John Vanbiesbrouck
Encyclopedia
John "Beezer" Vanbiesbrouck (born September 4, 1963) is a retired professional ice hockey
goaltender
, who was inducted into the United States Hockey Hall of Fame
in 2007. He played in the National Hockey League
(NHL) 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.
He began playing full-time with the Rangers in the 1984–85 season. Vanbiesbrouck won the Vezina Trophy
as the league's top goaltender and was named a First Team NHL All-Star
the following season. After playing parts of 11 season with the Rangers, he was taken in the 1993 NHL Expansion Draft
by the Florida Panthers. In Florida, Vanbiesbrouck was a three-time all-star, and led the Panthers to their first and only Stanley Cup Finals
appearance in 1996. While in Florida he recorded his 300th career victory, becoming the 15th and only the second American goaltender in NHL history to do so. During his career, Vanbiesbrouck compiled a record of 374 wins, 346 losses, 119 ties, and 40 shutouts, making him the winningest American-born goaltender and tying Frank Brimsek
for most career shutouts by an American-born goaltender. Following his playing career, he took over as the head coach
and General Manager
of the Greyhounds. However, after using a racial slur referencing his team captain, he resigned.
Internationally Vanbiesbrouck has represented the United States
on several occasions. He played in the 1982 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships
as well as four IIHF World Championships
. He was named to the Second All-Star team at the 1985 World Ice Hockey Championships
. He also played in two Canada Cup
tournaments, registering the lowest Goals against average
in 1987
and was a back-up goaltender during the Americans' second-place finish in 1991
. He represented Team USA for the final time in 1998, serving as the back-up on the Olympic ice hockey team
.
to a Belgian immigrant bricklayer, Robert Vanbiesbrouck, and an Italian immigrant Sara. He grew-up with two brothers; the oldest, Frank, who was also a goaltender in youth hockey. He inspired Vanbiesbrouck to play goaltender. John later noted that he learned more about goaltending just from watching Frank than any coaching could, adding that no one ever helped him more to become the player he was.
hockey club, a travel ice hockey team in Detroit. During a tournament in Toronto
, Vanbiesbrouck lost his jersey and was forced to wear a teammate's uniform. He played well in the tournament with junior scouts in attendance. Since Vanbiesbrouck wore another player's jersey he went undrafted in the midget draft, while the player whose jersey he wore was drafted in the fourth round. After being unclaimed in the draft Vanbiesbrouck was offered a try-out with the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds
, members of the Ontario Major Junior Hockey League, later becoming the Ontario Hockey League
(OHL). At the try-out he made the team, winning a spot over several other players and became the starting goalie for the Greyhounds. Vanbiesbrouck played in 56 games and complied a 31–16–1 record during his first season in Sault Ste. Marie
. Following the 1980–81 season he was drafted in the 4th round, 72nd overall of the NHL Draft
by the New York Rangers
.
On December 5, 1981, just months after being drafted, Vanbiesbrouck made his professional debut with the Rangers as an emergency call-up. He defeated the Colorado Rockies
2–1. Despite only allowing one goal and earning his first NHL win, the Rangers decided to return him to Sault Ste. Marie — a move intended to aid his development. He finished the year with a 12–12–2 record for the Greyhounds and made his first international appearance, representing the United States
at the 1982 World Junior Championships
. He played one more season for the Greyhounds, playing 62 games winning 39 of them and being named to OHL Second All-Star Team.
Following his career with the Greyhounds, Vanbiesbrouck moved on to the minor leagues joining the Central Hockey League's (CHL) Tulsa Oilers. During the 1983-84 season, his first with the Oilers, the ownership group was unable to sustain the team. They went bankrupt, were taken over by the league, and forced to play their remaining games on the road. After losing their home rink the team was housed in Denver, Colorado where they shared a practice facility with the University of Denver
and fellow CHL team the Colorado Flames
. The lack of ice time often forced the Oilers to practice in a Mall where they were not allowed to shoot pucks. For extra practice Vanbiesbrouck had tennis balls hit at him in the parking lot. Despite all the adversity the Oilers won the Adams Cup as league champions. Meanwhile Vanbiesbrouck won the Terry Sawchuk
Award, with back-up Ron Scott
, for fewest goals against in the league and shared CHL MVP honors with Bruce Affleck
by winning the Tommy Ivan
Trophy.
He made the Rangers full time in the 1984–85 season, playing in 42 games and posted a 4.20 goals against average
(GAA). The following year
Vanbiesbrouck enjoyed a breakout season, playing in 61 games, winning a career high 31. The 31 victories accounted for all but 5 of the Rangers' regular season total. His success continued over to the post-season, where he led the Rangers to an upset over the Philadelphia Flyers
in the opening round. He then followed it by beating a Washington Capitals
team that registered 107 points
in the regular season. The Rangers lost in the Conference Finals to the eventual Stanley Cup
champion Montreal Canadiens
. In the off season Vanbiesbrouck was named a First Team NHL All-Star
, won the Vezina Trophy
as the league's top goaltender, and signed a new three year contract with the Rangers. He was unable to repeat his success in the next season
, winning 18 games in 50 games played while losing 20 contests.
Prior to the 1987–88 season Vanbiesbrouck was hit by a puck under his mask in practice, which caused a non-displaced fracture of his lower jaw and a broken tooth. Fortunately for him the injury did not require his jaw to be wired shut, and he was able to return to practice the next day. He showed no ill effects from the injury, playing in 56 games, winning 27. On June 13, 1988 Vanbiesbrouck suffered nerve damage to his left wrist after a glass coffee table he was sitting on collapsed and broken glass lacerated his ulnar nerve
and three tendons. He was sitting on the table assembling video equipment in anticipation of the birth of his first child. The glass broke beneath him, and as he braced for the fall, his wrist was cut by the glass. Vanbiesbrouck required five hours of microsurgery
to remove glass from his wrist and repair the nerve and tendon damage. He was initially expected to miss 4–6 months, but he recovered in time to attend the Rangers pre-season training camp just 3 month later. Again he played in 56 games, and increased his win total to 28.
He began the 1989-90 season
as the Rangers' starting goaltender, but after the Rangers struggled in early January, he began to share the duties with the recently called up Mike Richter
. During the playoffs head coach Roger Neilson
employed a rotation system between the two goaltenders. The Rangers won their first round match-up against the Islanders
, but lost to the Capitals in the second round. For his part Vanbiesbrouck posted a 2–3 record with a 3.02 GAA and a .902 save percentage
.
The following season
the two goaltenders formed the best duo in the NHL. The duo remained together even after Vanbiesbrouck had a chance to leave via free agency in 1992. A new collective bargaining agreement established him as a group 2 free agent, allowing the Rangers to match any offer from another team or to claim draft choices as compensation if he were to sign with another team. After not receiving much interest from other clubs, Vanbiesbrouck re-signed with the Rangers, signing a two-year deal with an option for the third averaging $1 million per season. At the end of the 1992–93 season
, the decision was made to trade Vanbiesbrouck. With the upcoming expansion draft
the Rangers would only be able to protect one goaltender. Faced with the prospect of losing one of their two goaltenders, the Rangers traded the "equally talented" but older Vanbiesbrouck to the Vancouver Canucks
for future considerations (Doug Lidster
).
allowed teams to protect one goaltender, nine forwards and five defensemen. Additional rules stated that teams could only lose one goaltender in the draft and prevented teams from losing both a defenseman and a goaltender. Prior to the draft Florida Panthers
general manager Bobby Clarke
won a coin-toss giving them the first pick in the draft. Thus with their first selection, the Panthers picked Vanbiesbrouck to be the number one goalie for their team. Upon his arrival in Florida, Vanbiesbrouck went on a "mall tour" to help elevate the visibility of the franchise and made an informative video explaining ice hockey terms
for Blockbuster, then owners of the franchise. In January 1994 he made his return to Madison Square Garden
. In his first game back to his former home venue, Vanbiesbrouck made 51 saves
ultimately losing the game 3–2 to his former team. During the season he was also named to the All-Star game
as the Panthers' sole representative. In the game Vanbiesbrouck played the third period, made six saves and was credited with the win. At the completion of his first season in Florida, he played in 57 games posting a 21–25–11 record, registering a 2.53 GAA, and his career best save percentage of .924 ranked him second in the league. Vanbiesbrouck was named a Second Team NHL All-Star and was shortlisted for the Hart and Vezina Trophies. His 21 wins tied the Minnesota North Stars
' Cesare Maniago
's record for the most by an expansion goaltender. The record was later passed by Ron Tugnutt
during the Columbus Blue Jackets
inaugural season. The Panthers finished the season with 83 points, one point behind the New York Islanders
, for the eighth and final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference
. The following season
was shortened due to the 1994–95 NHL lockout. As a result Vanbiesbrouck played in just 37 games registering a 14–15–4 record. He lowed his GAA from the previous year to 2.47 and increased his shutout total from one to four. However his save percentage dropped to .914. The Panthers again fell a point short of making the playoffs.
