Rogie Vachon facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Rogie Vachon |
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| Hockey Hall of Fame, 2016 | ||||||||||||||||
Vachon in 2008
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| Born | September 8, 1945 Palmarolle, Quebec, Canada |
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| Height | 5 ft 8 in (173 cm) | |||||||||||||||
| Weight | 160 lb (73 kg; 11 st 6 lb) | |||||||||||||||
| Position | Goaltender | |||||||||||||||
| Caught | Left | |||||||||||||||
| Played for | Montreal Canadiens Los Angeles Kings Detroit Red Wings Boston Bruins |
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| National team | .svg){kind=small} Canada |
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| Playing career | 1965–1982 | |||||||||||||||
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Medal record
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Rogatien Rosaire "Rogie" Vachon (born September 8, 1945) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey goaltender. He played for several teams in the National Hockey League (NHL) from 1967 to 1982. These teams included the Montreal Canadiens, Los Angeles Kings, Detroit Red Wings, and Boston Bruins. Vachon was known for his quick reflexes and strong glove hand.
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Playing for the Montreal Canadiens
Rogie Vachon joined the National Hockey League in the 1966-67 season. He played for the Montreal Canadiens as a backup goaltender. This meant he played behind the main goalie, Gump Worsley. Even though he only played 19 games that season, he played most of the games in the playoffs. He helped the Canadiens reach the Stanley Cup Finals. They lost to the Toronto Maple Leafs, but Vachon earned a permanent spot on the team.
In the 1967–68 season, Vachon played 39 games and won 23 of them. He and Worsley shared the Vezina Trophy, which is given to the best goaltender. Their combined GAA (goals allowed per game) was very low. Montreal won the Stanley Cup that season and again in 1968–69. In the 1969–70 season, Worsley was traded. Vachon became the main starting goalie. However, the Canadiens did not make the playoffs that year.
Time with the Los Angeles Kings
In the 1971–72 season, a new goalie named Ken Dryden took over as the Canadiens' starter. Rogie Vachon wanted to play more, so he asked to be traded. On November 4, 1971, he was sent to the Los Angeles Kings. It was with the Kings that Vachon had some of his best years.
He was almost the winner of the Vezina Trophy in 1974–75. He was also named to the NHL second All-Star team twice. This happened in 1974-75 and 1976-77. Vachon was voted the team's Most Valuable Player (MVP) four times between 1973 and 1977. He set many goaltending records for the Kings that are still unbroken. His jersey number, 30, was the first number ever retired by the Kings. This means no other player on the team can wear that number. The ceremony happened on February 14, 1985. After he stopped playing, Vachon worked in different important jobs for the Kings team.
Winning the Canada Cup
In 1976, Vachon was chosen to play for Team Canada. He was the main goalie for the tournament. He played in every game. He won six games and lost only one. He also had two shutouts, meaning he didn't let the other team score any goals in those games. His goals against average was very low at 1.39. Canada won the tournament, and Vachon was chosen for the All-Star team. He was also named the team's MVP.
Playing for the Detroit Red Wings
After the 1977–78 season, Vachon signed with the Detroit Red Wings. This was a big five-year deal that made him the highest-paid goalie in the league. However, Vachon had a tough time in Detroit. In his first game, he didn't play as well as expected. Things did not get much better during his time there.
His signing also caused some problems for the team. Because he was a "restricted free agent," the Red Wings had to give something to the Los Angeles Kings. An official decided that a young player named Dale McCourt would go to the Kings. McCourt was a very good player for the Red Wings. He did not want to move to Los Angeles.
In his first season with the Red Wings, Vachon allowed more goals per game than he usually did. In his second season, he continued to struggle. However, he did record the Red Wings' first win in their new arena, the Joe Louis Arena.
Time with the Boston Bruins
After two difficult seasons in Detroit, the Red Wings traded Vachon to the Boston Bruins in 1980. In Boston, Vachon helped guide younger goalies like Marco Baron and Jim Craig. Craig had been a star for the US team in the 1980 Winter Olympics.
Vachon played 53 games for the Bruins. His performance improved a bit from his time in Detroit. He also won more games than he lost, which was the first time since leaving Los Angeles. However, the playoffs did not go well for the Bruins that year. They lost all three games to the Minnesota North Stars. Vachon's last NHL game was in the 1982 playoffs. He played for one period in a loss to the Quebec Nordiques. Six days later, Rogie Vachon retired from playing hockey.
Rogie Vachon's Legacy
Rogie Vachon was known for his amazing reflexes and quick glove hand. He was considered one of the best goalies of his time at stopping one-on-one shots. He never allowed a goal on a penalty shot during his entire career.
After he retired from playing, Vachon became the general manager of the Kings. He held this job from 1984 to 1992. He was the general manager in 1988 when the Kings got Wayne Gretzky, one of the greatest hockey players ever. Vachon also stepped in as the Kings' head coach a few times. On June 27, 2016, Rogie Vachon was chosen to be a member of the Hockey Hall of Fame. He was officially inducted on November 14, 2016.
Personal Life
Rogie Vachon grew up on a dairy farm. He was one of eight children. When he was 14, a coach needed a goalie and convinced him to play senior level hockey. He married Nicole Blanchard in 1971. They had three children: Nicholas (who also played professional hockey), Jade, and Marie-Joie. They also had three grandchildren. Nicole passed away in February 2016 after 44 years of marriage.
Achievements and Awards
- Named to the QJHL first All-Star team in 1966.
- Won the Stanley Cup in 1968, 1969, and 1971.
- Won the Canada Cup in 1976.
- Won the Vezina Trophy in 1968.
- Named to the Canada Cup All-Star team in 1976.
- Named Team MVP during the 1976 Canada Cup.
- Played in the 1973, 1975, and 1978 NHL All-Star Games.
- Named to the NHL second All-Star team in 1975 and 1977.
- His number 30 was retired by the Los Angeles Kings.
- Inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2016.
Los Angeles Kings Records
- Most career ties (66) (shared with Kelly Hrudey).
