Bill Durnan facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Bill Durnan |
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| Hockey Hall of Fame, 1964 | |||
Durnan with the Montreal Canadiens in 1944
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| Born | January 22, 1916 Toronto, Ontario, Canada |
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| Died | October 31, 1972 (aged 56) North York, Ontario, Canada |
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| Height | 6 ft 0 in (183 cm) | ||
| Weight | 190 lb (86 kg; 13 st 8 lb) | ||
| Position | Goaltender | ||
| Caught | Right/Left | ||
| Played for | Montreal Canadiens | ||
| Playing career | 1943–1950 | ||
William Ronald Durnan (born January 22, 1916 – died October 31, 1972) was a famous Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender. He played for seven seasons with the Montreal Canadiens in the National Hockey League (NHL). During his time, he was one of the best goalies in the NHL.
Bill Durnan won the Vezina Trophy six times. This award goes to the goalie who lets in the fewest goals. He was also named to the First All-Star team six times. Durnan helped the Canadiens win the Stanley Cup two times. He retired in 1950 because playing professional hockey was very stressful for him. In 1948, Durnan was the captain of the Canadiens. He was the last goalie allowed to be a team captain. In 1964, Durnan joined the Hockey Hall of Fame. In 2017, he was named one of the '100 Greatest NHL Players' ever.
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Playing Career Highlights
Bill Durnan played only seven seasons in the National Hockey League. This was because he started playing in the league when he was 27 years old. Even with a short career, he achieved a lot!
Winning the Vezina Trophy
Durnan won the Vezina Trophy in each of his first four seasons. This was from the 1943–44 to the 1946–47 seasons. He was the first player to win this award four times in a row. In the 1947–48 season, the Montreal Canadiens didn't play as well. This allowed Turk Broda of the Toronto Maple Leafs to win the Vezina Trophy. But Durnan came back strong! He won his fifth and sixth Vezina Trophies in the 1948–49 and 1949–50 seasons. Durnan was also chosen for the First Team All-Star six times. Four of these were in a row, from 1944 to 1947.
The "Durnan Rule"
During the 1947–48 season, Durnan was the captain of the Canadiens. He would often leave his goalie crease to argue with the referees. Other teams complained that he was giving his team extra breaks. After that season, the NHL made a new rule. This rule stopped goalies from being team captains. It is still known as the "Durnan Rule."
Even though Roberto Luongo was named "captain" of the Vancouver Canucks in 2008, he couldn't argue with refs. This means Bill Durnan was the last goalie to officially be a captain. He was the last goalie to wear the "C" (for captain) on his jersey in the NHL.
Retirement and Records
After the 1949–50 NHL season, Durnan retired at age 35. He said he could no longer handle the stress of playing professional hockey. Later, he became a coach for other teams.
Durnan set a big NHL record between February 26 and March 6, 1949. He had four shutouts in a row! A shutout means the goalie doesn't let in any goals. He didn't let a goal in for 309 minutes and 21 seconds. This record stood until 2004. That's when Brian Boucher broke it with five straight shutouts.
Durnan was put into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1964. In his 383 regular-season games, he won 208 games and had 34 shutouts. He also won the 1940 Allan Cup with the Kirkland Lake Blue Devils.
Playing Style
Bill Durnan was an ambidextrous goalie. This means he was good at using both his right and left hands. He wore special gloves that let him catch the puck with either hand. He could still hold his stick at the same time! He was also a very good "stand-up" goaltender. This means he mostly stayed on his feet to block shots. His height helped him with this style.
Personal Life
Bill Durnan was born and grew up in Toronto, Canada. He was married to Mandy Durnan.
He passed away on October 31, 1972. His health wasn't good in his later years. There is an ice rink in Montreal named after him, called the Aréna Bill-Durnan.
Awards and Honors
- Allan Cup champion in 1940.
- NHL first All-Star team goalie in 1944, 1945, 1946, 1947, 1949, 1950.
- Won the Vezina Trophy in 1944, 1945, 1946, 1947, 1949, 1950.
- Played in NHL All-Star Game in 1947, 1948, 1949.
- Stanley Cup champion in 1944, 1946.
- Inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1964.
- In 1998, he was ranked number 34 on The Hockey News' list of the 100 Greatest Hockey Players.
- In January 2017, Durnan was named one of the '100 Greatest NHL Players' in history.
See also
In Spanish: Bill Durnan para niños