In the 1995–96 season, Vanbiesbrouck was named to the All-Star Game. In the game he played the second period and gave up three goals on seven shots. The Panthers were in playoff position for more than half of the season, but faltered late in the season and were close to falling out of the playoff race. Late in the season Vanbiesbrouck shutout the New Jersey Devils
putting Florida into the playoffs. At the end of the regular season he played in 57 games posting a 21–25–11 with 2 shutouts. His games played ranked him tenth in the league while his GAA of 2.68 was ninth. In the first round Florida defeated the Boston Bruins
in five games. Their second round match-up was against the heavily favored Philadelphia Flyers
. Vanbiesbrouck posted a shutout in the first game of the series, the third post season shutout of his career and the first in Panthers playoff history. During the series Vanbiesbrouck held the Flyers scoreless for 116:46 straight minutes, as Florida upset Philadelphia winning four games to two. In the Conference Finals the Panthers were again huge underdogs to the Pittsburgh Penguins, a team that featured the leagues two top scorers in Mario Lemieux
and Jaromir Jagr
. The Penguins took a 3–2 series lead, but the Panthers won game six 4–3 to force game seven. In game 7 Vanbiesbrouck made 39 saves in a 3–1 Panthers victory, winning the Eastern Conference and putting them in the Stanley Cup Finals
. The Panthers fell behind the Colorado Avalanche
3–0 in the series. Game four was considered one of the classic games in finals' history. The game was a 0–0 tie entering the third overtime
period. Early in the period, a long shot from Colorado's Uwe Krupp
eluded Vanbiesbrouck giving the Avalanche a 1–0 win and the Stanley Cup
. Vanbiesbrouck made 55 saves in the loss and finished third in voting for the Conn Smythe Trophy
as playoff MVP.
During the 1996–97 season he was elected by the fans to the All-Star Game
as the starting goaltender. Vanbiesbrouck' 200,457 votes led the Eastern Conference. By season's end Vanbiesbrouck finished in the top ten in the NHL for save percentage (6), GAA (5) and tied for 11 in wins (27). The Panthers finished fourth in the Eastern conference and faced the Rangers in the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs
. Vanbiesbrouck made 34 saves in game one, shutting out the Rangers 3–0. It was the only game the Panthers won as the Rangers defeated them 4–1 in the series. The following season Vanbiesbrouck reached a personal milestone. On December 27, 1997 the Panthers defeated the New York Islanders
6–2 at Nassau Coliseum. The win marked the 300th of his career, making him the 15th goaltender, and second American, in NHL history to reach the mark. Despite his personal milestone Vanbiesbrouck suffered through his worst statistical season with the Panthers. The team fared no better as they finished the season in 12th place in the Eastern conference and out of the playoffs.
. He continued to be "shaky" at the beginning of the 1999–2000 season. As a result rookie Brian Boucher
began playing more. Vanbiesbrouck reached another milestone during the season, becoming the 8th goaltender in NHL history to play in 800 games. He played in 50 games during the season registering a 25–15–9 record, but in the playoff the Flyers went with Boucher.
During the 2000 NHL Entry Draft
, Philadelphia traded Vanbiesbrouck to the New York Islanders
for a fourth-round draft pick. The Islanders made the trade with the intention of having Vanbiesbrouck mentor first overall draft pick Rick DiPietro
. He played in 44 games for the Islanders winning 10 of them and recording a shutout. On the eve of the NHL trade deadline, the Islanders traded Vanbiesbrouck to the New Jersey Devils
for Chris Terreri
and a ninth-round pick. New Jersey made the deal with the intent to give starting goaltender Martin Brodeur
some rest prior to the playoffs
. With Terreri struggling they felt it best to bring in someone who had played regularly throughout the year. Vanbiesbrouck played in 4 games for the Devils, winning them all, and recorded his 40th career shutout
. The shutout tied him with Frank Brimsek
for the most shutouts by an American born goaltender in NHL history. Vanbiesbrouck did not play during the playoffs, but the Devils advanced to the Stanley Cup Finals
. The Devils played the Colorado Avalanche
and lost in seven games. Vanbiesbrouck retired immediately after game seven on June 10, 2001. He stated that "it's time" and he wanted to leave the game healthy. He was retired for only eight months before he agreed to terms with the Devils to come out of retirement. He posted a 2–3–0 record as the Devils back up, finishing his career with 374 wins. His win total is the most by an American born goaltender in NHL history. He again did not play in the playoffs
as the Devils were eliminated in the first round by the eventual Eastern Conference champion Carolina Hurricanes
. Vanbiesbrouck retired for the second and final time on May 24, 2002.
Following his playing career Vanbiesbrouck earned several accolades. The Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds retired his number (1). NHL.com named him the best NHL player to wear jersey number 34, and on October 12, 2007 Vanbiesbrouck was inducted into the United States Hockey Hall of Fame
. He remains thirteenth in NHL history in wins. However, he is also fourth all-time in losses.
representing the United States
at the World Junior Championship. In five games he posted a 1–3–0 record with a 5.70 GAA, as the Americans finished in sixth place. The next year
he again participated in the World Junior Championship. He appeared in five games and lowered his GAA to 3.64, helping the American team improve to fifth place.
In 1985
he played for Team USA at the IIHF World Championships
. Vanbiesbrouck posted a 6–3–0 record, defeating three of three top ranked teams in the world (Canada, Czech Republic and Sweden). He later noted that those three victories gave him the confidence to be successful at the NHL level. The Americans were the second seed
following the preliminary round. However they failed to win a single game in the championship round and finished the tournament in fourth place. Individually Vanbiesbrouck was named to the Second All-Star team. Two years later he played in his second World Championship
. He was unable to duplicate his prior success posting a 2–5–0 record, as Team USA finished in seventh place one position away from being relegated to Division I. During 1987
Vanbiesbrouck also participated in the Canada Cup
, registering a 2–2–0 record with a 2.25 GAA. He registered the lowest GAA in the tournament, but the United States finished in fifth place. He played in two more World Championships in 1989
and 1991
going 1–2–1 and 3–4–2 respectively, as the US improved to sixth place in 1989 and finished just short of winning a medal in 1991 placing fourth. Vanbiesbrouck was named to the Canada Cup team in 1991
, but spent the tournament as Mike Richter's back-up. He played only one game in the tournament defeating Finland 4–3. The United States finished the Canada Cup in second place losing the best of three championship to Canada 2–0.
He was named to the 1996 World Cup of Hockey
team but missed the Americans' victory due to a small cartilage tear in his right shoulder that required off-season surgery to repair.
Prior to the 1998 Winter Olympics
an announcement was made that NHL would shut down for two and a half weeks to allow its players to participate in the international tournament
for the first time. Vanbiesbrouck was named to the United States team, but spent the majority of the tournament on the bench, playing in one game for only one minute. As a team the Americans finished in a "disappointing" sixth place.
and the more traditional Stand-up style. He was strong at playing his angles and challenged shooters well. Small for a goaltender, standing only 5' 8", he relied on his quickness to regain his feet after making saves or to make additional saves in goalmouth scrambles. Vanbiesbrouck was aggressive when it came to playing the puck, which helped him tie the Rangers single season record for assists by a goaltender and set the Rangers career record as well. Although he was considered one of the best positional goaltenders in the league, his greatest attribute may have been his self-confidence
. Former teammate Tom Laidlaw
once noted that he believed Vanbiesbrouck's confidence carried him farther than his talent.
and director of hockey operations for the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds. In February 2003, the team had a record of 18-24-4-3. A month later on March 7, the Greyhounds lost 6–1 to the Guelph Storm
. After the game Vanbiesbrouck used a racial slur in expressing his anger with Trevor Daley
(now with the Dallas Stars
), a black player and Greyhounds' team captain
, to two of Daley's white teammates. Daley was told of the remarks by his teammates and was advised to leave the team by his agent Bobby Orr
. Daley returned home to Toronto
and informed the commissioner of the OHL about the remarks. The day after Daley left the team, Vanbiesbrouck resigned his positions as coach and general manager, and sold his ownership stake in the team. In his apology Vanbiesbrouck stated "I used the 'N' word instead of calling him Trevor, I used it just not thinking. It's a mistake and consequences have to be paid by me, I've embarrassed everybody and my family by this one comment. It's not what they represent and it's not what the Sault Greyhounds organization represents." He added "I told Trev this is an old wound with me, I grew up with it. I'm as sorry as anybody that it's stuck with me." Daley returned to the team three days after leaving, but Vanbiesbrouck never returned to a coaching position.
as well as hockey broadcasts on HDNet
. In 2010 Vanbiesbrouck, along with Steve Goldstein, formed the broadcast team for Westwood One
's radio coverage of the Winter Olympic
hockey games. He is the President of VBK Sports Viewer.com, a website dedicated to helping athletes train and develop into better athletes.
. During this time John attempted to reach out to Frank, occasionally flying separately from the team on road trips to check in on his brother, and talking to him every day. Despite his efforts Frank committed suicide
in 1993. Vanbiesbrouck called Frank's death "devastating" and that he "felt very empty" when Frank died adding that his Christian
faith and the Bible
helped him through the difficult time.
While playing with the Flyers, Vanbiesbrouck and his family lived in Moorestown Township, New Jersey
. He and his wife, Rosalinde, have four sons, Ian, Ben, Nicholas and Daniel. His son Ian was diagnosed with Attention Deficit Disorder
(ADD) when he was five-years old. As a result Vanbiesbrouck started the Vanbiesbrouck Foundation for children with Attention Deficit Disorder to increase awareness of and raise money for children with ADD. However, when he left Florida via free agency the foundation was dissolved and the mission of the program went into an information service based in South Florida. Vanbiesbrouck is also the celebrity sponsor of a golf event in support of The Alan T. Brown Foundation to Cure Paralysis. He returned to his home state of Michigan
following his playing days.
Ice hockey
Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
goaltender
Goaltender
In ice hockey, the goaltender is the player who defends his team's goal net by stopping shots of the puck from entering his team's net, thus preventing the opposing team from scoring...
