Greg Oliver - The Goaltenders Union: Hockeys Greatest Puckstoppers, Acrobats, and Flakes

PHOTO SECTION

Frank Brimsek, as Mr. Zero rhymes with hero for this young fan. (Courtesy Trustees of the Boston Public Library, Leslie Jones Collection)

Gump Worsley gets treated by trainer Frank Pace for severed tendons in his hand in February 1960. ( IHA/Icon SMI)

Gordie Howe lines up to the right of his Houston Aeros goaltender Ron Grahame. (Courtesy Charlotte Grahame)

Charlie Hodge tended net for the expansion Oakland Seals in the 196768 season. ( IHA/Icon SMI)

Both Jari Kurri of the Oilers and Murray Bannerman of the Hawks look to see where the puck went. ( IHA/Icon SMI)

In New York with the Rangers, the scrutiny on Gilles Gratton was intense. ( IHA/Icon SMI)

Cleveland Barons goalie Gilles Meloche scrambles to get to his feet as Jim Neilson comes in to help against the Bruins during the 197677 season. ( IHA/Icon SMI)

John Davidson of the New York Rangers steers the Islanders Clark Gillies away from the net. ( Mecca/Hockey Hall of Fame)

Martin Brodeur concentrates on the puck, allowing Devils captain Scott Niedermayer to do his job. ( George Tahinos)

Team Canada's Carey Price consoles Jonathan Quick of Team USA at the 2014 Olympics in Sochi, Russia, after Canada won 10 to advance to the gold medal game. ( QMI Agency/Zumapress/Icon SMI)

To our favourite goalies growing up.

For Greg, it was easily Ken Dryden, though Michel Bunny Larocque was always a close secondhe was stuck behind Dryden on the Canadiens bench and had an unforgettable nickname.

For Richard, it was Bob Essensa of the Jets, whom he got to interview for this book; special mention goes to the chirpy and positive Allan Bester, Torontos acrobatic underdogthe complete opposite of Richard, who is decidedly more Ron Hextalllike.

INTRODUCTION

The Goaltenders Union is not an imaginary code or a joke shared among forwards and defencemen. Its an unofficial but very real brotherhood and support group for those who put themselves in harms way as they bravely and stoically guard their teams net.

We all got along real well. We got together, had a beer, and discussed the shooters, Chuck Rayner, the star goaltender of the New York Rangers in the 1940s and early 50s, said of the small circle of goalies in his era.

Terry Sawchuk, a staunch admirer of Rayner, saw his hero in top form from the other end of the ice as he shut out Detroit in a 1-0 victory. Sawchuk skated over to congratulate Rayner at the final buzzer.

Chuck Rayner is the best, thats all. Its a great thrill playing against a man you used to idolize, and when he comes up with that kind of performance, well, you just feel youve got to say something, Sawchuk said.

The Montreal Canadiens Gerry McNeil refused to take over from Bill Durnan when the latter pulled himself from the nets in a semifinal series against Rayner and his Rangers in 194950: I didnt want to take his place. Dick Irvin said, Youre playing, and I said, Im not playing unless Bill tells me to play. So Bill told me. At first Id thought he was getting kicked out. But it was him that didnt want to go out.

Cesare Maniago said he always respected his peers, perhaps not to the point of celebrating one of their big saves against his own team, but he did not find happiness if they let in a soft goal either: There would usually be a few words between goalies when you were skating around during the warm-up. Or youd be standing beside each other and youd say things like, Hows it going? Ive had a good week, or a lousy week.

Roberto Luongo of the Panthers chats with Jose Theodore of the Canadiens during an All-Star game practice in 2004. (George Tahinos)

No fiercer competition existed than that between the Canadian and Russian National Teams, especially in the early days of North American All-Star competition against the Red Army. And yet, before the first game of the 72 Summit Series, retired Montreal Canadiens great Jacques Plante, accompanied by a translator, discussed with Soviet netminder Vladislav Tretiak the shooting habits of the NHLers hed be facing that night in Montreal.

To help me visualize it, Plante showed me everything on a blackboard. Then he said goodbye and left, Tretiak wrote in his eponymous memoir. I will always be very grateful to Jacques Plante, whose suggestions helped me so much.

In 1974, Tretiak and the Soviets met another team of All-Stars, this time those of the competing World Hockey Association (WHA). Then, itd be Canadian starter Gerry Cheevers whod offer encouragement. Before the game, he would come over and hit me on the pads with his stick, his way of wishing me good luck, Tretiak wrote.

Goalies friendships also continued past their playing days and into the world of the goalie coach, where Jeff Reese, in Philadelphia, would call up Sean Burke, in Phoenix, for advice on dealing with Ilya Bryzgalov. He didnt know him, so he was just, at times, looking more for what is his personality like is he joking about that? It takes a little time to get to know Bryz, said Burke.

After a hard night for one of their peers, even the seemingly nastiest, most competitive of goalies have offered their condolences and encouraging words. After a horrendous night for the Toronto Maple Leafs, who left a young Allan Bester hung out to dry against the mighty New York Islanders, Billy Smith came calling. That would be the same Smith who wouldnt shake hands in the playoffs if his team had been eliminated, and the same Smith who used his heavy lumber as a weapon against anyone who got too close to his crease.

After the game, Bester was sitting dejected in an empty visitors dressing room still wearing half his equipment when Smith stopped by to check in on him. Its a memory Bester recalls vividly to this day: