Roger Crozier
Encyclopedia
Roger Allan Crozier was a Canadian professional
hockey
goaltender
who played fourteen seasons in the National Hockey League
for the Detroit Red Wings
, Buffalo Sabres
and Washington Capitals
.
Crozier spent his junior career playing for the St. Catharines Teepees
of the Ontario Hockey Association
from 1959 to 1962. In 1960, Crozier led his team to the Memorial Cup
Championship. He spent most of his first pro season playing in the EPHL for the Syracuse/St. Louis Braves. In 1963 he joined the Detroit Red Wings
organization, playing 44 games for their AHL
affiliate, the Pittsburgh Hornets. Crozier also made his NHL
debut that season getting called up for 15 games with the parent Detroit Red Wings
club.
In his first full NHL season of 1964-1965, Crozier started all 70 games for the Red Wings, leading the league with 40 wins and six shutouts. At the end of the season, Crozier was awarded the Calder Memorial Trophy
as the league's top rookie. The following season, Crozier and the Red Wings made it to the Stanley Cup
final against the Montreal Canadiens
. Detroit lost the series in six games, but Crozier's efforts in net earned him the Conn Smythe Trophy
as Stanley Cup playoffs' Most Valuable Player, becoming the first player to win the Conn Smythe Trophy in a losing effort. Crozier played eight seasons with Detroit, missing portions of three seasons due to pancreatitis
.
In the 1970 NHL Expansion Draft
, Buffalo Sabres
General Manager "Punch" Imlach drafted Tom Webster from Boston and promptly dealt him to Detroit for Crozier. Crozier started the Sabres' first NHL game ever on October 10, 1970 against the Pittsburgh Penguins
. Crozier turned away 35 of 36 shots to earn the franchise's first victory, 2-1. His early years in Buffalo were marked by games with high numbers of shots. During the 1971-1972 season, he turned away 2,190 shots, which is still the team's record for shots faced by a goalie in a single season.
In the 1974-75 season, Crozier and Gerry Desjardins
shared goaltending duties as the Sabres won the Adams Division
for the first time in franchise history. The Sabres went on to face the Philadelphia Flyers
in the Stanley Cup finals. Crozier played in two games in the series, which the Sabres lost in six.
In 1977, Crozier was traded to the Washington Capitals
, retiring after three games. He served in the Capitals' front office and eventually became interim general manager during the 1981-1982 season after Max McNab
was relieved of his duties, also serving as head coach for one game. Under his watch, the Capitals would pick Scott Stevens
during the 1982 NHL Entry Draft
.
In 1980, Crozier was the first player inducted into the Buffalo Sabres Hall of Fame.
In his NHL career, he played in 518 regular season games, earning 206 wins and 30 shutouts. He had a career goals against average of 3.04.
After his career, he returned to the Buffalo
area. He eventually moved to Wilmington
, Delaware
, where he rose to the level of executive vice president of Worldwide Facilities and Construction at MBNA Bank, a position he held at the time of his death.
Roger Crozier died after a battle with cancer
on January 11, 1996, aged 53. In 2000, the NHL unveiled the Roger Crozier Saving Grace Award
given annually to the goaltender who posts the best save percentage in each season.
Professional
A professional is a person who is paid to undertake a specialised set of tasks and to complete them for a fee. The traditional professions were doctors, lawyers, clergymen, and commissioned military officers. Today, the term is applied to estate agents, surveyors , environmental scientists,...
hockey
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 fourteen seasons 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...
for the Detroit Red Wings
Detroit Red Wings
The Detroit Red Wings are a professional ice hockey team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League , and are one of the Original Six teams of the NHL, along with the Toronto Maple Leafs, Montreal Canadiens, New York...
, Buffalo Sabres
Buffalo Sabres
The Buffalo Sabres are a professional ice hockey team based in Buffalo, New York. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League .-Founding and early success: 1970-71—1980-81:...
and Washington Capitals
Washington Capitals
The Washington Capitals are a professional ice hockey team based in Washington, D.C. They are members of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . Since their founding in 1974, "The Caps" have won one conference championship to reach the 1998 Stanley Cup...
.