, who was inducted into the United States Hockey Hall of Fame
United States Hockey Hall of Fame
The United States Hockey Hall of Fame was established in 1973 with the goal of preserving the rich history of the game in the United States while recognizing the extraordinary contributions of select players, coaches, administrators, officials and teams....
in 2007. He played in the National Hockey League
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States...
(NHL) for the New York Rangers
New York Rangers
The New York Rangers are a professional ice hockey team based in the borough of Manhattan in New York, New York, USA. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . Playing their home games at Madison Square Garden, the Rangers are one of the...
, Florida Panthers
Florida Panthers
The Florida Panthers are a professional ice hockey team based in Sunrise, Florida, in the Miami metropolitan area. They are members of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . They play their games at the BankAtlantic Center in Sunrise and are the...
, Philadelphia Flyers
Philadelphia Flyers
The Philadelphia Flyers are a professional ice hockey team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
, New York Islanders
New York Islanders
The New York Islanders are a professional ice hockey team based in Uniondale, New York. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
, and New Jersey Devils
New Jersey Devils
The New Jersey Devils are a professional ice hockey team based in Newark, New Jersey, United States. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
. He began his career playing major junior hockey for the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds
Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds
The Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds are a major junior ice hockey team in the Ontario Hockey League. The Greyhounds play home games at the Essar Centre. The present team was founded in 1962 as a team in the Northern Ontario Hockey Association. The Greyhounds name has been used by several ice hockey...
of the Ontario Hockey League
Ontario Hockey League
The Ontario Hockey League is one of the three Major Junior ice hockey leagues which constitute the Canadian Hockey League. The league is for players aged 15-20.The OHL also operates under the Ontario Hockey Federation of Hockey Canada....
(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
1981 NHL Entry Draft
The 1981 NHL Entry Draft was held at the Montreal Forum in Montreal, Quebec. The National Hockey League teams selected 211 players eligible for entry into professional ranks, in the reverse order of the 1980–81 NHL season and playoff standings. This is the list of those players...
. 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.
He began playing full-time with the Rangers in the 1984–85 season. Vanbiesbrouck won the Vezina Trophy
Vezina Trophy
The Vezina Trophy is awarded annually to the National Hockey League's goaltender who is "adjudged to be the best at this position". At the end of each season, the 30 General Managers of the teams in the National Hockey League vote to determine the goaltender who was the most valuable to his team...
as the league's top goaltender and was named a First Team NHL All-Star
NHL All-Star Team
The NHL All-Star Teams were first named at the end of the 1930–31 NHL season, to honor the best performers over the season at each position.Representatives of the Professional Hockey Writers' Association vote for the All-Star Team at the end of the regular season.The career leaders in citations are...
the following season. After playing parts of 11 season with the Rangers, he was taken in the 1993 NHL Expansion Draft
1993 NHL Expansion Draft
The 1993 NHL Expansion Draft was held on June 24, 1993, in Quebec City, Quebec, Canada. The draft took place to fill the rosters of the league's two expansion teams for the 1993–94 season, the Florida Panthers and the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim.-Rules:...
by the Florida Panthers. In Florida, Vanbiesbrouck was a three-time all-star, and led the Panthers to their first and only Stanley Cup Finals
1996 Stanley Cup Finals
The 1996 Stanley Cup Final NHL championship series was contested by two teams that had not existed three seasons before, the Colorado Avalanche and the Florida Panthers. The Avalanche won the Cup in a four game sweep to win the franchise's first Stanley Cup, in their first season in Denver since...
appearance in 1996. While in Florida he recorded his 300th career victory, becoming the 15th and only the second American goaltender in NHL history to do so. During his career, Vanbiesbrouck compiled a record of 374 wins, 346 losses, 119 ties, and 40 shutouts, making him the winningest American-born goaltender and tying Frank Brimsek
Frank Brimsek
Francis Charles "Mister Zero" Brimsek was an American professional ice hockey goaltender who played for the Boston Bruins and Chicago Black Hawks in the National Hockey League.-Playing career:...
for most career shutouts by an American-born goaltender. Following his playing career, he took over as the head coach
Head coach
A head coach, senior coach or manager is a professional at training and developing athletes. They typically hold a more public profile and are paid more than other coaches...
and General Manager
General manager
General manager is a descriptive term for certain executives in a business operation. It is also a formal title held by some business executives, most commonly in the hospitality industry.-Generic usage:...
of the Greyhounds. However, after using a racial slur referencing his team captain, he resigned.
Internationally Vanbiesbrouck has represented the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
on several occasions. He played in the 1982 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships
1982 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships
The 1982 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships was the 6th edition World Junior Ice Hockey Championships and was held from December 22, 1981 until January 2, 1982. The tournament was hosted by the United States in various cities across the state of Minnesota with some games also played in the...
as well as four IIHF World Championships
Ice Hockey World Championships
The Ice Hockey World Championships are an annual ice hockey tournament organized by the International Ice Hockey Federation . First officially held at the 1920 Summer Olympics, it is the sport's highest profile annual international tournament. The IIHF was created in 1908 while the European...
. He was named to the Second All-Star team at the 1985 World Ice Hockey Championships
1985 World Ice Hockey Championships
The 1985 Ice Hockey World Championships took place in Prague, Czechoslovakia from 17 April to 3 May. Eight teams took part, with each team playing each other once. The four best teams then played each other again. This was the 50th World Championships, and also the 61st European Championships of...
. He also played in two Canada Cup
Canada Cup
The Canada Cup refers to several types of professional sporting events held in Canada: It is also the previous name of the World Cup of Golf and the World Cup of Hockey.* Canada Cup for men's professional ice hockey* Canada Cup...
tournaments, registering the lowest Goals against average
Goals against average
Goals Against Average is a statistic used in ice hockey, water polo, lacrosse, and soccer that is the mean of goals allowed per game by a goaltender....
in 1987
1987 Canada Cup
The 1987 Canada Cup was a professional international ice hockey tournament held from August 28 to September 15, 1987. The finals took place in Montreal on September 11 and Hamilton, Ontario, on September 13 and September 15, and were won by Team Canada....
and was a back-up goaltender during the Americans' second-place finish in 1991
1991 Canada Cup
The 1991 Canada Cup was a professional international ice hockey tournament played in September 1991. The finals took place in Montreal on September 14 and Hamilton, Ontario on September 16, and were won by Canada. The Canadians defeated the USA in a two game sweep, to win the fifth and final Canada...
. He represented Team USA for the final time in 1998, serving as the back-up on the Olympic ice hockey team
Ice hockey at the 1998 Winter Olympics
Ice hockey at the 1998 Winter Olympics was played at The Big Hat and Aqua Wing Arena in Nagano, Japan.-Men's tournament:The 1998 Olympic men's ice hockey tournament was the first in which professional players from the National Hockey League were allowed to participate, allowing national teams to...
.
Early life
Vanbiesbrouck was born in Detroit, MichiganMichigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
to a Belgian immigrant bricklayer, Robert Vanbiesbrouck, and an Italian immigrant Sara. He grew-up with two brothers; the oldest, Frank, who was also a goaltender in youth hockey. He inspired Vanbiesbrouck to play goaltender. John later noted that he learned more about goaltending just from watching Frank than any coaching could, adding that no one ever helped him more to become the player he was.
Junior and minor leagues
While playing midget level hockey Vanbiesbrouck joined the Little CaesarsLittle Caesars
Little Caesars is a pizza chain, estimated to be the 4th largest in the United States. The Little Caesars headquarters is located in the Fox Theatre building in Downtown Detroit, Michigan.-History:...
hockey club, a travel ice hockey team in Detroit. During a tournament in Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
, Vanbiesbrouck lost his jersey and was forced to wear a teammate's uniform. He played well in the tournament with junior scouts in attendance. Since Vanbiesbrouck wore another player's jersey he went undrafted in the midget draft, while the player whose jersey he wore was drafted in the fourth round. After being unclaimed in the draft Vanbiesbrouck was offered a try-out with the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds
Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds
The Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds are a major junior ice hockey team in the Ontario Hockey League. The Greyhounds play home games at the Essar Centre. The present team was founded in 1962 as a team in the Northern Ontario Hockey Association. The Greyhounds name has been used by several ice hockey...
, members of the Ontario Major Junior Hockey League, later becoming the Ontario Hockey League
Ontario Hockey League
The Ontario Hockey League is one of the three Major Junior ice hockey leagues which constitute the Canadian Hockey League. The league is for players aged 15-20.The OHL also operates under the Ontario Hockey Federation of Hockey Canada....
(OHL). At the try-out he made the team, winning a spot over several other players and became the starting goalie for the Greyhounds. Vanbiesbrouck played in 56 games and complied a 31–16–1 record during his first season in Sault Ste. Marie
Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario
Sault Ste. Marie is a city on the St. Marys River in Algoma District, Ontario, Canada. It is the third largest city in Northern Ontario, after Sudbury and Thunder Bay, with a population of 74,948. The community was founded as a French religious mission: Sault either means "jump" or "rapids" in...
. Following the 1980–81 season he was drafted in the 4th round, 72nd overall of the NHL Draft
1981 NHL Entry Draft
The 1981 NHL Entry Draft was held at the Montreal Forum in Montreal, Quebec. The National Hockey League teams selected 211 players eligible for entry into professional ranks, in the reverse order of the 1980–81 NHL season and playoff standings. This is the list of those players...
by the New York Rangers
New York Rangers
The New York Rangers are a professional ice hockey team based in the borough of Manhattan in New York, New York, USA. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . Playing their home games at Madison Square Garden, the Rangers are one of the...
