Tom Barrasso

Lore & Background

Barrasso began his NHL career directly out of high school after being drafted fifth overall by the Buffalo Sabres in 1983. In his first season, he won both the Calder Memorial Trophy and Vezina Trophy, becoming the third player to achieve that double. He was named to the NHL First All-Star Team that same year. The following season, he shared the William M. Jennings Trophy with Bob Sauve for allowing the fewest goals. After a trade to the Pittsburgh Penguins in November 1988, Barrasso became the team's primary starter and led them to Stanley Cup victories in 1991 and 1992. During the 1992 playoffs, he set a league record with eleven straight playoff wins. In 1997, he became the first American goaltender to record 300 NHL wins. He later played for the Ottawa Senators, Carolina Hurricanes, Toronto Maple Leafs, and St. Louis Blues before retiring. He was inducted into the United States Hockey Hall of Fame in 2009 and the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2023.

Reader's Guide

Tom Barrasso's career is defined by his immediate impact as a teenage goaltender and his sustained success with the Pittsburgh Penguins. His rookie season, in which he won both the Calder and Vezina trophies, set a standard for young goaltenders. His performance in the 1991 and 1992 Stanley Cup playoffs, particularly his record-setting eleven-game winning streak and his shutout in Game 3 of the 1992 Final, cemented his reputation as a clutch performer. Barrasso also led the league in wins during the 1992–93 season and tied Tiny Thompson's NHL record with fourteen consecutive wins. Off the ice, his relationship with the media became strained after a 1994 incident involving a terrorist threat charge, leading him to rarely speak with reporters for the remainder of his time in Pittsburgh. After his playing career, he transitioned into coaching, winning a league championship with Asiago Hockey in 2017–18 and later coaching in the EIHL.

Did You Know?

• Barrasso was the youngest goaltender to play and win an NHL game since Harry Lumley nearly forty years prior, debuting less than six months after graduating high school.
• He won the inaugural NHL Rookie of the Month award in October 1983.
• Barrasso set a league record with eleven straight playoff wins during the 1992 Stanley Cup run.
• He was the first American goaltender to record 300 NHL wins, achieving the milestone on October 19, 1997.