Roger Crozier facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Roger Crozier
Crozier with the Buffalo Sabres in the 1970s
Born	(1942-03-16)March 16, 1942 Bracebridge, Ontario, Canada
Died	January 11, 1996(1996-01-11) (aged 53) Wilmington, Delaware, U.S.
Height	5 ft 8 in (173 cm)
Weight	160 lb (73 kg; 11 st 6 lb)
Position	Goaltender
Caught	Right
Played for	Detroit Red Wings Buffalo Sabres Washington Capitals
Playing career	1960–1977

Roger Allan Crozier (March 16, 1942 – January 11, 1996) was a Canadian ice hockey goalie. He played for 14 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL). His teams included the Detroit Red Wings, Buffalo Sabres, and Washington Capitals. Roger achieved many great things during his career. He was named to the NHL's top All-Star team once. He won the Calder Memorial Trophy as the best rookie. He was also the first player to win the Conn Smythe Trophy (for playoff MVP) while his team lost the Stanley Cup Finals. In the 1964–65 season, he was the last goalie in the NHL to start every single game for his team.

Roger faced many health challenges throughout his life. Despite these issues, he helped his junior team win the Memorial Cup in 1959–60. He played in over 500 NHL regular season games. He also played in three Stanley Cup Finals. His health problems led him to retire in 1976–77. After retiring, he worked for the Capitals' team office. In 1983, Crozier started working for MBNA bank. In 2000, a new award was created in his honor. It was called the Roger Crozier Saving Grace Award. This award was given each year from 1999–2000 to 2006–07. It went to the goalie with the best save percentage in the NHL regular season. In 2009, Roger Crozier was added to the Buffalo Sports Hall of Fame.

Early Life and Hockey Start

Roger Crozier was born and grew up in Bracebridge, Ontario, Canada. He was one of 14 children in his family. Roger started playing goalie at age six. He quickly grew to love the position.

When he was 14, Roger was seen as a "special goaltending talent." He became the starting goalie for his town's senior hockey team, the Bracebridge Bears. In the 1958–59 season, he helped the Bears win their district championship.

Roger's Playing Career

Junior Hockey Years

Roger Crozier played his junior hockey with the St. Catharines Teepees. This team was part of the junior Ontario Hockey Association (OHA). He played there from 1959 to 1962. The Teepees were sponsored by the Chicago Black Hawks of the NHL. This meant the Black Hawks had the rights to all the Teepees' players.

In the 1959–60 season, Roger helped the Teepees win the Memorial Cup. During his time with the Teepees, Roger developed his first ulcer. This health problem would stay with him for the rest of his career.

Moving to Professional Leagues

Roger spent most of the 1960–61 playing in the OHA. He was not very big, so some scouts did not favor him. But the Buffalo Bisons of the American Hockey League (AHL) asked him to play. He filled in for their injured starting goalie. In three games, Roger won two and had a good goals against average (GAA) of 2.31.

He went back to the Teepees for the 1961–62 season. He also played short times with the Bisons and the Sault Ste. Marie Thunderbirds. This team was in the Eastern Professional Hockey League (EPHL).

While playing in these minor leagues, Roger started using the butterfly style of goaltending. He used this style throughout his NHL career. At first, his coaches tried to make him stop. They thought it would not work in the NHL. But Roger also added acrobatic moves to his game, making him exciting to watch.

Detroit Red Wings Era (1963–1970)

The Black Hawks traded Roger Crozier to the Detroit Red Wings in 1963. He became a full-time professional player. He spent most of this season in the minor leagues. He played for the St. Louis Braves in the EPHL and four games for the Buffalo Bisons in the AHL.

In 1963–64, he played 44 games for the Pittsburgh Hornets. This was Detroit's AHL team. He won many awards that year. He won the Hap Holmes Memorial Award for giving up the fewest goals. He also won the Dudley "Red" Garrett Memorial Award for being the top rookie. He was named to the AHL Second All-Star Team.

Roger also made his NHL debut that season. The Red Wings' main goalie, Terry Sawchuk, was hurt. Roger was called up to play. He played so well in 15 games that he became the Red Wings' new starting goalie. Sawchuk was then picked up by the Toronto Maple Leafs. This made Roger the Red Wings' starting goalie at just 22 years old.

Crozier won the Calder Memorial Trophy in 1965.

In 1964–65, his first full NHL season, Roger started every game for his team. He was the last goalie in the NHL to do this. He led the league with 40 wins and six shutouts. His 2.42 GAA was the second best in the league. He won the Calder Memorial Trophy as the NHL's best rookie. He was also named to the NHL First All-Star Team.

