John Vanbiesbrouck facts for kids

Quick facts for kids John Vanbiesbrouck
Vanbiesbrouck in 2007
Born	(1963-09-04) September 4, 1963 (age 61) Detroit, Michigan, U.S.
Height	5 ft 8 in (173 cm)
Weight	175 lb (79 kg; 12 st 7 lb)
Position	Goaltender
Caught	Left
Played for	New York Rangers Florida Panthers Philadelphia Flyers New York Islanders New Jersey Devils
National team	United States
NHL Draft	72nd overall, 1981 New York Rangers
Playing career	1981–2002

John Vanbiesbrouck (born September 4, 1963) is an American ice hockey expert and former player. People often called him "the Beezer" or "JVB". He was a fantastic goaltender and was added to the United States Hockey Hall of Fame in 2007.

Vanbiesbrouck played in the National Hockey League (NHL) from 1981 to 2002. He played for the New York Rangers, Florida Panthers, Philadelphia Flyers, New York Islanders, and New Jersey Devils. He started his career playing junior hockey for the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds. After a great season, the New York Rangers picked him in the 1981 NHL Draft.

He started playing full-time with the Rangers in the 1984–85 season. The next year, he won the Vezina Trophy as the league's best goaltender. He was also named a First Team NHL All-Star. After playing for the Rangers for 11 seasons, the Florida Panthers chose him in the 1993 NHL Expansion Draft. In Florida, Vanbiesbrouck was an All-Star three times. He led the Panthers to their first Stanley Cup Finals in 1996. While with the Panthers, he got his 300th career win. This made him only the second American goalie in NHL history to do so.

During his career, Vanbiesbrouck had 374 wins, 346 losses, 119 ties, and 40 shutouts. At the time, he was the winningest American-born goaltender. He also tied Frank Brimsek for the most career shutouts by an American-born goalie. These records have since been broken by Ryan Miller and Jonathan Quick.

John Vanbiesbrouck also played for the United States national team many times. He played in the World Junior Ice Hockey Championships and four IIHF World Championships. He was a backup goalie when the American team finished second in the 1991 Canada Cup. He played for Team USA one last time in 1998 at the Winter Olympics.

After his playing career, he became a coach and general manager for the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds. He later worked as a broadcaster and in other hockey jobs. In 2013, he became the general manager of the Muskegon Lumberjacks. In 2018, USA Hockey hired him to help choose players for the U.S. national teams. In late 2021, Vanbiesbrouck was named general manager of the U.S. Olympic Men's hockey team.

Growing Up and Starting Hockey

John Vanbiesbrouck was born in Detroit, Michigan. He was the youngest of three boys. His father was a bricklayer from Belgium, and his mother was from Italy. His oldest brother, Frank, was also a goaltender in youth hockey. Frank inspired John to become a goalie. John said he learned a lot about goaltending just by watching Frank.

Playing Career Highlights

Junior and Minor League Journey

When he was a teenager, Vanbiesbrouck played for the Little Caesars hockey club in Detroit. During a tournament, he played so well that junior scouts noticed him. He later got a try-out with the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds. He made the team and became their starting goaltender. In his first season, he won 31 games. After that season, the New York Rangers drafted him in 1981.

In December 1981, Vanbiesbrouck played his first professional game for the Rangers. He helped them win 2–1. Even though he played well, the Rangers sent him back to junior hockey to help him develop more. He played one more season for the Greyhounds and was named to the OHL second All-Star team.

After junior hockey, Vanbiesbrouck played for the Tulsa Oilers in the minor leagues. During the 1983–84 season, the team faced financial difficulties. They had to play all their remaining games away from home. They even practiced in a shopping mall sometimes! Despite these challenges, the Oilers won the league championship. Vanbiesbrouck also won an award for allowing the fewest goals and shared the league's MVP award.

Time with the New York Rangers

The Vezina Trophy, which Vanbiesbrouck won in 1986.

Vanbiesbrouck joined the New York Rangers full-time in the 1984–85 season. The next year, he played in 61 games and won a career-high 31 games. He led the Rangers to big upsets in the playoffs, beating the Philadelphia Flyers and Washington Capitals. The Rangers then lost to the Montreal Canadiens in the Conference Finals. After the season, Vanbiesbrouck was named a First Team NHL All-Star and won the Vezina Trophy as the best goaltender in the league.

In 1988, Vanbiesbrouck had a scary injury when a glass coffee table broke and cut his left wrist. He needed surgery to fix nerve and tendon damage. Doctors thought he would miss many months, but he recovered quickly and was back for training camp just three months later. He continued to play well for the Rangers.

By the 1989–90 season, Vanbiesbrouck started sharing goaltending duties with a younger goalie named Mike Richter. They formed a strong team. The Rangers decided to keep Richter and traded Vanbiesbrouck to the Vancouver Canucks in 1993.

Becoming a Florida Panther

The Vancouver Canucks traded Vanbiesbrouck to the Florida Panthers in the 1993 NHL Expansion Draft. The Panthers chose him to be their main goalie. When he arrived in Florida, he helped promote the new team. He even made a video to explain hockey terms! In his first season with the Panthers, he played in 57 games and had a great save percentage. He was named a Second Team NHL All-Star. His 21 wins tied a record for an expansion team goalie.

In the 1995–96 season, Vanbiesbrouck was chosen for the All-Star Game. He led the Panthers to the playoffs. They beat the Boston Bruins and then upset the strong Philadelphia Flyers. In the Conference Finals, the Panthers were big underdogs against the Pittsburgh Penguins. But Vanbiesbrouck played amazingly, making 39 saves in Game 7 to win the Eastern Conference. This sent the Panthers to the Stanley Cup Finals!