.
On December 5, 1981, just months after being drafted, Vanbiesbrouck made his professional debut with the Rangers as an emergency call-up. He defeated the Colorado Rockies
Colorado Rockies (NHL)
The Colorado Rockies were an American professional ice hockey team in the National Hockey League that played in Denver, Colorado, from 1976 to 1982. They were a relocation of the Kansas City Scouts, a 1974 expansion team. The franchise moved to East Rutherford, New Jersey, in 1982 and was...
2–1. Despite only allowing one goal and earning his first NHL win, the Rangers decided to return him to Sault Ste. Marie — a move intended to aid his development. He finished the year with a 12–12–2 record for the Greyhounds and made his first international appearance, representing the United States
United States men's national junior ice hockey team
The United States men's national junior ice hockey team is the national under-20 ice hockey team in the United States. The team represents the United States at the International Ice Hockey Federation's IIHF World U20 Championship....
at the 1982 World Junior Championships
1982 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships
The 1982 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships was the 6th edition World Junior Ice Hockey Championships and was held from December 22, 1981 until January 2, 1982. The tournament was hosted by the United States in various cities across the state of Minnesota with some games also played in the...
. He played one more season for the Greyhounds, playing 62 games winning 39 of them and being named to OHL Second All-Star Team.
Following his career with the Greyhounds, Vanbiesbrouck moved on to the minor leagues joining the Central Hockey League's (CHL) Tulsa Oilers. During the 1983-84 season, his first with the Oilers, the ownership group was unable to sustain the team. They went bankrupt, were taken over by the league, and forced to play their remaining games on the road. After losing their home rink the team was housed in Denver, Colorado where they shared a practice facility with the University of Denver
University of Denver
The University of Denver is currently ranked 82nd among all public and private "National Universities" by U.S. News & World Report in the 2012 rankings....
and fellow CHL team the Colorado Flames
Colorado Flames
The Colorado Flames are a defunct minor-pro hockey team that played in the Central Hockey League in Denver, Colorado for two seasons from 1982 to 1984. They were the top minor league affiliate of the NHL's Calgary Flames. They played their home games at McNichols Arena. When the league folded,...
. The lack of ice time often forced the Oilers to practice in a Mall where they were not allowed to shoot pucks. For extra practice Vanbiesbrouck had tennis balls hit at him in the parking lot. Despite all the adversity the Oilers won the Adams Cup as league champions. Meanwhile Vanbiesbrouck won the Terry Sawchuk
Terry Sawchuk
Terrance Gordon Sawchuk was a Ukrainian-Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender who played 21 seasons in the National Hockey League for the Detroit Red Wings, Boston Bruins, Toronto Maple Leafs, Los Angeles Kings and New York Rangers.-Early life and playing career:Sawchuk was born and raised...
Award, with back-up Ron Scott
Ron Scott
Ronald Scott is a retired NHL hockey player. He was a goaltender for the New York Rangers and the Los Angeles Kings in the 1980s early 1990s....
, for fewest goals against in the league and shared CHL MVP honors with Bruce Affleck
Bruce Affleck
Robert Bruce Affleck is a Canadian retired former professional ice hockey defenceman who played in the National Hockey League in the 1970s. Currently he serves as an executive for the St...
by winning the Tommy Ivan
Tommy Ivan
Thomas Nathaniel Ivan was a NHL head coach for the Detroit Red Wings and Chicago Black Hawks. With the Red Wings from 1947 to 1954, he won three Stanley Cups, and would win another while serving as the Black Hawks' GM...
Trophy.
New York Rangers
Goals against average
Goals Against Average is a statistic used in ice hockey, water polo, lacrosse, and soccer that is the mean of goals allowed per game by a goaltender....
(GAA). The following year
1985-86 NHL season
-Final:Montreal Canadiens vs. Calgary FlamesMontreal wins best-of-seven series 4–1-NHL awards:-All-Star teams:-Scoring leaders:- Leading goaltenders :-Debuts:...
Vanbiesbrouck enjoyed a breakout season, playing in 61 games, winning a career high 31. The 31 victories accounted for all but 5 of the Rangers' regular season total. His success continued over to the post-season, where he led the Rangers to an upset over the Philadelphia Flyers
Philadelphia Flyers
The Philadelphia Flyers are a professional ice hockey team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
in the opening round. He then followed it by beating a Washington Capitals
Washington Capitals
The Washington Capitals are a professional ice hockey team based in Washington, D.C. They are members of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . Since their founding in 1974, "The Caps" have won one conference championship to reach the 1998 Stanley Cup...
team that registered 107 points
Point (ice hockey)
Point in ice hockey has three official meanings:* A point is awarded to a player for each goal scored or assist earned. The total number of goals plus assists equals total points. In some European leagues, a goal counts as two points, and an assist counts as one...
in the regular season. The Rangers lost in the Conference Finals to the eventual Stanley Cup
Stanley Cup
The Stanley Cup is an ice hockey club trophy, awarded annually to the National Hockey League playoffs champion after the conclusion of the Stanley Cup Finals. It has been referred to as The Cup, Lord Stanley's Cup, The Holy Grail, or facetiously as Lord Stanley's Mug...
champion Montreal Canadiens
Montreal Canadiens
The Montreal Canadiens are a professional ice hockey team based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The club is officially known as ...
. In the off season Vanbiesbrouck was named a First Team NHL All-Star
NHL All-Star Team
The NHL All-Star Teams were first named at the end of the 1930–31 NHL season, to honor the best performers over the season at each position.Representatives of the Professional Hockey Writers' Association vote for the All-Star Team at the end of the regular season.The career leaders in citations are...
, won the Vezina Trophy
Vezina Trophy
The Vezina Trophy is awarded annually to the National Hockey League's goaltender who is "adjudged to be the best at this position". At the end of each season, the 30 General Managers of the teams in the National Hockey League vote to determine the goaltender who was the most valuable to his team...
as the league's top goaltender, and signed a new three year contract with the Rangers. He was unable to repeat his success in the next season
1986-87 NHL season
-NHL awards:-All-Star teams:Source: NHL-Scoring Leaders:Note: GP = Games played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points, PIM = Penalties in minutes, PPG = Powerplay Goals, SHG = Shorthanded Goals, GWG = Game Winning Goals-Leading goaltenders:...
, winning 18 games in 50 games played while losing 20 contests.
Prior to the 1987–88 season Vanbiesbrouck was hit by a puck under his mask in practice, which caused a non-displaced fracture of his lower jaw and a broken tooth. Fortunately for him the injury did not require his jaw to be wired shut, and he was able to return to practice the next day. He showed no ill effects from the injury, playing in 56 games, winning 27. On June 13, 1988 Vanbiesbrouck suffered nerve damage to his left wrist after a glass coffee table he was sitting on collapsed and broken glass lacerated his ulnar nerve
Ulnar nerve
In human anatomy, the ulnar nerve is a nerve which runs near the ulna bone. The ulnar collateral ligament of elbow joint is in relation with the ulnar nerve. The nerve is the largest unprotected nerve in the human body , so injury is common...
and three tendons. He was sitting on the table assembling video equipment in anticipation of the birth of his first child. The glass broke beneath him, and as he braced for the fall, his wrist was cut by the glass. Vanbiesbrouck required five hours of microsurgery
Microsurgery
Microsurgery is a general term for surgery requiring an operating microscope. The most obvious developments have been procedures developed to allow anastomosis of successively smaller blood vessels and nerves which have allowed transfer of tissue from one part of the body to another and...
to remove glass from his wrist and repair the nerve and tendon damage. He was initially expected to miss 4–6 months, but he recovered in time to attend the Rangers pre-season training camp just 3 month later. Again he played in 56 games, and increased his win total to 28.
He began the 1989-90 season
1989-90 NHL season
-NHL awards:-All-Star teams:-Scoring Leaders:Note: GP = Games played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points, PIM = Penalties in minutes, PPG = Powerplay Goals, SHG = Shorthanded Goals, GWG = Game Winning Goals-Leading goaltenders:...
as the Rangers' starting goaltender, but after the Rangers struggled in early January, he began to share the duties with the recently called up Mike Richter
Mike Richter
Michael Thomas Richter is a former ice hockey goaltender. One of the most successful American-born goaltenders in history, he is best known for having led the New York Rangers to the Stanley Cup title in 1994 and for repeatedly representing the United States in international play. Due to his...
. During the playoffs head coach Roger Neilson
Roger Neilson
Roger Paul Neilson, CM was a National Hockey League coach, and was responsible for many innovations in the game...
employed a rotation system between the two goaltenders. The Rangers won their first round match-up against the Islanders
New York Islanders
The New York Islanders are a professional ice hockey team based in Uniondale, New York. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
, but lost to the Capitals in the second round. For his part Vanbiesbrouck posted a 2–3 record with a 3.02 GAA and a .902 save percentage
Save percentage
Save percentage is an ice hockey and lacrosse statistic that represents the percentage of shots on goal a goaltender stops...
.
