Roger Crozier
First player to win Conn Smythe on losing team.
Roger Allan Crozier (March 16, 1942 – January 11, 1996) was a Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender who played 14 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Detroit Red Wings, Buffalo Sabres, and Washington Capitals. He is notable for being the first player to win the Conn Smythe Trophy while playing for the losing team in the Stanley Cup Final, and for being the last NHL goaltender to start all of his team's regular-season games (in 1964–65).
Quick Facts
- Played For
- Detroit Red Wings / Buffalo Sabres / Washington Capitals
- Position
- Goaltender
- Catches
- Right
- Height Ft
- 5
- Height In
- 8
- Weight Lb
- 160
- Birth Date
- 1942-03-16
- Birth Place
- Bracebridge, Ontario, Canada
- Death Date
- 1996-01-11
- Death Place
- Wilmington, Delaware, U.S.
- Career Start
- 1960
- Career End
- 1977
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
Crozier was born in Bracebridge, Ontario, one of fourteen children. He began playing goaltender at age six and became the starting goaltender for the Bracebridge Bears at 14. In junior hockey with the St. Catharines Teepees, he helped win the Memorial Cup in 1959–60. During his junior career, he developed his first ulcer, a problem that plagued him throughout his career. He adopted the butterfly style of goaltending in the minors, despite coaches' attempts to dissuade him. Traded to the Detroit Red Wings in 1963, Crozier became the starting goaltender at age 22 after Terry Sawchuk was left unprotected. In his rookie season (1964–65), he started all 70 games, led the league in wins (40) and shutouts (6), and won the Calder Memorial Trophy. In the 1966 Stanley Cup Final, despite a leg injury, he played through and won the Conn Smythe Trophy as the Red Wings lost to the Montreal Canadiens. He was the first goaltender to win the award and the first player to win it in a losing effort. Crozier's career was marked by chronic pancreatitis, ulcers, and gallbladder problems. He retired briefly in 1967–68 due to stress and depression but returned. Traded to the Buffalo Sabres in 1970, he started their first game and earned the franchise's first shutout. Despite them, he helped his junior team win the Memorial Cup in 1959–60, played in over 500 NHL regular season games and participated in three Stanley Cup Finals. His health forced him to retire in 1976–77 after a brief stint with the Washington Capitals.
Reader's Guide
Crozier's significance lies in his pioneering achievement as the first player to win the Conn Smythe Trophy while on the losing team in the Stanley Cup Final, a feat that underscored his individual brilliance in a losing cause. He was also the last NHL goaltender to start every regular-season game for his team, a testament to his durability despite severe health problems. His career was defined by perseverance through chronic pancreatitis, ulcers, and gallbladder issues, which forced him to miss games but never ended his career prematurely. After retirement, he joined the Capitals' front office and later worked for MBNA bank. In 2000, MBNA unveiled the Roger Crozier Saving Grace Award, given annually from 1999–2000 to 2006–07 to the goaltender with the best regular-season save percentage. He was inducted into the Buffalo Sports Hall of Fame in 2009.
More in NHL Trophy Winners, Part 2 1-24
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