Dwayne Roloson facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Dwayne Roloson
Roloson with the Tampa Bay Lightning in April 2011
Born	(1969-10-12) October 12, 1969 (age 55) Simcoe, Ontario, Canada
Height	6 ft 1 in (185 cm)
Weight	180 lb (82 kg; 12 st 12 lb)
Position	Goaltender
Caught	Left
Played for	Calgary Flames Buffalo Sabres Minnesota Wild Edmonton Oilers New York Islanders Tampa Bay Lightning
National team	Canada
NHL Draft	Undrafted
Playing career	1994–2012
Medal record ice hockey Representing Canada World Championships Gold 2007 Moscow Silver 2009 Bern Bronze 1995 Stockholm

Albert Dwayne Roloson (born October 12, 1969) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey goaltender. He used to be a goaltending coach for the Anaheim Ducks in the National Hockey League (NHL).

Today, he works as the Goaltending Coach and Director of Player Development for Lake Superior State University Men's Ice Hockey. This team plays in the Central Collegiate Hockey Association (CCHA).

During his NHL career, Roloson played for several teams. These included the Calgary Flames, Buffalo Sabres, Minnesota Wild, Edmonton Oilers, New York Islanders, and Tampa Bay Lightning.

Fans often called him "Roli the Goalie". After Mark Recchi retired in 2011, Roloson became the oldest player active in the NHL. He was also the last active NHL player born in the 1960s.

Early Life

Dwayne Roloson was born on October 12, 1969. His hometown is Simcoe, Ontario, Canada. He later went to the University of Massachusetts Lowell.

Playing Career

Starting Out Before the NHL

Roloson was a great college goalie for University of Massachusetts Lowell. He was even nominated for the Hobey Baker Award, which is for the best college hockey player. He was also named an All-American.

Even with his skills, no NHL team drafted him. But in 1994, the Calgary Flames signed him as a free agent. He played some games for the Flames. He also spent time with their minor league team, the Saint John Flames, in the American Hockey League (AHL).

After that, he joined the Buffalo Sabres to be a backup goalie. He played two years with the Sabres. Then, the Columbus Blue Jackets picked him in the 2000 NHL Expansion Draft. However, Roloson chose to sign with the Worcester IceCats. This was the AHL team for the St. Louis Blues.

NHL Highlights

Minnesota Wild

In 2001, Roloson earned a spot with the Minnesota Wild. During the 2002–03 season, he shared goalie duties with Manny Fernandez. The Wild made their first ever trip to the Stanley Cup playoffs. They even reached the Western Conference Final.

Even though he split time with Fernandez, Roloson was chosen for his first All-Star team. He was 34 years old at the time. He also won the Roger Crozier Saving Grace Award. This award goes to the goalie with the best save percentage in the NHL. During the 2004–05 NHL lockout, Roloson played in Finland for a team called Lukko.

Edmonton Oilers

On March 8, 2006, Roloson was traded to the Edmonton Oilers. At first, some people criticized the trade. But Roloson soon proved them wrong.

Roloson, playing for the Edmonton Oilers

Roloson played amazingly well, helping the Oilers reach the Stanley Cup Final in the 2006 playoffs. He had a great record of 12 wins and 5 losses in the first three rounds. Many thought he might win the Conn Smythe Trophy as the playoff MVP.

However, in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Finals, Roloson got hurt. A player from the Carolina Hurricanes crashed into him. Roloson suffered a serious knee injury. His coach announced he could not play for the rest of the series. The Oilers ended up losing the series in seven games.

Roloson worked hard to recover from his injury. He could have left the Oilers after the season. But he chose to sign a new three-year contract with them on July 1, 2006.

In the 2008–09 season, Roloson became the main starting goalie for the Oilers. He played 36 games in a row as the team tried to make the playoffs. During this time, he became the oldest goalie to start more than 60 games in one season.

Roloson in goal for the Islanders during their 2009 home-opener.

New York Islanders

On July 1, 2009, Roloson signed a two-year contract with the New York Islanders. On November 23, 2009, Roloson had an amazing game. He made 58 saves in a win against the Toronto Maple Leafs. This was a new career high for him. It also broke the Islanders' team record for saves in a game.

Tampa Bay Lightning

On January 1, 2011, Roloson was traded to the Tampa Bay Lightning. He quickly made an impact. In his first 11 games with the Lightning, he had four shutouts. A shutout means the other team scores no goals.

In April 2011, Roloson recorded a shutout in a playoff game. It was Game 7 of the first round against the Pittsburgh Penguins. This made him the oldest goalie to get a shutout in a Game 7. Roloson and the Lightning reached the 2011 Eastern Conference Finals. They lost to the Boston Bruins in seven games.

Roloson signed a new one-year contract with the Lightning. He retired after the season ended. The Lightning did not make the 2012 playoffs that year.

International Play

Roloson also played for Team Canada. In 2007, he was part of the team that won a gold medal. They beat Finland 4-2 in Moscow at the 2007 IIHF World Championship.

In 2009, Roloson played for Canada again at the 2009 IIHF World Championship. He played in the final game against Russia, but Canada lost 2-1.

After Playing Hockey

After retiring from playing, Roloson started working as a consultant. He helped the Norfolk Admirals, a minor league team for the Anaheim Ducks. On June 10, 2013, he became the goaltending consultant for the Anaheim Ducks.

On November 2, 2014, Roloson even suited up for a game. The Ducks' goalie got hurt before the game. Roloson was ready to play if needed, but he did not actually enter the game.

Personal Life

Dwayne Roloson is married to Melissa, and they have two sons. He is good friends with Rob Blake, who he played minor hockey with in Simcoe, Ontario. He is also friends with Andrew Brunette.

The Saint Paul Police Federation made Dwayne Roloson an honorary police officer. This was because of his interest in local law enforcement. He also teaches at his own goalie school.

When he played for the Tampa Bay Lightning, Roloson had a special shamrock on his goalie mask. It had the initials "KR" to remember Kelly Ryan. Kelly was a 12-year-old player who went to Roloson's goalie camps. The shamrock also had the words "TDLO," which stood for "The Dream Lives On."

Awards and Honors