semi-professional Quebec Hockey League in 1953...
in 1950–51, and the Kitchener-Waterloo Dutchmen of the OHA in 1958–59.
Durnan set a long-standing modern NHL
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States...
record between February 26 and March 6, 1949, when he amassed four consecutive shutout
Shutout
In team sports, a shutout refers to a game in which one team prevents the opposing team from scoring. While possible in most major sports, they are highly improbable in some sports, such as basketball....
s, not allowing a goal over a span of 309 minutes, 21 seconds. This record stood until 2004, when Brian Boucher
Brian Boucher
Brian "Boosh" Boucher is an American professional ice hockey goaltender for the Carolina Hurricanes of the National Hockey League .-Playing career:...
, then of the Phoenix Coyotes
Phoenix Coyotes
The Phoenix Coyotes are a professional ice hockey team based in Glendale, Arizona. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . They play their home games at Jobing.com Arena....
, broke it.
He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame
Hockey Hall of Fame
The Hockey Hall of Fame is located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Dedicated to the history of ice hockey, it is both a museum and a hall of fame. It holds exhibits about players, teams, National Hockey League records, memorabilia and NHL trophies, including the Stanley Cup...
in 1964. In 383 regular-season games, Durnan had 208 wins, and 112 losses, with 34 shutouts and a 2.36 goals-against average. He had 27 wins, and 12 losses, with two shutouts and a 2.07 average in 45 playoff games. Durnan also won the 1940 Allan Cup
Allan Cup
The Allan Cup is the trophy awarded annually to the national senior amateur men’s ice hockey champions of Canada. It has been competed for since 1909. The current champion is the Clarenville Caribous hockey club of Newfoundland and Labrador.-History:...
with the Kirkland Lake Blue Devils. He died of kidney failure
Renal failure
Renal failure or kidney failure describes a medical condition in which the kidneys fail to adequately filter toxins and waste products from the blood...
on October 31, 1972. He suffered from diabetes in his last years and his health had been failing steadily.
Miscellaneous
Durnan was an ambidextrousAmbidexterity
Ambidexterity is the state of being equally adept in the use of both left and right appendages . It is one of the most famous varieties of cross-dominance. People that are naturally ambidextrous are rare, with only one out of one hundred people being naturally ambidextrous...
goalie, equally adept at using his right or left hand (he wore special gloves that permitted him to catch with either hand while still holding his stick
Hockey stick
A hockey stick is a piece of equipment used in field hockey, ice hockey or roller hockey to move the ball or puck.- Field hockey :Field hockey sticks have an end which varies in shape, often depending on the players position...
). Until Roberto Luongo
Roberto Luongo
Roberto Luongo is a Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender for the Vancouver Canucks of the National Hockey League . Born in Montreal, Quebec, he is of Italian and Irish ancestry. He employs the butterfly style of goaltending...
was named captain of the Vancouver Canucks on September 30, 2008, he was the last goalie to be a captain in the National Hockey League, and one of seven in history.
Awards
- Allan CupAllan CupThe Allan Cup is the trophy awarded annually to the national senior amateur men’s ice hockey champions of Canada. It has been competed for since 1909. The current champion is the Clarenville Caribous hockey club of Newfoundland and Labrador.-History:...
champion in 1940. - NHL First All-Star Team goalie in 1944, 1945, 1946, 1947, 1949, 1950.
- Won the Vezina TrophyVezina TrophyThe Vezina Trophy is awarded annually to the National Hockey League's goaltender who is "adjudged to be the best at this position". At the end of each season, the 30 General Managers of the teams in the National Hockey League vote to determine the goaltender who was the most valuable to his team...
in 1944, 1945, 1946, 1947, 1949, 1950. - Played in NHL All-Star Game in 1947, 1948, 1949.
- Stanley CupStanley CupThe Stanley Cup is an ice hockey club trophy, awarded annually to the National Hockey League playoffs champion after the conclusion of the Stanley Cup Finals. It has been referred to as The Cup, Lord Stanley's Cup, The Holy Grail, or facetiously as Lord Stanley's Mug...
champion in 19441944 Stanley Cup Finals-See also:* 1943–44 NHL season* 1943–44 Chicago Black Hawks season* 1943–44 Montreal Canadiens season* List of Stanley Cup champions-References and notes:...