During his second season, Roger missed a few games due to pancreatitis. This is a health issue affecting the pancreas. In 64 games that year, he won 27 games and led the league with seven shutouts. The Red Wings made it to the playoffs. They beat the Black Hawks in the semi-finals. Then they faced the Montreal Canadiens in the 1966 Stanley Cup Finals.

The Red Wings won the first two games. But the Canadiens came back and won the next two. In game four, Roger hurt his leg. He played in game five, but his injury made it hard to move. The Canadiens won the Stanley Cup in game six. Even though the Red Wings lost, Roger won the Conn Smythe Trophy. This award is for the most valuable player in the playoffs. He was the first goalie to win this award. He was also the first player to win it even though his team lost the finals.

Roger missed 12 games in 1966–67 because of pancreatitis. His stats were not as good. He won only 22 games and had a 3.35 GAA. The Red Wings did not make the playoffs. After another health issue at the start of the 1967–68 season, Roger said he was retiring. He felt stressed and sad. But six weeks later, he came back to play. He played five games with the Fort Worth Wings to get back in shape. Then he returned to Detroit. After two more seasons with the Red Wings, he was traded to the new Buffalo Sabres team in 1970.

Buffalo Sabres and Washington Capitals (1970–1977)

In the 1970 NHL Expansion Draft, the Buffalo Sabres picked Tom Webster. Then, the Sabres' General Manager, Punch Imlach, traded Webster to the Red Wings for Roger Crozier. Roger started the Sabres' first NHL game on October 10, 1970. They played against the Pittsburgh Penguins. He stopped 35 of 36 shots. This helped the team win its first game, 2–1.

On December 6, 1970, Roger got the team's first shutout. It was a 1–0 win over the Minnesota North Stars. By late December, Roger was very tired. Most of the Sabres' goalie duties went to Joe Daley and Dave Dryden. Roger finished the season with 9 wins, 20 losses, and 7 ties. His GAA was 3.68. The Sabres did not make the playoffs. Roger's health problems continued. His gallbladder was removed during the off-season.

The 1971–72 was even tougher for the Sabres. They finished with only 16 wins, the fewest in the league. Roger had 13 wins, 34 losses, and 14 ties. His GAA was 3.51. He faced 2,190 shots that season. This is still a team record today.

The Sabres got better in 1972–73. They made the playoffs for the first time ever. In 49 games, Roger had his first winning record with the Sabres. His GAA improved to 2.76. In the first round, the Sabres played the Montreal Canadiens. Roger played four games and won two. But the Sabres lost the series in six games.

Roger continued to have health problems, including pancreatitis, ulcers, and gallbladder issues. This greatly reduced his playing time. In 1974–75, he had 17 wins and only two losses. He helped the Sabres finish first in their division. During the playoffs, Roger played five games. This included two games in the Stanley Cup Finals.

After beating the Black Hawks and Canadiens, the Sabres faced the Philadelphia Flyers in the Stanley Cup Finals. Game three of the Finals in Buffalo was famous as the "Fog Game." A heat wave hit the arena in May. There was no air conditioning, so the temperature rose. Fog started to form, making it hard to see. Gerry Desjardins was the starting goalie. But after he let in three goals in the first period, Roger replaced him. Roger allowed only one more goal in the game. He helped the Sabres win 5–4 in overtime.

The Sabres were behind 3–2 in the series. Roger was chosen to start game six. He shut out the Flyers for the first two periods. In the third period, the Flyers scored the only goals of the game. They won the Stanley Cup. For the third time, Roger's team lost in the finals.

In 1975–76, Roger played in only 11 games because of his ongoing health issues. The Sabres traded him to the Washington Capitals for cash on March 3, 1977. He played only three games with the Capitals before retiring. He had played 14 seasons in the NHL.

Life After Hockey

After retiring from playing, Roger Crozier worked in the Capitals' team office. He was the temporary general manager during the 1981–82 season. He also coached one game that season. While he was there, the Capitals picked future Hockey Hall of Fame defenceman Scott Stevens in the 1982 NHL Entry Draft.

Roger left the Capitals in 1983. He moved to Wilmington, Delaware. There, he started working at MBNA Bank. He rose to a high position, becoming an executive vice president. He managed worldwide facilities and construction for the bank.

Roger Crozier passed away on January 11, 1996, at age 53, after battling cancer. He was survived by his wife, Janice, and his two daughters, Katie and Brooke. In 2000, the NHL created the Roger Crozier Saving Grace Award. This award was given each year from 1999–2000 to 2006–07. It honored the goalie with the best save percentage. Roger's last employer, MBNA, helped sponsor the award. In 2009, Roger was honored by being inducted into the Buffalo Sports Hall of Fame.

Career Statistics

Regular Season and Playoffs

Awards and Honors