CrashingTheGoalie

by Ron Spence

Neither Steve Yzerman, nor Sergei Fedorov, were awarded the Calder Trophy following their rookie seasons.

So, who won?

Ironically, they were both goalies. Although, they arrived at the NHL along different paths.

During the 1983-84 season, when Stevie Y was cutting his teeth, eighteen-year-old Buffalo netminder Tom Barrasso was literally “standing on his head.”

Straight out of high school hockey, he went 26-12 in 42 games.

Ed Befour won the Calder seven years later, but had arrived in the Big Tent via a circuitous route, and was twenty-five years old.

He had played two years in the old International Hockey League (comparable to the AHL in those days), one on the Canadian National Team, and a partial year with the Blackhawks, appearing in 23 games.

Belfour would play sixteen additional NHL seasons, winning the Vezina Trophy twice, the William Jennings Trophy – for the best goals against – four times, and the Roger Crozier Saving Grace Award – for the best save percentage – once. He won an Olympic Gold Medal for Canada, as well as a Stanley Cup with the Dallas Stars.

Barrasso won the Vezina the same year that he was awarded the Calder, and the Jennings Trophy once during his nineteen years in the NHL. He won an Olympic Silver Medal with Team U.S. and two Stanley Cups with the Pittsburgh Penguins in 1991 and 1992.