The following season
1990-91 NHL season
-NHL Awards:-All-Star teams:-Scoring leaders:Note: GP = Games played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points, PIM = Penalties in minutes, PPG = Powerplay goals, SHG = Shorthanded goals, GWG = Game winning goals-Leading goaltenders:...
the two goaltenders formed the best duo in the NHL. The duo remained together even after Vanbiesbrouck had a chance to leave via free agency in 1992. A new collective bargaining agreement established him as a group 2 free agent, allowing the Rangers to match any offer from another team or to claim draft choices as compensation if he were to sign with another team. After not receiving much interest from other clubs, Vanbiesbrouck re-signed with the Rangers, signing a two-year deal with an option for the third averaging $1 million per season. At the end of the 1992–93 season
1992-93 NHL season
-Montreal vs. Los Angeles:Montreal wins best-of-seven series 4–1. Patrick Roy wins Conn Smythe Trophy-NHL Awards:-All-Star teams:-Scoring leaders:-Leading goaltenders:-Complete list of neutral-site games:The Hartford-St...
, the decision was made to trade Vanbiesbrouck. With the upcoming expansion draft
Expansion draft
An expansion draft, in professional sports, occurs when a sports league decides to create one or more new expansion teams or franchises. This occurs mainly in North American sports. One of the ways of stocking the new team or teams is an expansion draft...
the Rangers would only be able to protect one goaltender. Faced with the prospect of losing one of their two goaltenders, the Rangers traded the "equally talented" but older Vanbiesbrouck to the Vancouver Canucks
Vancouver Canucks
The Vancouver Canucks are a professional ice hockey team based in Vancouver, :British Columbia, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The Canucks play their home games at Rogers Arena, formerly known as General Motors Place,...
for future considerations (Doug Lidster
Doug Lidster
John Douglas Andrew Lidster is a retired Canadian ice hockey defenceman who played in the NHL...
).
Florida Panthers
Vancouver made the trade not with the intention of keeping Vanbiesbrouck, but rather in an attempt to keep other players on their roster from being drafted. Rules of the 1993 NHL Expansion Draft1993 NHL Expansion Draft
The 1993 NHL Expansion Draft was held on June 24, 1993, in Quebec City, Quebec, Canada. The draft took place to fill the rosters of the league's two expansion teams for the 1993–94 season, the Florida Panthers and the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim.-Rules:...
allowed teams to protect one goaltender, nine forwards and five defensemen. Additional rules stated that teams could only lose one goaltender in the draft and prevented teams from losing both a defenseman and a goaltender. Prior to the draft Florida Panthers
Florida Panthers
The Florida Panthers are a professional ice hockey team based in Sunrise, Florida, in the Miami metropolitan area. They are members of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . They play their games at the BankAtlantic Center in Sunrise and are the...
general manager Bobby Clarke
Bobby Clarke
Robert Earle Clarke, OC , better known as Bobby Clarke or, in later life, Bob Clarke, is a Canadian former professional ice hockey centre who played his entire National Hockey League career with the Philadelphia Flyers and is currently an executive with the team...
won a coin-toss giving them the first pick in the draft. Thus with their first selection, the Panthers picked Vanbiesbrouck to be the number one goalie for their team. Upon his arrival in Florida, Vanbiesbrouck went on a "mall tour" to help elevate the visibility of the franchise and made an informative video explaining ice hockey terms
Glossary of ice hockey terms
This is a list of common terms used in ice hockey along with explanations of their meanings.-0-9:2-man advantage : See five on three.2-on-1 : See odd man rush3-on-2 : See odd man rush....
for Blockbuster, then owners of the franchise. In January 1994 he made his return to Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden, often abbreviated as MSG and known colloquially as The Garden, is a multi-purpose indoor arena in the New York City borough of Manhattan and located at 8th Avenue, between 31st and 33rd Streets, situated on top of Pennsylvania Station.Opened on February 11, 1968, it is the...
. In his first game back to his former home venue, Vanbiesbrouck made 51 saves
Save (ice hockey)
In several sports with goalkeepers or goaltenders protecting nets, or goals, a save is credited to a goaltender that stops the playing object from entering the goal. These sports include football, ice hockey, and lacrosse, among others....
ultimately losing the game 3–2 to his former team. During the season he was also named to the All-Star game
45th National Hockey League All-Star Game
The 45th National Hockey League All-Star Game was held in New York City, New York, on January 22, 1994.- Super Skills Competition :The Western Conference would win the Skills Competition for the second straight season...
as the Panthers' sole representative. In the game Vanbiesbrouck played the third period, made six saves and was credited with the win. At the completion of his first season in Florida, he played in 57 games posting a 21–25–11 record, registering a 2.53 GAA, and his career best save percentage of .924 ranked him second in the league. Vanbiesbrouck was named a Second Team NHL All-Star and was shortlisted for the Hart and Vezina Trophies. His 21 wins tied the Minnesota North Stars
Minnesota North Stars
The Minnesota North Stars were a professional ice hockey team in the National Hockey League for 26 seasons, from 1967 to 1993. The North Stars played their home games at the Met Center in Bloomington, and the team's colors for most of its history were green, yellow, gold and white...
' Cesare Maniago
Cesare Maniago
Cesare "Hail Cesare" Maniago is a retired National Hockey League goaltender, most notably for the Minnesota North Stars, for whom he remains the 2nd all-time leader in games played in goal.- Playing history :...
's record for the most by an expansion goaltender. The record was later passed by Ron Tugnutt
Ron Tugnutt
Ronald Frederick Bradley Tugnutt is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender. He played in the NHL with several teams from 1987–2004 and is currently an assistant coach with the OHL's Peterborough Petes.-Early years:Tugnutt was born in Scarborough, Ontario and played three seasons...
during the Columbus Blue Jackets
Columbus Blue Jackets
The Columbus Blue Jackets are a professional ice hockey team based in Columbus, Ohio, United States. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League...
inaugural season. The Panthers finished the season with 83 points, one point behind the New York Islanders
New York Islanders
The New York Islanders are a professional ice hockey team based in Uniondale, New York. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
, for the eighth and final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference
Eastern Conference (NHL)
The Eastern Conference is one of two conferences in the National Hockey League used to divide teams. Its counterpart is the Western Conference....
. The following season
1994-95 NHL season
The 1994–95 NHL season was the 78th regular season of the National Hockey League. The teams played a shortened season, due to a lockout of the players by the owners. In addition, the NHL All-Star Game, which had been scheduled to take place January 20–21, 1995 in San Jose, CA, was canceled...
was shortened due to the 1994–95 NHL lockout. As a result Vanbiesbrouck played in just 37 games registering a 14–15–4 record. He lowed his GAA from the previous year to 2.47 and increased his shutout total from one to four. However his save percentage dropped to .914. The Panthers again fell a point short of making the playoffs.
In the 1995–96 season, Vanbiesbrouck was named to the All-Star Game. In the game he played the second period and gave up three goals on seven shots. The Panthers were in playoff position for more than half of the season, but faltered late in the season and were close to falling out of the playoff race. Late in the season Vanbiesbrouck shutout the New Jersey Devils
New Jersey Devils
The New Jersey Devils are a professional ice hockey team based in Newark, New Jersey, United States. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
putting Florida into the playoffs. At the end of the regular season he played in 57 games posting a 21–25–11 with 2 shutouts. His games played ranked him tenth in the league while his GAA of 2.68 was ninth. In the first round Florida defeated the Boston Bruins
Boston Bruins
The Boston Bruins are a professional ice hockey team based in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The team has been in existence since 1924, and is the league's third-oldest team and its oldest in the...
in five games. Their second round match-up was against the heavily favored Philadelphia Flyers
Philadelphia Flyers
The Philadelphia Flyers are a professional ice hockey team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
. Vanbiesbrouck posted a shutout in the first game of the series, the third post season shutout of his career and the first in Panthers playoff history. During the series Vanbiesbrouck held the Flyers scoreless for 116:46 straight minutes, as Florida upset Philadelphia winning four games to two. In the Conference Finals the Panthers were again huge underdogs to the Pittsburgh Penguins, a team that featured the leagues two top scorers in Mario Lemieux
Mario Lemieux
Mario Lemieux, OC, CQ is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player. He is acknowledged to be one of the best players of all time. He played 17 seasons as a forward for the Pittsburgh Penguins of the National Hockey League between 1984 and 2006...
and Jaromir Jagr
Jaromir Jagr
Jaromír Jágr is a Czech professional ice hockey right winger who plays for the Philadelphia Flyers of the National Hockey League . Jágr formerly played with the Pittsburgh Penguins, Washington Capitals, and New York Rangers, serving as captain of the Penguins and the Rangers...
. The Penguins took a 3–2 series lead, but the Panthers won game six 4–3 to force game seven. In game 7 Vanbiesbrouck made 39 saves in a 3–1 Panthers victory, winning the Eastern Conference and putting them in the Stanley Cup Finals
1996 Stanley Cup Finals
The 1996 Stanley Cup Final NHL championship series was contested by two teams that had not existed three seasons before, the Colorado Avalanche and the Florida Panthers. The Avalanche won the Cup in a four game sweep to win the franchise's first Stanley Cup, in their first season in Denver since...
. The Panthers fell behind the Colorado Avalanche
Colorado Avalanche
The Colorado Avalanche are a professional ice hockey team based in Denver, Colorado, United States. They are members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The Avalanche have won the Stanley Cup twice, in 1995–96 and 2000–01. The franchise...
