Bob Froese | |||
---|---|---|---|
Born | St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada | June 30, 1958||
Height | 5 ft 11 in (180 cm) | ||
Weight | 175 lb (79 kg; 12 st 7 lb) | ||
Position | Goaltender | ||
Caught | Left | ||
Played for | Philadelphia Flyers New York Rangers | ||
National team | Canada | ||
NHL draft | 160th overall, 1978 St. Louis Blues | ||
Playing career | 1979–1990 |
Robert Glenn Froese (born June 30, 1958) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey goaltender who played eight seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Philadelphia Flyers and New York Rangers.
Froese was born in St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada. He was the middle child to Frank and Agnes Froese with sisters Dorothy (elder) and Patti (younger).
At 16 Froese made his Ontario Major Junior Hockey League debut for his hometown St. Catharines Blackhawks, having been protected as a homegrown player instead of entering the OMJHL draft. His rookie campaign he played in 15 games. Bob played all four of his junior years for the Emms family, moving across the Niagara Region to the Niagara Falls Flyers for the latter two. Following the 1977–78 season, Froese was drafted by the St Louis Blues in the 10th round, 160th overall.
Due to the Blue's financial woes, Froese was not offered a contract out of junior, but instead signed for the Saginaw Gears of the International Hockey League. Halfway through his rookie IHL campaign, Froese was loaned to the Milwaukee Admirals, where he led them to a playoff berth. Froese played a total of three seasons in Saginaw, culminating with the 1980–81 Turner Cup.
1981–82 saw Froese sign with the Philadelphia Flyers, who placed him with the Maine Mariners. Froese played 33 AHL games for the Mariners in each of the 1981–82 and 1982–83 seasons. His call-up to the NHL came after Pelle Lindbergh injured his wrist in an exhibition game against a travelling Soviet exhibition team.
Froese made his NHL debut on January 8, 1983, against the Hartford Whalers. The Flyers won 7–4. Froese went on to win his first 8 NHL starts and go undefeated for his first 13, compiling a 12–0–1 record along the way. These were both records for a rookie goaltender at the time. His first NHL shutout came in his third game against the New York Rangers.
The 1983–84 season saw Froese lead the Flyers in games played. 1984–85 saw injuries limit Froese to 17 NHL games along with 4 AHL games for the Hershey Bears. In the 1984–85 playoffs, Froese made 1 start and came in 3 times in relief as the Flyers went to the Stanley Cup finals.
After Pelle Lindbergh died early in the 1985–86 season, Froese became the Flyers' starting goalie. Froese was selected as the Wales Conference backup goaltender for the 1986 All-Star Game, leading the Wales Conference to an overtime victory. At the close of this season he shared the William M. Jennings Trophy (for backstopping the team that gave up the fewest goals) with Darren Jensen. Froese also came second in Vezina Trophy voting to John Vanbiesbrouck by only two votes. During this season he led the NHL in save % (.909), shutouts (5), wins (31) and was named to the NHL Second All-Star Team.
1986–87 saw Froese lose the starting job for the Flyers to Ron Hextall. After appearing in only 3 games for the Flyers that season, he was traded to the New York Rangers on December 19, 1986, for Kjell Samuelsson and a second-round draft pick. [1]
Following his trade to the Rangers, Froese became half of one of the best tandems in the NHL along with the man he lost the Vezina Trophy to the year before, John Vanbiesbrouck. Appearing in only 28 games that season for the Rangers, he set the team record for most penalty minutes in a season, with 56. [2] Following the season and the Rangers' early exit from the playoffs, Froese went to the IIHF World Championships in Vienna, Austria, where he shut out the Soviet Union during a 0–0 tie.
On November 29, 1987, Froese briefly became the second NHL goalie to score a goal in a game. An errant pass by the New York Islanders' Brent Sutter slid the length of the ice and into the Islanders' empty net on a delayed penalty call. Froese, who had appeared to make a save seconds earlier, was given credit for the goal. Later reviews showed that the shot had actually hit the post and not Froese, so the goal was given to David Shaw. [3]
Altogether, he played for a total of eight seasons, appearing in 242 games and winning 128.
