Roger Crozier

Roger Allan Crozier (March 16, 1942 – January 11, 1996) was a Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender who played fourteen seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Detroit Red Wings, Buffalo Sabres and Washington Capitals.

From his junior hockey career until his death, Crozier was plagued by pancreatitis and other health problems.

At the time, the Teepees were sponsored by the Chicago Black Hawks of the National Hockey League.

[8] Despite this, the Buffalo Bisons of the American Hockey League (AHL) recruited Crozier to fill in for their injured starting goaltender, Denis DeJordy, that year.

[9] While playing in the minors, Crozier adopted the butterfly style of goaltending, which he used during his NHL career.

[11] The young goaltender, now a full-time professional, spent the season in the minors mostly with the St. Louis Braves in the EPHL; he also played four games for the Buffalo Bisons in the AHL.

The Red Wings' starting goaltender, Terry Sawchuk, was injured and Crozier was called up as a substitute.

[11] In 1964–65, his rookie season, Crozier started all of his team's games, the last goalie to do so in the NHL,[14] and he led the league in wins and shutouts with 40 and six respectively.

[11] During his sophomore season, Crozier missed the team's couple of games due to pancreatitis.

[15] In 64 games that year, he posted 27 wins and led the league with seven shutouts, and the Red Wings clinched a spot in the playoffs.

After eliminating the Black Hawks in the semi-finals, the Red Wings squared off against the Montreal Canadiens in the 1966 Stanley Cup Finals.

[17] Even though the Red Wings lost, Crozier was awarded the Conn Smythe Trophy for being the most valuable player in the playoffs.

After another bout of pancreatitis at the beginning of the 1967–68 season, Crozier announced his retirement due to stress and depression.

[20] After two more seasons on a mediocre Red Wings team, he was traded to the newly formed Buffalo Sabres in 1970.

By late December however, Crozier was deeply exhausted and most of the Sabres' goaltending duties fell upon Joe Daley and Dave Dryden.

Still suffering from pancreatitis and now afflicted by ulcers and gallbladder problems, Crozier saw his playing time greatly reduced.

After eliminating the Black Hawks and the Canadiens, the Sabres faced the Philadelphia Flyers in the Stanley Cup Finals.

[29] With the Sabres trailing in the series 3–2, Crozier was selected to start game six and he shut out the Flyers in the first two periods.

[31] Under his watch, the Capitals picked future Hockey Hall of Fame defenceman Scott Stevens in the 1982 NHL Entry Draft.

Crozier won the Calder Memorial Trophy in 1965.