{"id":20,"date":"2023-10-30T15:57:00","date_gmt":"2023-10-30T15:57:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.hockey-reference.com\/hr-blog\/?p=20"},"modified":"2025-11-02T18:10:38","modified_gmt":"2025-11-02T18:10:38","slug":"15-best-nhl-goalies-of-all-time","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.hockey-reference.com\/hr-blog\/2023\/10\/15-best-nhl-goalies-of-all-time\/","title":{"rendered":"Top 15 NHL Goalies of All Time"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

(last updated on November 2, 2025)<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Introduction<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The NHL goaltender is the most unique position player on the ice. Their primary responsibility is to keep the puck out of the net; to do this, they wear some of the most extensive personal protection in all sports. You would, too, if you had a bunch of well-trained athletes launching hard rubber projectiles at you at high velocity. The goalie’s task is to stand on their heads if they have to … in order to keep pucks from getting through the pipes. We want to salute these folks in the crease by remembering the best goalies in NHL history.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We will choose different metrics that measure a goaltender’s effectiveness to do this. Then, we will use the Stathead and Hockey-Reference database to give us the top tenders from the past 100-plus years in each statistical category.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

Quality Starts<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

This metric measures the effectiveness of a starting goaltender formulating their saves with their winning percentage. In a nutshell, it helps identify the performance of starting tenders over the long haul.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\n\t\tMarc-Andr\u00e9 Fleury<\/a><\/span>\n\t\t\t<\/h2>\n\t

Full Name:<\/strong> Marc-Andr\u00e9 Fleury<\/p>\n

(Flower, The Dude, MAF)<\/p>\n\n

Position<\/strong>: G \u2022  Catches<\/strong>: Left\n<\/p>\n\n\n

6-2<\/span>, 185lb<\/span> (188cm, 83kg) <\/p>\n\n\n

Born:<\/strong> November 28<\/a>, 1984<\/a> <\/span> (Age: 40-339d)<\/nobr><\/span> in Sorel, Quebec<\/a> <\/span> ca<\/span> <\/p>\n\n

Draft<\/strong>: Pittsburgh<\/a>, 1st round (1st overall), 2003 NHL Entry<\/a> <\/p>\n

Amateur Teams<\/strong>: Cape Breton Screaming Eagles<\/a> <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n \n \n \n \n \n \n

Pronunciation<\/strong>: \\MAHRK-AWN-dray fluh-REE<\/a>\\<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\t\t\t\n\t\n