Playing career
Roger Crozier was identified as a special goaltending talent at an early age. He was recruited by his town's senior hockey team as the starting goaltender at age 14.Crozier spent his junior career playing for the St. Catharines Teepees
Saginaw Spirit
The Saginaw Spirit is a major junior ice hockey team based in Saginaw, Michigan. They are members of the West Division of the Western Conference of the Ontario Hockey League , one of the Major Junior leagues of the Canadian Hockey League ....
of the Ontario Hockey Association
Ontario Hockey Association
The Ontario Hockey Association is the governing body for the majority of Junior and Senior level ice hockey teams in the Province of Ontario. The OHA is sanctioned by the Ontario Hockey Federation along with the Northern Ontario Hockey Association. Other Ontario sanctioning bodies along with the...
from 1959 to 1962. In 1960, Crozier led his team to the Memorial Cup
Memorial Cup
The Memorial Cup is a junior ice hockey club championship trophy awarded annually to the Canadian Hockey League champion. It is awarded following a four-team, round robin tournament between a host team and the champions of the CHL's three member leagues: the Ontario Hockey League , Quebec Major...
Championship. He spent most of his first pro season playing in the EPHL for the Syracuse/St. Louis Braves. In 1963 he joined the Detroit Red Wings
Detroit Red Wings
The Detroit Red Wings are a professional ice hockey team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League , and are one of the Original Six teams of the NHL, along with the Toronto Maple Leafs, Montreal Canadiens, New York...
organization, playing 44 games for their AHL
American Hockey League
The American Hockey League is a 30-team professional ice hockey league based in the United States and Canada that serves as the primary developmental circuit for the National Hockey League...
affiliate, the Pittsburgh Hornets. Crozier also made his 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...
debut that season getting called up for 15 games with the parent Detroit Red Wings
Detroit Red Wings
The Detroit Red Wings are a professional ice hockey team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League , and are one of the Original Six teams of the NHL, along with the Toronto Maple Leafs, Montreal Canadiens, New York...
club.
In his first full NHL season of 1964-1965, Crozier started all 70 games for the Red Wings, leading the league with 40 wins and six shutouts. At the end of the season, Crozier was awarded the Calder Memorial Trophy
Calder Memorial Trophy
The Calder Memorial Trophy is an annual award given "to the player selected as the most proficient in his first year of competition in the National Hockey League." The Rookie of the Year trophy has been awarded 79 times since its creation for the 1936–37 NHL season...
as the league's top rookie. The following season, Crozier and the Red Wings made it to the Stanley Cup
Stanley Cup
The 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...
final against 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 ...
. Detroit lost the series in six games, but Crozier's efforts in net earned him the Conn Smythe Trophy
Conn Smythe Trophy
The Conn Smythe Trophy is awarded annually to the player judged most valuable to his team during the National Hockey League's Stanley Cup playoffs. The Conn Smythe Trophy has been awarded 46 times to 40 players since the 1964–65 NHL season...
as Stanley Cup playoffs' Most Valuable Player, becoming the first player to win the Conn Smythe Trophy in a losing effort. Crozier played eight seasons with Detroit, missing portions of three seasons due to pancreatitis
Pancreatitis
Pancreatitis is inflammation of the pancreas. It occurs when pancreatic enzymes that digest food are activated in the pancreas instead of the small intestine. It may be acute – beginning suddenly and lasting a few days, or chronic – occurring over many years...
.
In the 1970 NHL Expansion Draft
1970 NHL Expansion Draft
The 1970 NHL Expansion Draft was held on June 9, 1970. The draft took place to fill the rosters of the league's two expansion teams for the 1970–71 season, the Buffalo Sabres and the Vancouver Canucks.-Draft results:-Trades:...
, Buffalo Sabres
Buffalo Sabres
The Buffalo Sabres are a professional ice hockey team based in Buffalo, New York. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League .-Founding and early success: 1970-71—1980-81:...
General Manager "Punch" Imlach drafted Tom Webster from Boston and promptly dealt him to Detroit for Crozier. Crozier started the Sabres' first NHL game ever on October 10, 1970 against the Pittsburgh Penguins
Pittsburgh Penguins
The Pittsburgh Penguins are a professional ice hockey team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The franchise was founded in 1967 as one of the first expansion teams during the league's original...
. Crozier turned away 35 of 36 shots to earn the franchise's first victory, 2-1. His early years in Buffalo were marked by games with high numbers of shots. During the 1971-1972 season, he turned away 2,190 shots, which is still the team's record for shots faced by a goalie in a single season.