, 19461946 Stanley Cup Finals-Montreal Canadiens 1946 Stanley Cup champions:-References & notes:* Podnieks, Andrew; Hockey Hall of Fame . Lord Stanley's Cup. Bolton, Ont.: Fenn Pub. pp 12, 50. ISBN 978-1-55168-261-7...
. - Inducted into the Hockey Hall of FameHockey Hall of FameThe Hockey Hall of Fame is located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Dedicated to the history of ice hockey, it is both a museum and a hall of fame. It holds exhibits about players, teams, National Hockey League records, memorabilia and NHL trophies, including the Stanley Cup...
in 1964. - In 1998, he was ranked number 34 on The Hockey NewsThe Hockey NewsThe Hockey News, commonly abbreviated to THN, is a North American ice hockey magazine published by Transcontinental. The Hockey News was founded in 1947 by Ken McKenzie and Bill Côté, and has since been the most recognized hockey publication in North America...
list of the 100 Greatest Hockey Players, despite the relative brevity of his career.
Career statistics
| Season Season (sports) In an organized sports league, a season is the portion of one year in which regulated games of the sport are in session. For example, in Major League Baseball, one season lasts approximately from April 1 through October 1; in Association football, it is generally from August until May In an... |
Team | League | GP | W | L | T | MIN | GA | SO | GAA Goals against average Goals Against Average is a statistic used in ice hockey, water polo, lacrosse, and soccer that is the mean of goals allowed per game by a goaltender.... |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1931-32 | North Toronto Juniors | TJHL | 8 | — | — | — | 480 | 17 | 1 | 2.12 |
| 1932-33 | Sudbury Wolves Sudbury Wolves The Sudbury Wolves are the name of the ice hockey team from Sudbury, Ontario. Sudbury has had a hockey team known as the "Wolves" nearly every year since World War I. The Sudbury Wolves, the senior men's AAA team, have twice been chosen to be Canada's representatives at the Ice Hockey World... |
NOHA Northern Ontario Hockey Association The Northern Ontario Hockey Association is minor and junior level ice hockey governing body. The NOHA is sanctioned by the Ontario Hockey Federation and Hockey Canada. The major league run by the NOHA is the Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League of the Canadian Junior A Hockey League... |
6 | — | — | — | 360 | 6 | 2 | 1.00 |
| 1933-34 | Toronto Torontos | TIHL | 11 | — | — | — | 660 | 21 | 4 | 1.91 |
| 1933-34 | Toronto British Consol | TMHL | 15 | 12 | 2 | 1 | 910 | 31 | 1 | 2.04 |
| 1933-34 | Toronto All-Stars | TIHL | 2 | — | — | — | 120 | 9 | 0 | 4.50 |
| 1934-35 | Toronto McColl | TMHL | 15 | — | — | — | 900 | 62 | 0 | 4.13 |
| 1935-36 | Toronto Dominions | TMHL | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 60 | 6 | 0 | 6.00 |
| 1936-37 | Kirkland Lake Blue Devils | NOHA | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 240 | 5 | 0 | 1.25 |
| 1937-38 | Kirkland Lake Blue Devils | NOHA | 11 | 8 | 1 | 1 | 610 | 27 | 1 | 2.66 |
| 1938-39 | Kirkland Lake Blue Devils | NOHA | 7 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 420 | 7 | 3 | 1.00 |
| 1940-41 | Montreal Royals | QSHL Quebec Senior Hockey League The Quebec Senior Hockey League was an ice hockey league that operated between 1941 and 1959 in Québec, Canada. From 1941, it operated on an amateur basis, before becoming the semi-professional Quebec Hockey League in 1953... |