3–0 in the series. Game four was considered one of the classic games in finals' history. The game was a 0–0 tie entering the third overtime
Overtime (ice hockey)
Overtime is a method of determining the winner and loser of an ice hockey match when the scores are tied after regulation. The two main methods are the overtime period and the shootout.-Overtime periods:...
period. Early in the period, a long shot from Colorado's Uwe Krupp
Uwe Krupp
Uwe G. Krupp is a retired German professional hockey defenceman and current coach of the German national ice hockey team. Following Walt Tkaczuk, Krupp was only the second German-born player to have a lasting career in the National Hockey League...
eluded Vanbiesbrouck giving the Avalanche a 1–0 win and the Stanley Cup
Stanley Cup
The Stanley Cup is an ice hockey club trophy, awarded annually to the National Hockey League playoffs champion after the conclusion of the Stanley Cup Finals. It has been referred to as The Cup, Lord Stanley's Cup, The Holy Grail, or facetiously as Lord Stanley's Mug...
. Vanbiesbrouck made 55 saves in the loss and finished third in voting for the Conn Smythe Trophy
Conn Smythe Trophy
The Conn Smythe Trophy is awarded annually to the player judged most valuable to his team during the National Hockey League's Stanley Cup playoffs. The Conn Smythe Trophy has been awarded 46 times to 40 players since the 1964–65 NHL season...
as playoff MVP.
During the 1996–97 season he was elected by the fans to the All-Star Game
47th National Hockey League All-Star Game
The 47th National Hockey League All-Star Game took place on January 18, 1997 at the San Jose Arena. The final score was Eastern Conference 11, Western Conference 7. This game was originally scheduled for the 1994-95 season, but was cancelled due to the 1994-95 NHL lockout.-Super Skills...
as the starting goaltender. Vanbiesbrouck' 200,457 votes led the Eastern Conference. By season's end Vanbiesbrouck finished in the top ten in the NHL for save percentage (6), GAA (5) and tied for 11 in wins (27). The Panthers finished fourth in the Eastern conference and faced the Rangers in the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs
1997 Stanley Cup Playoffs
The 1997 Stanley Cup playoffs, the championship of the National Hockey League , began in April, 1997, following the 1996–97 NHL season. The sixteen teams that qualified, eight from each conference, played best-of-seven series for conference quarter-finals, semi-finals and championships, and then...
. Vanbiesbrouck made 34 saves in game one, shutting out the Rangers 3–0. It was the only game the Panthers won as the Rangers defeated them 4–1 in the series. The following season Vanbiesbrouck reached a personal milestone. On December 27, 1997 the Panthers defeated the New York Islanders
New York Islanders
The New York Islanders are a professional ice hockey team based in Uniondale, New York. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
6–2 at Nassau Coliseum. The win marked the 300th of his career, making him the 15th goaltender, and second American, in NHL history to reach the mark. Despite his personal milestone Vanbiesbrouck suffered through his worst statistical season with the Panthers. The team fared no better as they finished the season in 12th place in the Eastern conference and out of the playoffs.
Post Panthers
During the off-season Vanbiesbrouck signed a two-year $7.25 million contract, with an option for a third year, with the Philadelphia Flyers. His first season with Philadelphia was successful, he posted a career best 2.18 GAA, notching 6 shutouts, playing in a career high 62 games and registering a 27–18–15 record. However, he struggled in the playoffs. Despite posting good individual numbers, Vanbiesbrouck let in "soft" goals that cost the Flyers games. Philadelphia was eliminated in the first round 4–2 to the Toronto Maple LeafsToronto Maple Leafs
The Toronto Maple Leafs are a professional ice hockey team based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
. He continued to be "shaky" at the beginning of the 1999–2000 season. As a result rookie Brian Boucher
Brian Boucher
Brian "Boosh" Boucher is an American professional ice hockey goaltender for the Carolina Hurricanes of the National Hockey League .-Playing career:...
began playing more. Vanbiesbrouck reached another milestone during the season, becoming the 8th goaltender in NHL history to play in 800 games. He played in 50 games during the season registering a 25–15–9 record, but in the playoff the Flyers went with Boucher.
During the 2000 NHL Entry Draft
2000 NHL Entry Draft
The 2000 NHL Entry Draft was held from June 24 to 25 at the Pengrowth Saddledome in Calgary, Alberta, following the 2000 NHL Expansion Draft on June 23 for the Columbus Blue Jackets and Minnesota Wild...
, Philadelphia traded Vanbiesbrouck to the New York Islanders
New York Islanders
The New York Islanders are a professional ice hockey team based in Uniondale, New York. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
for a fourth-round draft pick. The Islanders made the trade with the intention of having Vanbiesbrouck mentor first overall draft pick Rick DiPietro
Rick DiPietro
Rick DiPietro, Jr. is an American professional ice hockey goaltender currently playing for the New York Islanders of the National Hockey League . He was the first overall selection by the Islanders in the 2000 NHL Entry Draft....
. He played in 44 games for the Islanders winning 10 of them and recording a shutout. On the eve of the NHL trade deadline, the Islanders traded Vanbiesbrouck to the New Jersey Devils
New Jersey Devils
The New Jersey Devils are a professional ice hockey team based in Newark, New Jersey, United States. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
for Chris Terreri
Chris Terreri
Christopher Arnold Terreri is an American former goaltender for several NHL teams, most notably for the New Jersey Devils, with whom he played for twelve seasons....
and a ninth-round pick. New Jersey made the deal with the intent to give starting goaltender Martin Brodeur
Martin Brodeur
Martin Pierre Brodeur is a French-Canadian ice hockey goaltender who has played his entire National Hockey League career with the New Jersey Devils. In his 19-year tenure with the Devils, he has won three Stanley Cup championships and has been in the playoffs every year but two...
some rest prior to the playoffs
2001 Stanley Cup Playoffs
The 2001 Stanley Cup playoffs, the championship of the National Hockey League , were played from April until June. The Colorado Avalanche defeated the New Jersey Devils to win its second Stanley Cup....
. With Terreri struggling they felt it best to bring in someone who had played regularly throughout the year. Vanbiesbrouck played in 4 games for the Devils, winning them all, and recorded his 40th career shutout
Shutout
In team sports, a shutout refers to a game in which one team prevents the opposing team from scoring. While possible in most major sports, they are highly improbable in some sports, such as basketball....
. The shutout tied him with Frank Brimsek
Frank Brimsek
Francis Charles "Mister Zero" Brimsek was an American professional ice hockey goaltender who played for the Boston Bruins and Chicago Black Hawks in the National Hockey League.-Playing career:...
for the most shutouts by an American born goaltender in NHL history. Vanbiesbrouck did not play during the playoffs, but the Devils advanced to the Stanley Cup Finals
2001 Stanley Cup Finals
The 2001 Stanley Cup Finals was contested by the Eastern Conference champion and defending Stanley Cup champion New Jersey Devils and the Western Conference champion Colorado Avalanche, making the franchise's second Stanley Cup Finals appearance, and first since the team won the 1996 Finals. The...
. The Devils played the Colorado Avalanche
Colorado Avalanche
The Colorado Avalanche are a professional ice hockey team based in Denver, Colorado, United States. They are members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The Avalanche have won the Stanley Cup twice, in 1995–96 and 2000–01. The franchise...
and lost in seven games. Vanbiesbrouck retired immediately after game seven on June 10, 2001. He stated that "it's time" and he wanted to leave the game healthy. He was retired for only eight months before he agreed to terms with the Devils to come out of retirement. He posted a 2–3–0 record as the Devils back up, finishing his career with 374 wins. His win total is the most by an American born goaltender in NHL history. He again did not play in the playoffs
2002 Stanley Cup Playoffs
The 2002 Stanley Cup playoffs, the championships of the National Hockey League, was played from April until June. The Detroit Red Wings defeated the Carolina Hurricanes four games to one to clinch the 10th championship in their history. It was the Hurricanes first ever appearance in the...
as the Devils were eliminated in the first round by the eventual Eastern Conference champion Carolina Hurricanes
Carolina Hurricanes
The Carolina Hurricanes are a professional ice hockey team based in Raleigh, North Carolina, USA. They are members of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League , and play their home games at the 18,680-seat RBC Center...
. Vanbiesbrouck retired for the second and final time on May 24, 2002.
Following his playing career Vanbiesbrouck earned several accolades. The Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds retired his number (1). NHL.com named him the best NHL player to wear jersey number 34, and on October 12, 2007 Vanbiesbrouck was inducted into the United States Hockey Hall of Fame
United States Hockey Hall of Fame
The United States Hockey Hall of Fame was established in 1973 with the goal of preserving the rich history of the game in the United States while recognizing the extraordinary contributions of select players, coaches, administrators, officials and teams....
. He remains thirteenth in NHL history in wins. However, he is also fourth all-time in losses.
International play
Vanbiesbrouck made his international debut in 19821982 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships
The 1982 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships was the 6th edition World Junior Ice Hockey Championships and was held from December 22, 1981 until January 2, 1982. The tournament was hosted by the United States in various cities across the state of Minnesota with some games also played in the...
representing the United States
United States men's national junior ice hockey team
The United States men's national junior ice hockey team is the national under-20 ice hockey team in the United States. The team represents the United States at the International Ice Hockey Federation's IIHF World U20 Championship....
at the World Junior Championship. In five games he posted a 1–3–0 record with a 5.70 GAA, as the Americans finished in sixth place. The next year
1983 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships
The 1983 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships was the 7th edition of the World Junior Ice Hockey Championships and was held in Leningrad, Soviet Union between December 26, 1982 and January 4, 1983...
he again participated in the World Junior Championship. He appeared in five games and lowered his GAA to 3.64, helping the American team improve to fifth place.
