Roger Crozier Saving Grace Award

Roger Crozier Saving Grace Award
SportIce hockey
Awarded forgoaltender who has played a minimum of 25 games and finished the season with the best save percentage in the National Hockey League.
History
First award1999–2000 NHL season
Final award2006–07 NHL season

The Roger Crozier Saving Grace Award,[1] officially billed as the MBNA/MasterCard Roger Crozier Saving Grace Award,[2] was an award in ice hockey given annually to the goaltender who finished the regular season with the best save percentage in the National Hockey League (NHL).[3] Only goaltenders who played 25 games or more in the season were eligible for the award.[1] A goaltender's save percentage represents the percentage of shots on goal that he stops, and is calculated by dividing the number of saves by the total number of shots on goal.[4]

The award was first presented at the conclusion of the 1999–2000 season,[3] and was named in honor of former Detroit Red Wings, Buffalo Sabres and Washington Capitals goaltender Roger Crozier, a Calder and Conn Smythe Trophy winner who played in the NHL from 1964 to 1977.[5] It was presented by the MBNA corporation in memory of Crozier, who worked for the MBNA America Bank after retiring as a player, and died on January 11, 1996.[1] The winner of the trophy received a commemorative crystal trophy and was given US$25,000 to donate to a youth hockey or other educational program of their choice.[1]

By 2007, when it ceased being presented, the award had been handed to six different players on seven occasions. Marty Turco is the only goaltender to have won the award twice. Three Dallas Stars goalies have won the award, while two each have represented the Montreal Canadiens and the Minnesota Wild. Only seven awards were ever made. The award was not presented in 2005, as the entire 2004–05 season was canceled due to the lockout.[6]

  1. ^ a b c d "Canadiens' Cristobal Huet to receive MBNA Roger Crozier Saving Grace Award". National Hockey League. 2006-09-20. Archived from the original on 2006-09-22. Retrieved 2007-10-02.
  2. ^ Muir, Allan (2006-05-31). "In a class of his own". Sports Illustrated. Archived from the original on November 3, 2012. Retrieved 2010-09-30.
  3. ^ a b Heika, Mike (2000-03-19). "Around the NHL – Tight-with-a-buck Bruins soured company man Bourque". The Providence Journal. Archived from the original on November 4, 2012. Retrieved 2010-09-30.
  4. ^ Brehm, Mike (2003-04-02). "Answers: Decoding the stats page". USA Today. Retrieved 2010-09-30.
  5. ^ Fischler, Stan; Fischler, Shirley (2003). Who's Who in Hockey. Andrews McMeel Publishing. p. 88. ISBN 0-7407-1904-1.
  6. ^ Caldwell, Dave (2005-07-14). "N.H.L. and Players Reach Agreement". The New York Times. Retrieved 2010-09-30.