NHL legend ‘Mr. Goalie’ Glenn Hall has died

The hockey world is mourning the loss of a true original. Glenn Hall, the legendary goaltender known simply as “Mr. Goalie,” died Wednesday afternoon in a hospital in Stony Plain, Alberta. He was 94.

Hall’s legacy is defined by a record that may never be touched: 502 consecutive regular-season starts by a goaltender, a staggering number that rises to 552 when including the Stanley Cup Playoffs. In an era before goalie rotations, Hall gave everything he had, every single night. He holds the record for most consecutive games…and I'm pretty sure no other netminder will reach it.

Over an 18-season NHL career, Hall posted a record of 407-326-164, a 2.50 goals-against average, and 84 shutouts, the latter ranking fourth all-time when he retired. He spent 10 of those seasons with the Chicago Blackhawks, winning the Stanley Cup in 1961 and becoming the backbone of the franchise during its resurgence.

Originally signed by the Detroit Red Wings in 1949, Hall broke through as a full-time NHL goalie in 1955-56, immediately winning the Calder Trophy as rookie of the year. A trade to Chicago ahead of the 1957-58 season changed everything. Hall would go on to win two Vezina Trophies and redefine how the position was played.

Later with the St. Louis Blues, he added one more Vezina and a Conn Smythe to his illustrious career.

Widely credited with inventing the butterfly style, Hall revolutionized goaltending with technique, toughness, and mental preparation, including a peculiar ritual. Hall famously admitted he often felt sick before games.

“I always felt I played better if I was sick before the game,” he once said. “If I wasn’t sick, I felt I hadn’t done everything I could to try to win.”

Hall later joined the St. Louis Blues in the 1967 expansion draft, helping them reach three straight Stanley Cup Finals, and was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1975. In 2017, he was named one of the 100 Greatest NHL Players.

Records fade. Legends don’t. Glenn Hall will live forever. May he rest in Peace.