In 1985
1985 World Ice Hockey Championships
The 1985 Ice Hockey World Championships took place in Prague, Czechoslovakia from 17 April to 3 May. Eight teams took part, with each team playing each other once. The four best teams then played each other again. This was the 50th World Championships, and also the 61st European Championships of...
he played for Team USA at the IIHF World Championships
Ice Hockey World Championships
The Ice Hockey World Championships are an annual ice hockey tournament organized by the International Ice Hockey Federation . First officially held at the 1920 Summer Olympics, it is the sport's highest profile annual international tournament. The IIHF was created in 1908 while the European...
. Vanbiesbrouck posted a 6–3–0 record, defeating three of three top ranked teams in the world (Canada, Czech Republic and Sweden). He later noted that those three victories gave him the confidence to be successful at the NHL level. The Americans were the second seed
Seed (sports)
A seed is a preliminary ranking that can be used in arranging a sports tournament. It is called a seed because of the analogy with plants where the seed might grow into a top rank at the end of that tournament, or might instead wither away...
following the preliminary round. However they failed to win a single game in the championship round and finished the tournament in fourth place. Individually Vanbiesbrouck was named to the Second All-Star team. Two years later he played in his second World Championship
1987 World Ice Hockey Championships
The 1987 Ice Hockey World Championships was the 52nd such event hosted by the International Ice Hockey Federation. It was also the 63rd ice hockey European Championships. Teams representing 28 countries participated in four levels of competition....
. He was unable to duplicate his prior success posting a 2–5–0 record, as Team USA finished in seventh place one position away from being relegated to Division I. During 1987
1987 Canada Cup
The 1987 Canada Cup was a professional international ice hockey tournament held from August 28 to September 15, 1987. The finals took place in Montreal on September 11 and Hamilton, Ontario, on September 13 and September 15, and were won by Team Canada....
Vanbiesbrouck also participated in the Canada Cup
Canada Cup
The Canada Cup refers to several types of professional sporting events held in Canada: It is also the previous name of the World Cup of Golf and the World Cup of Hockey.* Canada Cup for men's professional ice hockey* Canada Cup...
, registering a 2–2–0 record with a 2.25 GAA. He registered the lowest GAA in the tournament, but the United States finished in fifth place. He played in two more World Championships in 1989
1989 World Ice Hockey Championships
-Final Round:-Consolation Round:Poland was relegated to Group B.-World Championship Group B :Played in Oslo and Lillehammer March 30th to April 9th. The April 5th game between Norway and Austria was officially adjusted to 8-0 for Norway because of Siegfried Haberl's positive drug test...
and 1991
1991 Men's World Ice Hockey Championships
-Final Round:-Consolation Round:No team was relegated because of the expansion to twelve teams.-World Championship Group B :...
going 1–2–1 and 3–4–2 respectively, as the US improved to sixth place in 1989 and finished just short of winning a medal in 1991 placing fourth. Vanbiesbrouck was named to the Canada Cup team in 1991
1991 Canada Cup
The 1991 Canada Cup was a professional international ice hockey tournament played in September 1991. The finals took place in Montreal on September 14 and Hamilton, Ontario on September 16, and were won by Canada. The Canadians defeated the USA in a two game sweep, to win the fifth and final Canada...
, but spent the tournament as Mike Richter's back-up. He played only one game in the tournament defeating Finland 4–3. The United States finished the Canada Cup in second place losing the best of three championship to Canada 2–0.
He was named to the 1996 World Cup of Hockey
1996 World Cup of Hockey
The first World Cup of Hockey , or 1996 World Cup of Hockey, replaced the Canada Cup as one of the premier championships for professional ice hockey ....
team but missed the Americans' victory due to a small cartilage tear in his right shoulder that required off-season surgery to repair.
Prior to the 1998 Winter Olympics
1998 Winter Olympics
The 1998 Winter Olympics, officially the XVIII Olympic Winter Games, was a winter multi-sport event celebrated from 7 to 22 February 1998 in Nagano, Japan. Seventy-two nations and 2,176 participans contested in seven sports and 72 events at 15 venues. The games saw the introduction of Women's ice...
an announcement was made that NHL would shut down for two and a half weeks to allow its players to participate in the international tournament
Ice hockey at the 1998 Winter Olympics
Ice hockey at the 1998 Winter Olympics was played at The Big Hat and Aqua Wing Arena in Nagano, Japan.-Men's tournament:The 1998 Olympic men's ice hockey tournament was the first in which professional players from the National Hockey League were allowed to participate, allowing national teams to...
for the first time. Vanbiesbrouck was named to the United States team, but spent the majority of the tournament on the bench, playing in one game for only one minute. As a team the Americans finished in a "disappointing" sixth place.
Playing style
Vanbiesbrouck was a Hybrid goaltender who combined the butterfly styleButterfly style
In ice hockey, "butterfly style" is a technique of goaltending distinguished by the goaltender guarding the lower part of the net by dropping to the knees to block attempts to score. The butterfly style derives its name from the resemblance of the spread goal pads and hands to a butterfly's wings...
and the more traditional Stand-up style. He was strong at playing his angles and challenged shooters well. Small for a goaltender, standing only 5' 8", he relied on his quickness to regain his feet after making saves or to make additional saves in goalmouth scrambles. Vanbiesbrouck was aggressive when it came to playing the puck, which helped him tie the Rangers single season record for assists by a goaltender and set the Rangers career record as well. Although he was considered one of the best positional goaltenders in the league, his greatest attribute may have been his self-confidence
Self-confidence
The socio-psychological concept of self-confidence relates to self-assuredness in one's personal judgment, ability, power, etc., sometimes manifested excessively.Being confident in yourself is infectious if you present yourself well, others will want to follow in your foot steps towards...
. Former teammate Tom Laidlaw
Tom Laidlaw
Thomas John Laidlaw is a retired Canadian ice hockey defenceman.Laidlaw started his National Hockey League career with the New York Rangers in 1980, arriving from Northern Michigan University. He also played for the Los Angeles Kings. He left the NHL after the 1990 season. He played 1 season for...
once noted that he believed Vanbiesbrouck's confidence carried him farther than his talent.
Trevor Daley incident
When he retired from the NHL, Vanbiesbrouck took over as the head coachHead coach
A head coach, senior coach or manager is a professional at training and developing athletes. They typically hold a more public profile and are paid more than other coaches...
and director of hockey operations for the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds. In February 2003, the team had a record of 18-24-4-3. A month later on March 7, the Greyhounds lost 6–1 to the Guelph Storm
Guelph Storm
The Guelph Storm is a major junior ice hockey team based in Guelph, Ontario, Canada. They have played in the OHL since the 1991–92 season. The team plays home games at the Sleeman Centre.-History:...
. After the game Vanbiesbrouck used a racial slur in expressing his anger with Trevor Daley
Trevor Daley
Trevor Daley is a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman with the Dallas Stars of the National Hockey League.-Playing career:...
(now with the Dallas Stars
Dallas Stars
The Dallas Stars are a professional ice hockey team based in Dallas, Texas. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The team was founded during the 1967 NHL expansion as the Minnesota North Stars, based in Bloomington, Minnesota. The...
), a black player and Greyhounds' team captain
Captain (ice hockey)
In ice hockey, each team can designate an official captain for each game. The player serving as captain during the game wears a "C" on his or her jersey...
, to two of Daley's white teammates. Daley was told of the remarks by his teammates and was advised to leave the team by his agent Bobby Orr
Bobby Orr
Robert Gordon "Bobby" Orr, OC is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player. Orr played in the National Hockey League for his entire career, the first ten seasons with the Boston Bruins, joining the Chicago Black Hawks for two more. Orr is widely acknowledged to be one of the greatest...
. Daley returned home to Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
and informed the commissioner of the OHL about the remarks. The day after Daley left the team, Vanbiesbrouck resigned his positions as coach and general manager, and sold his ownership stake in the team. In his apology Vanbiesbrouck stated "I used the 'N' word instead of calling him Trevor, I used it just not thinking. It's a mistake and consequences have to be paid by me, I've embarrassed everybody and my family by this one comment. It's not what they represent and it's not what the Sault Greyhounds organization represents." He added "I told Trev this is an old wound with me, I grew up with it. I'm as sorry as anybody that it's stuck with me." Daley returned to the team three days after leaving, but Vanbiesbrouck never returned to a coaching position.
Career
After leaving the Greyhounds Vanbiesbrouck spent some time as a broadcaster, working as an analyst for Versus networkNHL on Versus
The NHL on Versus was the former branding used for National Hockey League games broadcast on Versus. Versus became the NHL's cable partner in the United States beginning in the 2005-06 season from previous partner ESPN, providing coverage of regular season games, playoff games, and select games...
as well as hockey broadcasts on HDNet
HDNet
HDNet is a men's interest television channel in the United States, broadcasting exclusively in high-definition format and available via cable and satellite television...
. In 2010 Vanbiesbrouck, along with Steve Goldstein, formed the broadcast team for Westwood One
Westwood One
Westwood One was an American radio network and was based in New York City. At one time, it was managed by CBS Radio, the radio arm of CBS Corporation, and Viacom and was later purchased by the private equity firm The Gores Group...
's radio coverage of the Winter Olympic
Ice hockey at the 2010 Winter Olympics
Ice hockey at the 2010 Winter Olympics was held at Canada Hockey Place, home of the National Hockey League's Vancouver Canucks, and at UBC Winter Sports Centre, home of the Canadian Interuniversity Sport's UBC Thunderbirds. Twelve teams competed in the men's event and eight teams competed in the...
hockey games. He is the President of VBK Sports Viewer.com, a website dedicated to helping athletes train and develop into better athletes.
