Yardbarker’s Chris Morgan posted a list of each and every NHL team’s best “greatest all-time goalie,” and while there’s no doubt that Terry Sawchuk was the franchise-defining netminder for Detroit, the author’s dig at Chris Osgood stirred me up a bit:
Detroit Red Wings: Terry Sawchuk
Chris Osgood has something of a cult following in Detroit, but “Ozzie” has no case to surpass Sawchuk here. The Hall of Famer won three Cups and three Vezinas with the Red Wings. His number hangs in the rafters in Detroit, and that says “franchise icon.”
Chris Osgood’s cult following involves the fact that he won 401 NHL games, 3 Stanley Cups, and, during his two stints with Detroit, he was one of the Red Wings’ most consistent performers, playing over 500 games in goal, and he’s been one modern franchise’s best personalities. He’s beloved for a reason…
But Terry Sawchuk, the “King of Pain,” was no doubt an all-time All-Star among goaltenders for every franchise, and the well-traveled Sawchuk helped define the position. We can’t quite say that for “Ozzie.”
