Roger Crozier Saving Grace Award
Encyclopedia
The Roger Crozier Saving Grace Award, officially billed as the MBNA/Mastercard Roger Crozier Saving Grace Award, is an award in ice hockey
given annually to the goaltender
who finished the regular season with the best save percentage
in the National Hockey League
(NHL). Only goaltenders who played 25 games or more in the season are eligible for the award. A goaltender's save percentage represents the percentage of shots on goal
that he stops, and is calculated by dividing the number of saves by the total number of shots on goal.
The award was first presented at the conclusion of the season, and is named in honor of former Detroit Red Wings
, Buffalo Sabres
and Washington Capitals
goaltender Roger Crozier
, a Calder
and Conn Smythe Trophy
winner who played in the NHL from 1964 to 1977. It is presented by the MBNA
corporation in memory of Crozier, who worked for the MBNA America Bank after retiring as a player, and died on January 11, 1996. The winner of the trophy receives a commemorative crystal trophy and is given US$
25,000 to donate to a youth hockey or other educational program of their choice.
As of 2011, the award has been presented on eleven occasions and won by nine different players. Marty Turco
and Tim Thomas
are the only goaltenders to have won the award twice. The Dallas Stars
and the Boston Bruins
have each won the award three times, with Boston being the only team to win it three times consecutively. The award was not presented in 2005, as the entire season was canceled due to the lockout.
Season
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| Montreal Canadiens
| .929
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| Minnesota Wild
| .929
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| Nashville Predators
| .924
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| Boston Bruins
| .933
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| Boston Bruins
| .931
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|- bgcolor="#cfecec"
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| ^ (2nd win)
| Boston Bruins
| .938
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Ice hockey
Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
given annually to the goaltender
Goaltender
In ice hockey, the goaltender is the player who defends his team's goal net by stopping shots of the puck from entering his team's net, thus preventing the opposing team from scoring...
who finished the regular season with the best save percentage
Save percentage
Save percentage is an ice hockey and lacrosse statistic that represents the percentage of shots on goal a goaltender stops...
in the National Hockey League
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States...
(NHL). Only goaltenders who played 25 games or more in the season are eligible for the award. A goaltender's save percentage represents the percentage of shots on goal
Shot on goal
In ice hockey, a shot on goal is a shot that will enter the goal if it is not stopped by the goaltender. A shot on goal must result in either a goal or a save....
that he stops, and is calculated by dividing the number of saves by the total number of shots on goal.
The award was first presented at the conclusion of the season, and is named in honor of former Detroit Red Wings
Detroit Red Wings
The Detroit Red Wings are a professional ice hockey team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League , and are one of the Original Six teams of the NHL, along with the Toronto Maple Leafs, Montreal Canadiens, New York...
, Buffalo Sabres
Buffalo Sabres
The Buffalo Sabres are a professional ice hockey team based in Buffalo, New York. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League .-Founding and early success: 1970-71—1980-81:...
and Washington Capitals
Washington Capitals
The Washington Capitals are a professional ice hockey team based in Washington, D.C. They are members of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . Since their founding in 1974, "The Caps" have won one conference championship to reach the 1998 Stanley Cup...
goaltender Roger Crozier
Roger Crozier
Roger Allan Crozier was a Canadian professional hockey goaltender who played fourteen seasons in the National Hockey League for the Detroit Red Wings, Buffalo Sabres and Washington Capitals....
, a Calder
Calder Memorial Trophy
The Calder Memorial Trophy is an annual award given "to the player selected as the most proficient in his first year of competition in the National Hockey League." The Rookie of the Year trophy has been awarded 79 times since its creation for the 1936–37 NHL season...
and Conn Smythe Trophy
Conn Smythe Trophy
The Conn Smythe Trophy is awarded annually to the player judged most valuable to his team during the National Hockey League's Stanley Cup playoffs. The Conn Smythe Trophy has been awarded 46 times to 40 players since the 1964–65 NHL season...
winner who played in the NHL from 1964 to 1977. It is presented by the MBNA
MBNA
MBNA Corporation was a bank holding company and parent company of wholly owned subsidiary MBNA America Bank, N.A., headquartered in Wilmington, Delaware, prior to being acquired by Bank of America in 2006...
corporation in memory of Crozier, who worked for the MBNA America Bank after retiring as a player, and died on January 11, 1996. The winner of the trophy receives a commemorative crystal trophy and is given US$
United States dollar
The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....