Following his career, Froese joined the New York Rangers coaching staff as their goaltending consultant, working primarily with young prospects Mike Richter and Corey Hirsch. Following two years on the Rangers staff, he joined the New York Islanders in the same role. After three years on the Islanders staff, Froese stepped away from hockey to pursue ministry full-time.
Froese is married to his high school sweetheart Ruth.
Regular season | Playoffs | ||||||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Season | Team | League | GP | W | L | T | MIN | GA | SO | GAA | SV% | GP | W | L | MIN | GA | SO | GAA | SV% | ||
1974–75 | St. Catharines Black Hawks | OMJHL | 15 | — | — | — | 871 | 71 | 0 | 4.89 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
1975–76 | St. Catharines Black Hawks | OMJHL | 39 | — | — | — | 1976 | 193 | 0 | 5.86 | — | 4 | 1 | 3 | 240 | 20 | 0 | 5.00 | — | ||
1976–77 | Niagara Falls Flyers | OMJHL | 39 | — | — | — | 2063 | 161 | 2 | 4.68 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
1977–78 | Niagara Falls Flyers | OMJHL | 53 | — | — | — | 3128 | 246 | 0 | 4.72 | — | 4 | 2 | 2 | 236 | 17 | 0 | 4.36 | — | ||
1978–79 | Saginaw Gears | IHL | 21 | — | — | — | 1050 | 58 | 0 | 3.31 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
1978–79 | Milwaukee Admirals | IHL | 14 | — | — | — | 715 | 42 | 1 | 3.52 | — | 7 | — | — | 334 | 23 | 0 | 4.14 | — | ||
1979–80 | Maine Mariners | AHL | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 60 | 5 | 0 | 5.00 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
1979–80 | Saginaw Gears | IHL | 52 | — | — | — | 2827 | 178 | 0 | 3.78 | — | 4 | — | — | 213 | 13 | 0 | 3.66 | — | ||
1980–81 | Saginaw Gears | IHL | 43 | — | — | — | 2298 | 114 | 3 | 2.98 | — | 13 | 12 | 1 | 806 | 29 | 2 | 2.16 | — | ||
1981–82 | Maine Mariners | AHL | 33 | 16 | 11 | 4 | 1900 | 104 | 2 | 3.28 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
1982–83 | Philadelphia Flyers | NHL | 25 | 17 | 4 | 2 | 1407 | 59 | 4 | 2.52 | .896 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
1982–83 | Maine Mariners | AHL | 33 | 18 | 11 | 3 | 1966 | 110 | 2 | 3.36 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
1983–84 | Philadelphia Flyers | NHL | 48 | 28 | 13 | 7 | 2863 | 150 | 2 | 3.14 | .887 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 154 | 11 | 0 | 4.29 | .857 | ||
1984–85 | Philadelphia Flyers | NHL | 17 | 13 | 2 | 0 | 923 | 37 | 1 | 2.41 | .913 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 146 | 11 | 0 | 4.52 | .845 | ||
1984–85 | Hershey Bears | AHL | 4 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 245 | 15 | 0 | 3.67 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
1985–86 | Philadelphia Flyers | NHL | 51 | 31 | 10 | 3 | 2728 | 116 | 5 | 2.55 | .909 | 5 | 2 | 3 | 293 | 15 | 0 | 3.07 | .880 | ||
1986–87 | Philadelphia Flyers | NHL | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 180 | 8 | 0 | 2.67 | .909 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
1986–87 | New York Rangers | NHL | 28 | 14 | 11 | 0 | 1474 | 92 | 0 | 3.74 | .883 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 165 | 10 | 0 | 3.64 | .896 | ||
1987–88 | New York Rangers | NHL | 25 | 8 | 11 | 3 | 1440 | 85 | 0 | 3.54 | .878 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
1988–89 | New York Rangers | NHL | 30 | 9 | 14 | 4 | 1621 | 102 | 1 | 3.78 | .870 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 72 | 8 | 0 | 6.68 | .843 | ||
1989–90 | New York Rangers | NHL | 15 | 5 | 7 | 1 | 812 | 45 | 0 | 3.33 | .873 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
NHL totals | 242 | 128 | 72 | 20 | 13,448 | 694 | 13 | 3.10 | .889 | 18 | 3 | 9 | 830 | 55 | 0 | 3.98 | .869 |
Year | Team | Event | GP | W | L | T | MIN | GA | SO | GAA | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1987 | Canada | WC | 5 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 300 | 18 | 1 | 3.60 |
"Froese's stats". The Goaltender Home Page. Retrieved 2017-09-22.
