Favorite goalie of all-time?

[DerekReese]

Who is you favorite goalie of all-time? Give your top 3.

1. Bob Essensa - Was a beast on many bad Winnipeg Jets teams
2. Patrick Roy - His arogance is what I loved the most about him
3. Ron Tugnutt - 70 save performance gainst the Bruins had them skate over and shake his hands after the game

Honorable mention:
Pokey and the Banditt
Arturs Irbe
Ron Hextall

[prkal8r]

Arturs Irbe for sure - just because he was crazy with those goalie pads (used to have to fix them after every game). Brought a sewing kit everywhere with him.

Billy Smith - put fear into anyone standing in his crease.

Patty Roy - "I couldn`t hear what (Roenick) had to say because I had my 2 stanley cup rings in my ears!" No better quote in the history of hockey.

Honourable mention:
Jim Carey - not because he was any good, but because he went from Vezina to not being able to "stop a beach ball" (from Don Cherry himself).
Johnny Bauer - golfed with him once in a charity tourney... best story teller I`ve ever met. Hits the ball dead straight 175 yards every time.

[JagrBomb]

patrick roy, no question. this guy could singel handedly beat a team, and kick their ass (literally)

[Shake]

Grant Fuhr. Love the Oil back in the day.

Mike Richter

John Vanbiesbrouck

[fungchen3]

1.) Pelle Lindbergh - He backstopped my favorite hockey teams ever (the mid-80s Philadelphia Flyers). Pelle was super and had a rockstar personality about him. What a gem!!

2.) Patrick Roy - St. Patrick was the leader of my 2nd favorite team ever (92-93 Montreal Canadiens). Roy was spectacular, clutch and so much fun to watch. I still consider him the greatest NHL goalie of all-time.

3.) Gerry Cheevers - Cheesy was the ultimate character. A classic throwback tender, and a clutch one at that. I spent years digging up all the footage I could find on him and still collect his hockey cards. I also have two of his jerseys.

Honorable mentions would be: Ron Hextall, Jacques Plante, Bernie Parent, Martin Brodeur and Gump Worsley.

[Dick Tracy]

Tough not to wear my heart on my sleeve here:

1. Bernie Parent

2. Ron Hextall

3. Pelle Lindbergh

As a lifelong Flyers fan it's tough seeing them fail to address their goaltending needs for the past decade!

[spoilers]

Easy! Tampa Lightning goalie sensation Manome Rheome! I still have her rookie card.

[NikW71]

Patrick Roy!! Unbelievable in the 93 cup win for the Habs. Will never see a team again win 10 straight OT games in a playoff season. Add the Roenick comment and that cements him as my favourite goalie!

[TavesSoul]

1) Patrick Roy - The best goalie in the history of the league in my opinion, and will always be. He revolutionized the position by making the butterfly popular, was a winner, and his arrogance and character just made him all the better. By miles my favourite goalie. When he got traded, it was enough for me to betray Montreal and become a Colorado fan while he played there (I went back to cheering for Montreal right after he retired). No other athlete has ever been able to switch my loyalties, and I doubt one ever will again.

2) Tommy Salo - Maybe a little irrational, sure, but you asked for favourites, and not best in our opinion. I remember him first breaking in with the Islanders, and just liking him for no real reason. I think part of it was I liked the underdog Islanders a little, and thought Salo looked cool in their uniform. As I grew up and watched him, I just really began to respect his play, and I followed his entire career. I hated the Belarus fiasco, since I felt it wrongfully ended the career (or pretty much did) of one of the more under-rated goalies in the league.

3) Olaf Kolzig - I have other goalies I think were better, but none were a favourite as much as Ollie the Goalie. I think it first started because he was so tall for a goalie, and playing for Washington no less. Eventually, as I aged, I just came to admire his play, and doing it all with a bad team no less. He was a very, very good goalie, who again never got his due.

Honourable Mentions - Tomas Vokoun, Arturs Irbe, Guy Hebert, John Vanbiesbrouck, Byron Dafoe, Jocelyn Thibault, Damian Rhodes, Mikhail Shtalenkov, Ari Sulander, Grant Fuhr, Fred Brathwaite, Ron Tugnutt, Corey Hirsch, Mike Richter, Mike Dunham, Craig Billington.

Those names all hold a place in my goalie heart, even though some never really got a shot in the NHL, or did anything more then be great backups. Still, they all have their reasons for being in my 'Favourites'.

[lockedge]

Mike Liut is my all time favourite, followed closely by Kelly Hrudey, Arturs Irbe, and John VanBiesbrouck

[butch]

3.) Gerry Cheevers - Cheesy was the ultimate character. A classic throwback tender, and a clutch one at that. I spent years digging up all the footage I could find on him and still collect his hockey cards. I also have two of his jerseys.

I heard Bobby Hull tell a story during an interview one day

he said during a game in which Chicago had a pretty big lead verses the Bruins , he wound up for a slap shot and when he looked up after the release , Cheevers was standing to the side of the net.

Cheevers said afterwards ,something along the lines of ''why would I stand in front of that shot when the game is already out of hand''

you had to love Cheesy's personality

[Sleemans]

1. Gilles Gilbert
2. Gerry Cheevers
3. Tony Esposito

[SlobTheGreat]

Felix Potvin (Flyer fans know why!)

Gump...last guy playing without a mask...insanity your honor!!!

[roenick27]

Growing up watching Richter's performance to bring the cup to NY has to put him on my list. I always wondered what his stats would look like if say he and Marty switched teams...

[Phil the thrill]

Here's my top 3:

1-Patrick Roy: I'm a huge Habs fan, Patrick bring us home 2 Stanley cup! Plus the fact he change the way goalie style forever!!!

2-Dominik Hask: For his accrobatics saves and the fact when he was hot nobody could beat him!!!

3-Martin Brodeur: for the way he handle the puck! NHL had to change the rule because he influence other goalie to play the more and more.