In the Stanley Cup Finals, the Panthers played the Colorado Avalanche. Game 4 was a long, exciting game that went into triple overtime. The Avalanche scored to win 1–0 and won the Stanley Cup. Even though his team lost, Vanbiesbrouck made 55 saves in that game and was one of the top players considered for the playoff MVP award.

In the 1996–97 season, fans voted Vanbiesbrouck to start in the All-Star Game. He continued to play well, helping the Panthers reach the playoffs again. On December 27, 1997, he reached a big milestone: his 300th career win! He was the 15th goalie and only the second American goalie in NHL history to do this.

Later Career Teams

After his time with the Panthers, Vanbiesbrouck signed with the Philadelphia Flyers. His first season with the Flyers was very successful. He had his best career goals-against average and six shutouts. However, the Flyers lost in the first round of the playoffs. The next season, he shared playing time with a rookie goalie.

In 2000, the Flyers traded Vanbiesbrouck to the New York Islanders. He played 44 games for the Islanders. Later that season, the Islanders traded him to the New Jersey Devils. He played four games for the Devils and won all of them. He also recorded his 40th career shutout, tying the record for most shutouts by an American-born goalie. The Devils made it to the Stanley Cup Finals that year but lost.

Vanbiesbrouck retired after the 2001 Finals. He said he wanted to leave the game healthy. But he came out of retirement eight months later to play five more games for the Devils. He finished his career with 374 wins. At the time, this was the most wins by an American-born goaltender in NHL history. He retired for good on May 24, 2002.

After his playing career, Vanbiesbrouck received several honors. The Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds retired his jersey number (1). In 2007, he was inducted into the United States Hockey Hall of Fame.

Playing for Team USA

Medal record
Representing  United States
Men's Ice hockey
Canada Cup
Silver	1991 Canada

Vanbiesbrouck first played for the United States in the 1982 World Junior Championship. He played again in 1983.

In 1985, he played for Team USA at the IIHF World Championships. He had a great tournament, beating top teams like Canada and Sweden. He said these wins gave him confidence for the NHL. He was named to the second All-Star team. He also played in the 1987 Canada Cup, where he had the lowest goals-against average in the tournament.

He played in two more World Championships in 1989 and 1991. In the 1991 Canada Cup, he was a backup goalie. The United States finished second, losing to Canada in the championship.

In 1998, the NHL allowed its players to go to the Winter Olympics for the first time. Vanbiesbrouck was named to the United States team. He was mostly a backup and played only one minute in the tournament. Team USA finished in sixth place.

How He Played

Vanbiesbrouck was a "hybrid" goaltender. This means he used a mix of styles, combining the butterfly style (where goalies drop to their knees) with a more traditional stand-up style. He was good at positioning himself to block shots and was quick to move around the net. Even though he was smaller for a goalie (5' 8"), he used his speed to get back on his feet after saves. He was also good at playing the puck, which means he would often handle the puck outside his net. He holds the Rangers' record for most career assists by a goaltender.

Life After Playing Hockey

Coaching and Management Roles

After retiring from the NHL, Vanbiesbrouck became the head coach and director of hockey operations for the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds. In March 2003, he resigned from these roles after an incident involving a player. He later apologized for his words.

After leaving the Greyhounds, Vanbiesbrouck worked as a hockey analyst for TV networks. In 2010, he was part of the radio broadcast team for the Winter Olympic hockey games. In 2013, he became the general manager for the Muskegon Lumberjacks in the USHL. In 2018, USA Hockey hired him as the assistant executive director of hockey operations. He helps select players for the U.S. national teams. In late 2021, he was named general manager of the U.S. Olympic Men's hockey team.

Personal Life

John Vanbiesbrouck grew up with two older brothers. His oldest brother, Frank, was also a goalie. John's other brother, Julian, played left wing for the University of Michigan.

John Vanbiesbrouck is married to Rosalinde, and they have four sons. Their oldest son was diagnosed with Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD). Because of this, Vanbiesbrouck started a foundation to help children with ADD. He wanted to raise awareness and money for kids with ADD. When he left Florida, the foundation changed its focus to providing information. Vanbiesbrouck also supports a golf event that helps a foundation working to cure paralysis. He now lives in his home state of Michigan.

Awards and Honors

• Won the F. W. "Dinty" Moore Trophy (best rookie goals-against average in the OHL) in 1981.
• Selected to the OHL second All-Star team in 1983.
• Selected to the CHL first All-Star team in 1984.
• Won the Terry Sawchuk Trophy in 1984 (shared).
• Won the Tommy Ivan Trophy (CHL Most Valuable Player) in 1984 (shared).
• Selected to the NHL first All-Star team in 1986.
• Won the Vezina Trophy in 1986.
• Won the Steven McDonald Extra Effort Award in 1990 (shared).
• Selected to the NHL second All-Star team in 1994.
• Played in the National Hockey League All-Star Games in 1994, 1996, and 1997.
• Became the 15th, and 2nd American, goaltender in NHL history to record 300 career wins.
• Inducted into the United States Hockey Hall of Fame in October 2007.
• Ranked No. 31 all-time among New York Rangers players in the 2009 book 100 Ranger Greats.
• Appears on the cover of the video game NHL 97.

Records He Held

• New York Rangers all-time record for most assists in a single season by a goaltender (5) (shared).
• New York Rangers all-time record for most career assists by a goaltender (25).
• Third most NHL career wins by an American-born goaltender (374).

Career Statistics

Regular Season and Playoffs

Bold indicates league leader

International Play Statistics