NHL power rankings: Top 3 greatest goalies of all time
2. Patrick Roy
Along with being known as one of the best goaltenders ever, Patrick Roy was also one of the most animated. The French-Canadian goaltender had a fiery and egotistical side to him, which made some fans love him and others despise him. Regardless of your thoughts on him however, it is impossible to deny his greatness. He sits second behind just Brodeur at 551 wins despite playing in 237 less games.
Like Brodeur, Roy was also a tremendous puck moving goaltender. In fact, he sits just two points behind Brodeur with 45, which is good enough for fourth all time. His fiery side is also on display when you look at his penalty minutes, as he had 262 which has him ranked ninth all time.
Roy played for two teams over his career, first the Montreal Canadiens, who he was traded by in his 12th with the team, and the Colorado Avalanche, who he spent the final eight seasons of his career with.
Though his tenure with the Canadiens was terrific, it ended on a sour note as he demanded a trade mid game after being left in the net for nine goals on 26 shots versus the Detroit Red Wings. After finally being taken out of the game late in the second period, he walked up to Canadiens president Ronald Corey on the bench and told him it was his last game with the team.
Just four days later, Roy was dealt to the Canadiens in one of the most lopsided trades in NHL history. With his Habs career being over, he finished his tenure there with two Stanley Cup Championships (1986, 1993), three Vezina Trophies, four William M. Jennings Trophies, and two Conn Smythe’s.
Roy continued his success as a member of the Avalanche. He went on to win two more Stanley Cups with them (1996,2001), as well as a Conn Smythe Trophy and a Williams M. Jennings Trophy.
Roy’s career was similar with Brodeur’s in regards to the endings both being disappointing, although for entirely different reasons. While Brodeur’s play had fallen off big time his last few seasons, Roy was still arguably the best in the league when he retired. His final season in the NHL saw him post a 2.18 GAA and a .920 SV%.