Jaroslav Halák

Lore & Background

Halák began his NHL career with the Montreal Canadiens, called up in February 2007 after an injury to starter Cristobal Huet. He earned his first career shutout against the Boston Bruins in March 2007. After the Canadiens traded Huet in 2008, Halák became the backup and later, following strong play and inconsistent performances from Carey Price, was named starter for the 2010 playoffs. He led the Canadiens to an upset of the Presidents' Trophy-winning Washington Capitals, stopping 131 of 134 shots in games 5 through 7, and then defeated the Pittsburgh Penguins before falling to the Philadelphia Flyers in the Eastern Conference Final. Despite his playoff heroics, the Canadiens chose Price and traded Halák to the St. Louis Blues in June 2010.

With the Blues, Halák shared the starting role with Brian Elliott and together they won the William M. Jennings Trophy in 2011–12 for allowing the fewest goals. He was later traded to the Buffalo Sabres in 2014 but did not play a game for them, then was dealt to the Washington Capitals and subsequently had his rights traded to the New York Islanders. With the Islanders, he set a franchise record with 11 consecutive wins and later set the franchise record for most wins in a season with 33. He was named to the 2015 NHL All-Star Game as an injury replacement.

Halák signed with the Boston Bruins as a free agent in July 2018. He started his first game as a Bruin with a 4–0 shutout against the Buffalo Sabres. In the shortened 2019–20 season, he won his second Jennings Trophy alongside Tuukka Rask. During the 2020 Stanley Cup playoffs, after Rask left the team for personal reasons, Halák was named starter for the remainder of the postseason.

Reader's Guide

Jaroslav Halák's career is marked by resilience and key moments of high performance. His emergence as a playoff hero for the Montreal Canadiens in 2010, particularly his 53-save game and near-impenetrable play against the Washington Capitals, cemented his reputation as a goaltender capable of carrying a team through a series. The subsequent goaltending controversy between him and Carey Price, resolved by trading Halák, became a defining episode in Canadiens history. His ability to share the net effectively, as with Brian Elliott in St. Louis to win the Jennings Trophy, and later with Tuukka Rask in Boston to win a second Jennings Trophy, demonstrates his adaptability. His tenure with the New York Islanders included setting franchise records for consecutive wins and single-season wins, and his lone All-Star selection. For the Boston Bruins, Halák provided reliable goaltending, including a shutout in his first start and stepping into the starting role during the 2020 playoffs. His career spanned 18 seasons across seven NHL teams, ending with a retirement announcement in July 2025 after not playing a competitive game in over two years.

Did You Know?

• He earned his first career NHL shutout against the Boston Bruins on 20 March 2007.
• Halák won the William M. Jennings Trophy twice: once with the St. Louis Blues (2011–12) and once with the Boston Bruins (2019–20).
• He set the New York Islanders franchise record for most wins in a season with 33 in 2014–15.