Georges "The Chicoutimi Cucumber" Vezina

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Photo taken, without permission, from Douglas Hunter's excellent "A Breed Apart"

BIOGRAPHY

BORN: Chicoutimi, Quebec, January 21, 1887.
DIED: March 27, 1926.
HEIGHT: 5'6"
WEIGHT: 185 lbs.
UNIFORM #:
CATCHES: Left

Entry in "Inside Sports: Hockey": Turned pro as a goalie with the Montreal Canadiens in 1910 and played with them until November 1925. Died of tuberculosis the following year. Trophy for the goalies is awarded annually in his memory.

WHAT OTHERS SAID:

"The first thing that pops into my mind is that he (Vezina) always wore a toque, a small, knitted hat with no brim in Montreal colours - bleu, blanc et rouge. I also remember him as the coolest man I ever saw, absolutely imperturbable...He stood upright in the net and scarcely ever left his feet; he simply played all his shots in a standing position. Vezina was a pale, narrow-featured fellow, almost frail-looking, yet remarkably god with his stick. He'd pick off more shots with it than he did with his glove." (Frank Boucher, a player in Vezina's era - "A Breed Apart" (Douglas Hunter))

HIS DEATH:

"...Even those in his own household did not know he was fighting for his life when he played his last game on November 28, 1925. The Canadien's' opponent in the old Mt. Royal Arena in Montreal that night was Pittsburgh. After a scoreless first period, Vezina left the ice bleeding from the mouth. He collapsed in the dressing room, returned for the start of the second period, then collapsed again and had to leave the game. Only then did his family and friends learn that he had tuberculosis. Four months later, at the age of 39, he passed away." Inside Sports: Hockey, p. 277

TRANSACTIONS:

Came to the attention of the Canadiens in February of 1910, when, playing for a Chicoutimi amateur team, he shut them out in an exhibition game.
Rights retained by Montreal Canadiens after National Hockey Association folded, November 26, 1917.

ACCOLADES:

Member of Stanley Cup-winning Montreal Canadiens, 1916.
First goaltender in National Hockey League history to record a shutout, 1917-18.
Led National Hockey League goaltenders in Goals Against Average (2.00), 1923-24.
Member of Stanley Cup-winning Montreal Canadiens, 1924.
Appeared in 325 consecutive regular-season games for Montreal Canadiens.
Elected to Hockey Hall of Fame, 1945.

INJURIES:

Left game against Pittsburgh bleeding from the mouth; later died from tuberculosis, November 28, 1925.

DID YOU KNOW?

Georges appeared in 328 consecutive league games, and 39 consecutive postseason contests.
In 1926-27, the owners of the Canadiens donated a trophy to the league in the memory of Vezina to be awarded annually to the goaltender on the team which was least scored upon (later changed to the most valuable goaltender, voted upon by hockey writers and broadcasters).

SEASON-BY-SEASON:

REGULAR SEASON
Year  Team                         GP    Min   W   L   T    GA    GAA   Shots    Sv%   ShO   G   A   PiM     S/60    PERS
09-10 Chicoutimi Sagueneens MCHL
10-11 Montreal Canadiens NHA       16    980   8   8   0    62   3.80                    0
11-12 Montreal Canadiens NHA       18   1109   8  10   0    66   3.57                    0
12-13 Montreal Canadiens NHA       20   1217  11   9   0    81   3.99                    1
13-14 Montreal Canadiens NHA       20   1222  13   7   0    64   3.14                    1
14-15 Montreal Canadiens NHA       20   1257   6  14   0    81   3.86                    0
15-16 Montreal Canadiens NHA       24   1482  16   7   1    76   3.08                    0
16-17 Montreal Canadiens NHA       20   1217  10  10   0    80   3.94                    0
17-18 Montreal Canadiens NHL       21   1282  12   9   0    84   3.93                    1   0   0     0
18-19 Montreal Canadiens NHL       18   1117  10   8   0    78   4.19                    1   0   0     0
      Montreal Canadiens STAN CUP   5    356   2   2   1    19   2.74                    1
19-20 Montreal Canadiens NHL       24   1456  13  11   0   113   4.66                    0   0   0     0
20-21 Montreal Canadiens NHL       24   1436  13  11   0    99   4.14                    1
21-22 Montreal Canadiens NHL       24   1468  12  11   1    94   3.84                    0   0   0     2 
22-23 Montreal Canadiens NHL       24   1488  13   9   2    61   2.46                    2
23-24 Montreal Canadiens NHL       24   1459  13  11   0    48   1.97                    3
      Montreal Canadiens STAN CUP   4    240   4   0   0     4   1.00                    1  
24-25 Montreal Canadiens NHL       30   1860  17  11   2    56   1.81                    5
      Montreal Canadiens STAN CUP   4    240   1   3   0    16   4.00                    0
25-26 Montreal Canadiens NHL        1     20   0   0   0     0   0.00                    0
SEVEN (7) NHA SEASONS             138   8484  72  65   1   510   3.61                    2
NINE (9) NHL SEASONS              190  11586 103  81   5   633   3.28                   13

POST-SEASON
Year  Team                        GP    Min   W   L   T   GA    GAA   Shots    Sv%   ShO   G   A   PiM     S/60    PERS
13-14 Montreal Canadiens NHA       2    120   1   1   0    6   3.00                    1
15-16 Montreal Canadiens NHA       5    300   3   2   0   13   2.60                    0
16-17 Montreal Canadiens NHA       6    240   2   4   0   29   4.80                    0
17-18 Montreal Canadiens NHL       2    120   1   1   0   10   5.00                    0
18-19 Montreal Canadiens NHL       5    300   4   1   0   18   3.60                    0
22-23 Montreal Canadiens NHL       2    120   1   1   0    3   1.50                    0
23-24 Montreal Canadiens NHL       2    120   2   0   0    2   1.00                    1
24-25 Montreal Canadiens NHL       2    120   2   0   0    2   1.00                    1
FIVE (5) NHL POSTSEASONS          13    780   9   4   1   36   2.77                    2 
FIVE (5) NHL POSTSEASONS          26   1596  17   8   1   74   2.78                    4

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