34 | — | — | — | 2000 | 100 | 1 | 3.00 |
| 1941-42 | Montreal Royals | QSHL | 39 | — | — | — | 2340 | 143 | 0 | 3.67 |
| 1942-43 | Montreal Royals | QSHL | 31 | — | — | — | 1860 | 130 | 0 | 4.19 |
| 1943–44 | Montreal Canadiens Montreal Canadiens The Montreal Canadiens are a professional ice hockey team based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The club is officially known as ... |
NHL National Hockey League The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States... |
50 | 38 | 5 | 7 | 3000 | 109 | 2 | 2.18 |
| 1944–45 | Montreal Canadiens | NHL | 50 | 38 | 8 | 4 | 3000 | 121 | 1 | 2.42 |
| 1945–46 | Montreal Canadiens | NHL | 40 | 24 | 11 | 5 | 2400 | 104 | 4 | 2.60 |
| 1946–47 | Montreal Canadiens | NHL | 60 | 34 | 16 | 10 | 3600 | 138 | 4 | 2.30 |
| 1947–48 | Montreal Canadiens | NHL | 59 | 20 | 28 | 10 | 3505 | 162 | 5 | 2.77 |
| 1948–49 | Montreal Canadiens | NHL | 60 | 28 | 23 | 9 | 3600 | 126 | 10 | 2.10 |
| 1949–50 | Montreal Canadiens | NHL | 64 | 26 | 21 | 17 | 3840 | 141 | 8 | 2.20 |
| NHL totals | 383 | 208 | 112 | 62 | 22,945 | 901 | 34 | 2.36 | ||
Playoffs
| Season | Team | League | GP | W | L | T | MIN | GA | SO | GAA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1931-32 | North Toronto Juniors | TJHL | 4 | — | — | — | 240 | 10 | 1 | 2.50 |
| 1932-33 | Sudbury Wolves | NOHA | 2 | — | — | — | 120 | 4 | 0 | 2.00 |
| 1933-34 | Toronto Torontos | TIHL | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 60 | 5 | 0 | 5.00 |
| 1933-34 | Toronto British Consol | TMHL | 5 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 350 | 21 | 0 | 3.60 |
| 1936-37 | Kirkland Lake Blue Devils | NOHA | 4 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 240 | 8 | 1 | 2.00 |
| 1937-38 | Kirkland Lake Blue Devils | NOHA | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 120 | 2 | 1 | 1.00 |
| 1937-38 | Kirkland Lake Blue Devils | Allan Cup | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 120 | 11 | 0 | 3.50 |
| 1938-39 | Kirkland Lake Blue Devils | NOHA | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 120 | 3 | 1 | 1.50 |
| 1938-39 | Kirkland Lake Blue Devils | Allan Cup | 5 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 299 | 12 | 2 | 2.41 |
| 1939-40 | Kirkland Lake Blue Devils | Allan Cup | 17 | 14 | 1 | 2 | 1040 | 35 | 1 | 2.02 |
| 1940-41 | Montreal Royals | QSHL | 8 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 480 | 24 | 1 | 3.00 |
| 1940-41 | Montreal Royals | Allan Cup | 14 | 8 | 5 | 1 | 850 | 49 | 1 | 3.46 |
| 1942-43 | Montreal Royals | QSHL | 4 | — | — | — | 240 | 11 | 0 | 2.75 |
| 1943-44 | Montreal Canadiens | NHL | 9 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 549 | 14 | 1 | 1.53 |
| 1944-45 | Montreal Canadiens | NHL | 6 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 373 | 15 | 0 | 2.41 |
| 1945-46 | Montreal Canadiens | NHL | 9 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 581 | 20 | 0 | 2.07 |
| 1946-47 | Montreal Canadiens | NHL | 11 | 6 | 5 | 0 | 720 | 23 | 1 | 1.92 |
| 1948-49 | Montreal Canadiens | NHL | 7 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 468 | 17 | 0 | 2.18 |
| 1949-50 | Montreal Canadiens | NHL | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 180 | 10 | 0 | 3.33 |
| NHL totals | 45 | 27 | 18 | 0 | 2871 | 99 | 2 | 2.07 | ||