In the 1974-75 season, Crozier and Gerry Desjardins
Gerry Desjardins
Gerard Ferdinand Desjardins is a Canadian former ice hockey goaltender who played in the National Hockey League for the Los Angeles Kings, Chicago Black Hawks, New York Islanders, and Buffalo Sabres, and also played one season in the World Hockey Association.- References :...
shared goaltending duties as the Sabres won the Adams Division
Adams Division
The NHL's Adams Division was formed in 1974 as part of the Prince of Wales Conference. The division existed for 19 seasons until 1993. It was named in honor of Charles Francis Adams, the founder of the Boston Bruins...
for the first time in franchise history. The Sabres went on to face the Philadelphia Flyers
Philadelphia Flyers
The Philadelphia Flyers are a professional ice hockey team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
in the Stanley Cup finals. Crozier played in two games in the series, which the Sabres lost in six.
In 1977, Crozier was traded to the Washington Capitals
Washington Capitals
The Washington Capitals are a professional ice hockey team based in Washington, D.C. They are members of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . Since their founding in 1974, "The Caps" have won one conference championship to reach the 1998 Stanley Cup...
, retiring after three games. He served in the Capitals' front office and eventually became interim general manager during the 1981-1982 season after Max McNab
Max McNab
Maxwell Douglas McNab was a Canadian ice hockey player, coach, and NHL general manager. He was born in Watson, Saskatchewan...
was relieved of his duties, also serving as head coach for one game. Under his watch, the Capitals would pick Scott Stevens
Scott Stevens
Ronald Scott Stevens is a retired professional ice hockey defenceman. Stevens played 22 seasons in the National Hockey League for the Washington Capitals, St. Louis Blues, and the New Jersey Devils...
during the 1982 NHL Entry Draft
1982 NHL Entry Draft
The 1982 NHL Entry Draft was held at the Montreal Forum in Montreal, Quebec. The National Hockey League teams selected 252 players eligible for entry into professional ranks, in the reverse order of the 1981–82 NHL season and playoff standings. This is the list of those players...
.
In 1980, Crozier was the first player inducted into the Buffalo Sabres Hall of Fame.
In his NHL career, he played in 518 regular season games, earning 206 wins and 30 shutouts. He had a career goals against average of 3.04.
After his career, he returned to the Buffalo
Buffalo, New York
Buffalo is the second most populous city in the state of New York, after New York City. Located in Western New York on the eastern shores of Lake Erie and at the head of the Niagara River across from Fort Erie, Ontario, Buffalo is the seat of Erie County and the principal city of the...
area. He eventually moved to Wilmington
Wilmington, Delaware
Wilmington is the largest city in the state of Delaware, United States, and is located at the confluence of the Christina River and Brandywine Creek, near where the Christina flows into the Delaware River. It is the county seat of New Castle County and one of the major cities in the Delaware Valley...
, Delaware
Delaware
Delaware is a U.S. state located on the Atlantic Coast in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It is bordered to the south and west by Maryland, and to the north by Pennsylvania...
, where he rose to the level of executive vice president of Worldwide Facilities and Construction at MBNA Bank, a position he held at the time of his death.
Roger Crozier died after a battle with cancer
Cancer
Cancer , known medically as a malignant neoplasm, is a large group of different diseases, all involving unregulated cell growth. In cancer, cells divide and grow uncontrollably, forming malignant tumors, and invade nearby parts of the body. The cancer may also spread to more distant parts of the...
on January 11, 1996, aged 53. In 2000, the NHL unveiled the Roger Crozier Saving Grace Award
Roger Crozier Saving Grace Award
The Roger Crozier Saving Grace Award, officially billed as the MBNA/Mastercard Roger Crozier Saving Grace Award, is an award in ice hockey given annually to the goaltender who finished the regular season with the best save percentage in the National Hockey League . Only goaltenders who played 25...
given annually to the goaltender who posts the best save percentage in each season.
Awards and achievements
- OHAOntario Hockey AssociationThe Ontario Hockey Association is the governing body for the majority of Junior and Senior level ice hockey teams in the Province of Ontario. The OHA is sanctioned by the Ontario Hockey Federation along with the Northern Ontario Hockey Association. Other Ontario sanctioning bodies along with the...
