While there’s a lot of talk about the most unbreakable records in sports, one all-time mark that deserves more attention is Martin Brodeur’s 691 career wins — the most by a goalie in NHL history.
Even if a player can match Brodeur’s longevity and durability, today’s NHL teams opt to rest their goalies and limit their starts. It seems unlikely that a modern goaltender will be able to rack up enough wins to seriously challenge Brodeur.
How big is the gap between Brodeur and the active leader? Who else cracks the top 10 in career wins? Let’s look at which goalies have recorded the most wins in NHL history.
10. Tony Esposito, 423 wins
Esposito played from 1967 to 1984, suiting up for the Montreal Canadiens and Chicago Blackhawks. He is a three-time winner of the NHL’s Vezina Trophy, which prior to the 1981-82 season went to the goalie whose team allowed the fewest goals. In 1970, he recorded 15 shutouts in a single season, which is a modern NHL record (since 1942). Esposito helped Montreal win the Stanley Cup in 1969. He was enshrined in the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1988.
9. Jacques Plante, 437 wins
Plante played off and on from 1947 to 1975, including stints with the Montreal Canadiens, New York Rangers, St. Louis Blues, Toronto Maple Leafs, Boston Bruins and Edmonton Oilers. He helped the Canadiens win the Stanley Cup six times, including five straight years. Plante won the Hart Trophy as the league’s most valuable player in 1962, and he racked up an NHL-record seven Vezina Trophies. Plante is also known for inventing and popularizing the goaltender mask. He was inducted to the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1978.
8. Terry Sawchuk, 445 wins
Sawchuk was an 11-time All-Star who played from 1949 to 1970, winning four Stanley Cups in his career. He was a four-time Vezina Trophy winner and became the first goalie to record 100 career regular-season shutouts. To this day, Sawchuk has the second-most shutouts in NHL history (103), trailing only Martin Brodeur (125). The Detroit Red Wings retired Sawchuk’s No. 1 in 1994, and he was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1971.
7. Curtis Joseph, 454 wins
Despite going undrafted, Curtis “Cujo” Joseph became a star goalie, playing for the St. Louis Blues, Edmonton Oilers, Toronto Maple Leafs, Detroit Red Wings, Phoenix Coyotes and Calgary Flames. Joseph excelled with multiple teams, becoming the first goalie in NHL history to have a 30-win season with five different teams. Joseph became a three-time All-Star. While he never played in the Stanley Cup Final, he had an outstanding career.
6. Henrik Lundqvist, 459 wins
Lundqvist spent the entirety of his 20-year NHL career with the New York Rangers. He’s the only goaltender in NHL history to start his career with seven straight 30-win seasons. He was incredibly consistent, winning at least 20 games in each of his first 11 seasons. Lundqvist won the Vezina Trophy for best NHL goaltender in 2012. He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame last year.
5. Ed Belfour, 484 wins
After going undrafted, Belfour played for 19 seasons with the Chicago Blackhawks, San Jose Sharks, Dallas Stars, Toronto Maple Leafs and Florida Panthers. He won the Stanley Cup in 1999, earned Vezina Trophies in 1991 and 1993, and took home the Roger Crozier Saving Grace Award in 2000 (which is given to the goalie with the best save percentage). He was selected to six All-Star Games and was enshrined in the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2011.
4. Roberto Luongo, 489 wins
Throughout his 19-year NHL career, Luongo played for the New York Islanders, Florida Panthers and Vancouver Canucks. He was the No. 4 overall pick in the 1997 NHL draft, eventually becoming a six-time All-Star. In 2007, he was a finalist for the Hart Trophy (MVP). Among all goalies throughout NHL history, Luongo played the second-most games (1,044) and recorded the second-most saves (28,409), trailing only Martin Brodeur in both stats (1,266 and 28,928, respectively). Luongo was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2022.
3. Patrick Roy, 551 wins
Roy was the No. 51 pick in the 1984 NHL draft, and he would suit up for the Montreal Canadiens and Colorado Avalanche. When Roy retired in 2003, he was the winningest goalie of all time, but the top two goaltenders on this list would later pass him. To this day, Roy still leads all goaltenders in playoff wins (151). Roy won four Stanley Cups, three Vezina Trophies and three Conn Smythe Trophies (a team MVP award). He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2006, and he’s currently the head coach of the New York Islanders.
2. Marc-Andre Fleury, 566 wins
Unlike the other goalies listed here, Fleury is still active — he’s currently on the Minnesota Wild. He is the only active goalie in the top 15 of the career wins list. In addition to the Wild, Fleury has also suited up for the Pittsburgh Penguins, Vegas Golden Knights and Chicago Blackhawks. The No. 1 overall pick in the 2003 draft, Fleury has lived up to the hype. The five-time All-Star has won three Stanley Cups and a Vezina Trophy (in 2021).
1. Martin Brodeur, 691 wins
In addition to having the most wins in NHL history, Brodeur also holds the record for the most shutouts (125) and games played (1,266). Throughout his 22-year NHL career, the nine-time All-Star won three Stanley Cup championships (1995, 2000 and 2003) and four Vezina Trophies (2003, 2004, 2007 and 2008). Brodeur was nominated for the Hart Trophy (MVP) three times (in 2003, 2004 and 2007). For 12 consecutive seasons, he won at least 30 games (and he had eight seasons with 40 wins). Brodeur was selected to the NHL’s 100 Greatest Players list and in 2018 was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame.
Be sure to check out ESPN’s NHL coverage, including breaking news, in-depth analysis, power rankings, daily lines, fantasy hockey and more.