Martin Pierre Brodeur is a Canadian–American former professional ice hockey goaltender and current team executive. He played 22 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL), 21 of them for the New Jersey Devils, with whom he won three Stanley Cup championships and five Eastern Conference championships in 17 postseason campaigns. He also won two Olympic gold medals with Team Canada in the 2002 and 2010 Winter Olympic Games, as well as several other medals with Team Canada in other international competitions. Brodeur is widely regarded as one of the greatest goaltenders of all time. In 2017, he was named by the league as one of the "100 Greatest NHL Players", and the following year, he was elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame.
Bernard Marcel Parent is a Canadian former professional ice hockey goaltender who played 13 National Hockey League (NHL) seasons with the Philadelphia Flyers, Boston Bruins, and Toronto Maple Leafs between 1965 and 1979, and also spent one season in the World Hockey Association (WHA) with the Philadelphia Blazers during the 1972–73 season. Parent is widely acknowledged as one of the greatest goaltenders of all time.
Yevgeni Viktorovich Nabokov is a Kazakhstani-Russian former professional ice hockey goaltender who played for the San Jose Sharks, New York Islanders, and Tampa Bay Lightning of National Hockey League (NHL) and for Torpedo Ust-Kamenogorsk, Dynamo Moscow, Metallurg Magnitogorsk and SKA Saint Petersburg of the Russian Super League (RSL) and Kontinental Hockey League (KHL) from 1991 to 2015.
Michael Thomas Richter is an American former professional ice hockey goaltender. He played his entire National Hockey League career, from 1989 to 2002, with the New York Rangers organization, and led the team to the Stanley Cup in 1994. He also represented the United States in international play on several occasions. Richter was named to the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame, alongside his former Rangers and U.S. teammate Brian Leetch, in 2008.
Christopher John Osgood is a Canadian former professional ice hockey goaltender who is currently a Detroit Red Wings studio analyst and part-time color commentator for Bally Sports Detroit. He won three Stanley Cup championships in his career, all with the Red Wings, with two of them coming while he was starting goaltender. He is ranked 13th in wins in NHL regular season history with 401.
Ronald Jeffrey Hextall is a Canadian former professional ice hockey goaltender and executive. He was most recently the general manager of the Pittsburgh Penguins of the National Hockey League (NHL). Hextall played 13 seasons for the Philadelphia Flyers, Quebec Nordiques, and New York Islanders. He served as assistant general manager for the Flyers for one season, and was promoted to general manager of the Philadelphia Flyers, replacing Paul Holmgren on May 7, 2014. He held this position for four and a half seasons. Before this he served as assistant general manager for the Los Angeles Kings, who won the Stanley Cup in 2012.
John Vanbiesbrouck, nicknamed "the Beezer" and "JVB", is an American professional ice hockey executive and former player. As a goaltender, he was inducted into the United States Hockey Hall of Fame in 2007. Vanbiesbrouck played in the National Hockey League (NHL) from 1981 to 2002 for the New York Rangers, Florida Panthers, Philadelphia Flyers, New York Islanders and New Jersey Devils. He began his career playing major junior hockey for the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL). Following a successful season with the Greyhounds, he was drafted by the New York Rangers in the fourth round, 72nd overall, in the 1981 NHL Draft. After his junior career ended, he played for the Rangers minor league affiliate, the Tulsa Oilers of the Central Hockey League. Despite the team's near collapses due to financial concerns, Vanbiesbrouck led the Oilers to a league championship and shared the league's MVP honors.
Michel Raymond "Bunny" Larocque was a Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender who played for the Montreal Canadiens, Toronto Maple Leafs, Philadelphia Flyers and St. Louis Blues in the National Hockey League. He was a four-time Stanley Cup winner with the Montreal Canadiens.