-Jr. First All-Star Team with the St. Catharines TeepeesSt. Catharines TeepeesThe St. Catharines Teepees were a junior ice hockey team in the Ontario Hockey Association from 1947 to 1962. The team was based in St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada.-History:...
, 1960, 1961, 1962 - Named on the AHLAmerican Hockey LeagueThe American Hockey League is a 30-team professional ice hockey league based in the United States and Canada that serves as the primary developmental circuit for the National Hockey League...
Second All-Star Team with the Pittsburgh Hornets, 19641963–64 AHL seasonThe 1963–64 AHL season was the 28th season of the American Hockey League. Nine teams played 72 games each in the schedule. The Quebec Aces finished first overall in the regular season... - Winner of the Harry "Hap" Holmes Memorial Award (AHL Fewest goals against) with the Pittsburgh Hornets, 1964
- Winner of the Dudley "Red" Garrett Memorial Award (AHL Top Rookie) with the Pittsburgh Hornets, 1964
- 1965 - Calder Memorial TrophyCalder Memorial TrophyThe Calder Memorial Trophy is an annual award given "to the player selected as the most proficient in his first year of competition in the National Hockey League." The Rookie of the Year trophy has been awarded 79 times since its creation for the 1936–37 NHL season...
(NHL Rookie of the Year) - 1966 - Conn Smythe TrophyConn Smythe TrophyThe Conn Smythe Trophy is awarded annually to the player judged most valuable to his team during the National Hockey League's Stanley Cup playoffs. The Conn Smythe Trophy has been awarded 46 times to 40 players since the 1964–65 NHL season...
(NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs Most Valuable Player)
Regular season
| 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.... |
SV% Save percentage Save percentage is an ice hockey and lacrosse statistic that represents the percentage of shots on goal a goaltender stops... |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1959–60 | St. Catharines Teepees St. Catharines Teepees The St. Catharines Teepees were a junior ice hockey team in the Ontario Hockey Association from 1947 to 1962. The team was based in St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada.-History:... |
OHA Ontario Hockey Association The Ontario Hockey Association is the governing body for the majority of Junior and Senior level ice hockey teams in the Province of Ontario. The OHA is sanctioned by the Ontario Hockey Federation along with the Northern Ontario Hockey Association. Other Ontario sanctioning bodies along with the... |
48 | 25 | 19 | 4 | 2880 | 191 | 1 | 3.98 | — |
| 1960–61 | St. Catharines Teepees | OHA | 48 | 18 | 24 | 6 | 2880 | 204 | 0 | 4.25 | — |
| 1960–61 1960–61 AHL season The 1960–61 AHL season was the 25th season of the American Hockey League. Seven teams played 72 games each in the schedule. The All-Star Game was not played, and put on hold until resurrected in the 1994–95 AHL season... |
Buffalo Bisons Buffalo Bisons The Buffalo Bisons are a minor league baseball team based in Buffalo, New York. They currently play in the International League and are the Triple-A affiliate of the New York Mets... |
AHL American Hockey League The American Hockey League is a 30-team professional ice hockey league based in the United States and Canada that serves as the primary developmental circuit for the National Hockey League... |
3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 130 | 5 | 0 | 2.31 | — |
| 1961–62 | St. Catharines Teepees | OHA | 45 | — | — | — | 2670 | 174 | 1 | 3.91 | — |
| 1961–62 | Sault Ste. Marie Thunderbirds Sault Thunderbirds The Sault Thunderbirds were a professional ice hockey team in the Eastern Professional Hockey League from 1959 to 1962. The Thunderbirds were based in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, and played at the Sault Memorial Gardens.-Hockey Hall of Fame Members:... |
EPHL | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 180 | 12 | 0 | 4.00 | — |