25,000 to donate to a youth hockey or other educational program of their choice.
As of 2011, the award has been presented on eleven occasions and won by nine different players. Marty Turco
Marty Turco
Marty Turco is a Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender who is currently an unrestricted free agent. He has played professionally with the Dallas Stars and Chicago Blackhawks. Because of his puckhandling prowess, Canadian hockey personality Don Cherry named Turco: "the smartest goalie in the...
and Tim Thomas
Tim Thomas (ice hockey)
Timothy James Thomas, Jr. is an American professional ice hockey goaltender with the Boston Bruins of the National Hockey League . Raised in Davison, MI, Thomas played college hockey for the University of Vermont for four years, from 1993–1997, during which he was drafted 217th overall by the...
are the only goaltenders to have won the award twice. The Dallas Stars
Dallas Stars
The Dallas Stars are a professional ice hockey team based in Dallas, Texas. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The team was founded during the 1967 NHL expansion as the Minnesota North Stars, based in Bloomington, Minnesota. The...
and the Boston Bruins
Boston Bruins
The Boston Bruins are a professional ice hockey team based in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The team has been in existence since 1924, and is the league's third-oldest team and its oldest in the...
have each won the award three times, with Boston being the only team to win it three times consecutively. The award was not presented in 2005, as the entire season was canceled due to the lockout.
Winners
| † | Denotes player who is no longer active as of 2011 |
| ^ | Player's team won Stanley Cup |
| Player | Team | Save % Save percentage Save percentage is an ice hockey and lacrosse statistic that represents the percentage of shots on goal a goaltender stops... |
Ref. | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| † | Dallas Stars Dallas Stars The Dallas Stars are a professional ice hockey team based in Dallas, Texas. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The team was founded during the 1967 NHL expansion as the Minnesota North Stars, based in Bloomington, Minnesota. The... |
.919 | ||
| Dallas Stars Dallas Stars The Dallas Stars are a professional ice hockey team based in Dallas, Texas. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The team was founded during the 1967 NHL expansion as the Minnesota North Stars, based in Bloomington, Minnesota. The... |
.925 | |||
| Montreal Canadiens Montreal Canadiens The Montreal Canadiens are a professional ice hockey team based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The club is officially known as ... |
.931 | |||
| (2nd win) | Dallas Stars Dallas Stars The Dallas Stars are a professional ice hockey team based in Dallas, Texas. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The team was founded during the 1967 NHL expansion as the Minnesota North Stars, based in Bloomington, Minnesota. The... |
.932 | ||
| Minnesota Wild Minnesota Wild The Minnesota Wild are a professional ice hockey team based in St. Paul, Minnesota, United States. They are members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League .... |
.933 | |||
| — | — | — |
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| Montreal Canadiens
Montreal Canadiens
The Montreal Canadiens are a professional ice hockey team based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The club is officially known as ...
| .929
|
|-
|
|
| Minnesota Wild
Minnesota Wild
The Minnesota Wild are a professional ice hockey team based in St. Paul, Minnesota, United States. They are members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League ....
| .929
|
|-
|
|
| Nashville Predators
Nashville Predators
The Nashville Predators are a professional ice hockey team based in Nashville, Tennessee. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League...
| .924
|
|-
|
|
| Boston Bruins
Boston Bruins
The Boston Bruins are a professional ice hockey team based in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The team has been in existence since 1924, and is the league's third-oldest team and its oldest in the...
| .933
|
|-
|
|
| Boston Bruins
Boston Bruins
The Boston Bruins are a professional ice hockey team based in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The team has been in existence since 1924, and is the league's third-oldest team and its oldest in the...
| .931
|
|- bgcolor="#cfecec"
|
| ^ (2nd win)
| Boston Bruins
Boston Bruins
The Boston Bruins are a professional ice hockey team based in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The team has been in existence since 1924, and is the league's third-oldest team and its oldest in the...
| .938
|
|}