Göran Per-Eric "Pelle" Lindbergh was a Swedish professional ice hockey goaltender who played five seasons with the Philadelphia Flyers in the National Hockey League (NHL). He was the first European-born goaltender to be drafted in the NHL Entry Draft and the first to achieve success in North America.
The 1985–86 NHL season was the 69th season of the National Hockey League. This season saw the league's Board of Governors introduce the Presidents' Trophy, which would go to the team with the best overall record in the NHL regular season. The Edmonton Oilers would be the first winners of this award.
The 1981–82 NHL season was the 65th season of the National Hockey League. The William M. Jennings Trophy made its debut this year as the trophy for the goaltenders from the team with the fewest goals against, thus replacing the Vezina Trophy in that qualifying criteria. The Vezina Trophy would thereafter be awarded to the goaltender adjudged to be the best at his position. The New York Islanders won their third straight Stanley Cup by sweeping the Vancouver Canucks in four games.
Pete Peeters is a Canadian former professional ice hockey goaltender. He was selected by the Philadelphia Flyers in the eighth round of the 1977 NHL amateur draft. and went on to play 13 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Philadelphia Flyers, Boston Bruins and Washington Capitals. He featured in the 1980 Stanley Cup Finals with the Flyers and won the 1984 Canada Cup with Team Canada.
Robert David Moore was a Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender. He played 6 games in the National Hockey League for the Philadelphia Flyers and Washington Capitals during the 1978–79 and 1982–83 seasons. He played his college hockey at the University of Michigan and the University of Western Ontario. Author John U. Bacon claims that Moore was one of the first goalies in either college or professional hockey to not only come out of his net and handle the puck like a defenseman, but "actually shoot it as well as the forwards." As a minor league goaltender, Moore won the Harry "Hap" Holmes Memorial Award in 1978–79, 1979–80 and 1980–81, sharing the award with a different teammate each time.
Philippe Louis Myre is a Canadian former professional ice hockey goaltender who played 14 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Montreal Canadiens, Atlanta Flames, St. Louis Blues, Philadelphia Flyers, Colorado Rockies and Buffalo Sabres. He featured in the 1980 Stanley Cup Finals with the Flyers.
The 1985 Stanley Cup Finals was the championship series of the National Hockey League's (NHL) 1984–85 season, and the culmination of the 1985 Stanley Cup playoffs. It was contested between the defending champion Edmonton Oilers and the Philadelphia Flyers. The Oilers won the best-of-seven series, four games to one, to win their second Stanley Cup. It was also the sixth straight Finals contested between teams that joined the NHL in 1967 or later. Until 2022, this was also the last time that a team, defending champion, or runner-up appeared in the Finals for the third straight season. This was the fourth of nine consecutive Finales contested by a team from Western Canada, third of eight contested by a team from Alberta, and the second of five consecutive Finals to end with the Cup presentation on Alberta ice. Game five of this series was played on May 30, which at the time was the latest finishing date for an NHL season. The record was broken two years later.
The 1984–85 Philadelphia Flyers season was the Philadelphia Flyers' 18th season in the National Hockey League (NHL). The Flyers reached the Stanley Cup Finals but lost in five games to the Edmonton Oilers.
The 1986–87 Philadelphia Flyers season was the Philadelphia Flyers' 20th season in the National Hockey League (NHL). The Flyers reached the Stanley Cup Finals but lost to the Edmonton Oilers in seven games.
The 1985–86 Philadelphia Flyers season was the Philadelphia Flyers' 19th season in the National Hockey League (NHL). The Flyers lost in the first round of the playoffs in five game to the New York Rangers.
William John Smith is a Canadian former professional ice hockey goaltender. He won four Stanley Cups with the New York Islanders and was the first goalie to be credited with a goal in the NHL. In 2017 Smith was named one of the 100 Greatest NHL Players in history.
Sergei Andreyevich Bobrovsky is a Russian professional ice hockey goaltender for the Florida Panthers of the National Hockey League (NHL). He has also played in the NHL for the Philadelphia Flyers and Columbus Blue Jackets, with whom he became recognized as one of the NHL's top goaltenders. Nicknamed "Bob", Bobrovsky is a two-time Vezina Trophy winner, winning in the 2012–13 and 2016–17 seasons while a member of the Blue Jackets.