| 1961–62 1961–62 AHL season The 1961–62 AHL season was the 26th season of the American Hockey League. The league initiates the James C. Hendy Memorial Award for outstanding team or league executives. The league resumes East and West Divisions. The John D. Chick Trophy is first awarded for the West Division champions of the... |
Buffalo Bisons | AHL | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 60 | 4 | 0 | 4.00 | — |
| 1962–63 | St. Louis Braves St. Louis Braves The St. Louis Braves were a minor league hockey club located in St. Louis, Missouri. The team originated as the Syracuse Braves in the Eastern Professional Hockey League's final season of 1962–63. The team was moved to St. Louis mid-season, and continued in the new Central Hockey League after the... |
EPHL | 70 | 26 | 35 | 9 | 4200 | 299 | 1 | 4.27 | — |
| 1962–63 1962–63 AHL season The 1962–63 AHL season was the 27th season of the American Hockey League. Nine teams played 72 games each in the schedule. The Buffalo Bisons finished first overall in the regular season, and won their fourth Calder Cup championship.-Team changes:... |
Buffalo Bisons | AHL | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 240 | 10 | 0 | 2.50 | — |
| 1963–64 1963–64 AHL season The 1963–64 AHL season was the 28th season of the American Hockey League. Nine teams played 72 games each in the schedule. The Quebec Aces finished first overall in the regular season... |
Pittsburgh Hornets | AHL | 44 | 30 | 13 | 1 | 2640 | 103 | 4 | 2.34 | — |
| 1963–64 | Detroit Red Wings Detroit Red Wings The Detroit Red Wings are a professional ice hockey team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League , and are one of the Original Six teams of the NHL, along with the Toronto Maple Leafs, Montreal Canadiens, New York... |
NHL | 15 | 5 | 6 | 4 | 900 | 51 | 2 | 3.40 | .900 |
| 1964–65 | Detroit Red Wings | NHL | 70 | 40 | 22 | 7 | 4168 | 168 | 6 | 2.42 | .913 |
| 1965–66 | Detroit Red Wings | NHL | 64 | 27 | 24 | 12 | 3734 | 173 | 7 | 2.78 | .904 |
| 1966–67 | Detroit Red Wings | NHL | 58 | 22 | 29 | 4 | 3256 | 182 | 4 | 3.35 | .895 |
| 1967–68 | Fort Worth Wings | CPHL CPHL CPHL may refer to:*Central Hockey League , a minor pro ice hockey league that operated in North America*Canadian Professional Hockey League, a minor pro league that operated predominantly in Canada from 1926 through 1929... |
5 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 265 | 12 | 0 | 2.49 | .909 |
| 1967–68 | Detroit Red Wings | NHL | 34 | 9 | 18 | 2 | 1729 | 95 | 1 | 3.30 | — |
| 1968–69 | Detroit Red Wings | NHL | 38 | 12 | 16 | 3 | 1820 | 101 | 0 | 3.33 | — |
| 1969–70 | Detroit Red Wings | NHL | 34 | 16 | 6 | 9 | 1877 | 83 | 0 | 2.65 | — |
| 1970–71 | Buffalo Sabres Buffalo Sabres The Buffalo Sabres are a professional ice hockey team based in Buffalo, New York. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League .-Founding and early success: 1970-71—1980-81:... |
NHL | 44 | 9 | 20 | 7 | 2198 | 135 | 1 | 3.68 | .900 |
| 1971–72 | Buffalo Sabres | NHL | 63 | 13 | 34 | 14 | 3654 | 214 | 2 | 3.51 | -- |
| 1972–73 | Buffalo Sabres | NHL | 49 | 23 | 13 | 7 | 2633 | 121 | 3 | 2.76 | — |
| 1973–74 | Buffalo Sabres | NHL | 12 | 4 | 5 | 0 | 615 | 39 | 0 | 3.80 | — |
| 1974–75 | Buffalo Sabres | NHL | 23 | 17 | 2 | 1 | 1260 | 55 | 3 | 2.62 | .904 |
| 1975–76 | Buffalo Sabres | NHL | 11 | 8 | 2 | 0 | 620 | 27 | 1 | 2.61 | .888 |
| 1976–77 | Washington Capitals Washington Capitals The Washington Capitals are a professional ice hockey team based in Washington, D.C. They are members of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . Since their founding in 1974, "The Caps" have won one conference championship to reach the 1998 Stanley Cup... |
NHL | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 103 | 2 | 0 | 1.17 | — |
| NHL totals | 518 | 206 | 197 | 70 | 28,567 | 1446 | 30 | 3.03 | -- | ||
Playoffs
| Season | Team | League | GP | W | L | T | MIN | GA | SO | GAA | SV% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1959-60 | St. Catharines Teepees | OHA | 17 | ||||||||