Personal
When Vanbiesbrouck was with the Rangers, his brother Frank showed signs of severe depression and suicidal tendenciesSuicidal person
A suicidal person is one who is experiencing a personal suicide crisis; that is, he or she is attempting suicide, is seeking a means to commit suicide, or is contemplating suicide.-Recognizing a suicidal person:...
. During this time John attempted to reach out to Frank, occasionally flying separately from the team on road trips to check in on his brother, and talking to him every day. Despite his efforts Frank committed suicide
Suicide
Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Suicide is often committed out of despair or attributed to some underlying mental disorder, such as depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, alcoholism, or drug abuse...
in 1993. Vanbiesbrouck called Frank's death "devastating" and that he "felt very empty" when Frank died adding that his Christian
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
faith and the Bible
Bible
The Bible refers to any one of the collections of the primary religious texts of Judaism and Christianity. There is no common version of the Bible, as the individual books , their contents and their order vary among denominations...
helped him through the difficult time.
While playing with the Flyers, Vanbiesbrouck and his family lived in Moorestown Township, New Jersey
Moorestown Township, New Jersey
-Demographics:At the 2000 census, there were 19,017 people, 6,971 households, and 5,270 families residing in the township. The population density was 1,287.3 per square mile . There were 7,211 housing units at an average density of 488.1 per square mile...
. He and his wife, Rosalinde, have four sons, Ian, Ben, Nicholas and Daniel. His son Ian was diagnosed with Attention Deficit Disorder
Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder
Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder is a developmental disorder. It is primarily characterized by "the co-existence of attentional problems and hyperactivity, with each behavior occurring infrequently alone" and symptoms starting before seven years of age.ADHD is the most commonly studied and...
(ADD) when he was five-years old. As a result Vanbiesbrouck started the Vanbiesbrouck Foundation for children with Attention Deficit Disorder to increase awareness of and raise money for children with ADD. However, when he left Florida via free agency the foundation was dissolved and the mission of the program went into an information service based in South Florida. Vanbiesbrouck is also the celebrity sponsor of a golf event in support of The Alan T. Brown Foundation to Cure Paralysis. He returned to his home state of Michigan
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
following his playing days.
Awards and honors
- Selected to the OHLOntario Hockey LeagueThe Ontario Hockey League is one of the three Major Junior ice hockey leagues which constitute the Canadian Hockey League. The league is for players aged 15-20.The OHL also operates under the Ontario Hockey Federation of Hockey Canada....
Second All-Star team in 19831982-83 OHL seasonThe 1982–83 OHL season was the 3rd season of the Ontario Hockey League. Fifteen teams each played 70 games. The Oshawa Generals won the J. Ross Robertson Cup, defeating the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds. The Niagara Falls Flyers move to North Bay, Ontario, becoming the Centennials...
. - Selectd to the CHL First All-Star Team in 1984.
- Terry Sawchuk Trophy winner in 1984 (shared with Ron ScottRon ScottRonald Scott is a retired NHL hockey player. He was a goaltender for the New York Rangers and the Los Angeles Kings in the 1980s early 1990s....
). - Tommy Ivan Trophy (MVP-CHL) winner in 1984 (shared with Bruce AffleckBruce AffleckRobert Bruce Affleck is a Canadian retired former professional ice hockey defenceman who played in the National Hockey League in the 1970s. Currently he serves as an executive for the St...
). - Selected to the NHL First All-Star Team in 19861985-86 NHL season-Final:Montreal Canadiens vs. Calgary FlamesMontreal wins best-of-seven series 4–1-NHL awards:-All-Star teams:-Scoring leaders:- Leading goaltenders :-Debuts:...
. - Vezina TrophyVezina TrophyThe Vezina Trophy is awarded annually to the National Hockey League's goaltender who is "adjudged to be the best at this position". At the end of each season, the 30 General Managers of the teams in the National Hockey League vote to determine the goaltender who was the most valuable to his team...
Winner in 1986. - Played in 1994, 1996, 1997 NHL All-Star Games.
- Became the 15th, and only the 2nd American, goaltender in NHLNational Hockey LeagueThe National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States...
history to record 300 career wins. - Inducted into the United States Hockey Hall of FameUnited States Hockey Hall of FameThe United States Hockey Hall of Fame was established in 1973 with the goal of preserving the rich history of the game in the United States while recognizing the extraordinary contributions of select players, coaches, administrators, officials and teams....
in October 2007. - Ranked No. 31 on the all-time list of New York Rangers in the book 100 Ranger Greats.
- Vanbiesbrouck appears on the NHL 97NHL 97NHL 97 is a ice hockey video game by EA Sports. It was released on October 31, 1996 and was the successor to NHL 96.- Features :NHL 97 took the graphics even further ahead, using a full 3D engine, with motion captured polygonal players NHL 97 is a ice hockey video game by EA Sports. It was released...
cover.
Records
- Holds New York Rangers all-time franchise record for most assists in a single season by a goaltender (5). (shared)
- Holds New York Rangers all-time franchise record for most career assists by a goaltender (25).
- Holds NHL all-time record for most Victories among American born goaltenders (374).
- Holds NHL all-time record for most Shutouts among American born goaltenders (40). (shared with Frank BrimsekFrank BrimsekFrancis Charles "Mister Zero" Brimsek was an American professional ice hockey goaltender who played for the Boston Bruins and Chicago Black Hawks in the National Hockey League.-Playing career:...
)
Regular season
| Season Season (sports) In an organized sports league, a season is the portion of one year in which regulated games of the sport are in session. For example, in Major League Baseball, one season lasts approximately from April 1 through October 1; in Association football, it is generally from August until May In an... |
Team | League | GP | W | L | T | MIN | GA | SO | GAA Goals against average Goals Against Average is a statistic used in ice hockey, water polo, lacrosse, and soccer that is the mean of goals allowed per game by a goaltender.... |
SV% Save percentage Save percentage is an ice hockey and lacrosse statistic that represents the percentage of shots on goal a goaltender stops... |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980–81 | Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds The Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds are a major junior ice hockey team in the Ontario Hockey League. The Greyhounds play home games at the Essar Centre. The present team was founded in 1962 as a team in the Northern Ontario Hockey Association. The Greyhounds name has been used by several ice hockey... |
OHL Ontario Hockey League The Ontario Hockey League is one of the three Major Junior ice hockey leagues which constitute the Canadian Hockey League. The league is for players aged 15-20.The OHL also operates under the Ontario Hockey Federation of Hockey Canada.... |
56 | 31 | 16 | 1 | 2941 | 203 | 0 | 4.14 | — |
| 1981–82 | Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds | OHL | 31 | 12 | 12 | 2 | 1686 | 102 | 0 | 3.62 | — |
| 1981–82 | New York Rangers New York Rangers The New York Rangers are a professional ice hockey team based in the borough of Manhattan in New York, New York, USA. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . Playing their home games at Madison Square Garden, the Rangers are one of the... |
NHL National Hockey League The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States... |
1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 60 | 1 | 0 | 1.00 | .967 |
| 1982–83 | Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds | OHL | 62 | 39 | 21 | 1 | 3471 | 209 | 0 | 3.61 | — |
| 1983–84 | Tulsa Oilers | CHL | 37 | 20 | 13 | 2 | 2153 | 124 | 3 | 3.46 | — |
| 1983–84 | New York Rangers | NHL | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 179 | 10 | 0 | 3.33 | .882 |
| 1984–85 | New York Rangers | NHL | 42 | 12 | 24 | 3 | 2371 | 166 | 1 | 4.20 | .877 |
| 1985–86 | New York Rangers | NHL | 61 | 31 | 21 | 5 | 3322 | 184 | 3 | 3.32 | .887 |
| 1986–87 | New York Rangers | NHL | 50 | 18 | 20 | 5 | 2652 | 161 | 0 | 3.64 | .882 |
| 1987–88 | New York Rangers | NHL | 56 | 27 | 22 | 7 | 3315 | 187 | 2 | 3.38 | .890 |
| 1988–89 | New York Rangers | NHL | 56 | 28 | 21 | 4 | 3207 | 197 | 0 | 3.69 | .881 |
| 1989–90 | New York Rangers | NHL | 47 | 19 | 19 | 7 | 2734 | 154 | 1 | 3.38 | .887 |
| 1990–91 | New York Rangers | NHL | 40 | 15 | 18 | 6 | 2257 | 126 | 3 | 3.35 | .891 |
| 1991–92 | New York Rangers | NHL | 45 | 27 | 13 | 3 | 2526 | 120 | 2 | 2.85 | .910 |
| 1992–93 | New York Rangers | NHL | 48 | 20 | 18 | 7 | 2757 | 152 | 4 | 3.31 | .900 |
| 1993–94 | Florida Panthers Florida Panthers The Florida Panthers are a professional ice hockey team based in Sunrise, Florida, in the Miami metropolitan area. They are members of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . They play their games at the BankAtlantic Center in Sunrise and are the... |
NHL | 57 | 21 | 25 | 11 | 3440 | 145 | 1 | 2.53 | .924 |
| 1994–95 | Florida Panthers | NHL | 37 | 14 | 15 | 4 | 2087 | 86 | 4 | 2.47 | .914 |
| 1995–96 | Florida Panthers | NHL | 57 | 26 | 20 | 7 | 3178 | 142 | 2 | 2.68 | .904 |
| 1996–97 | Florida Panthers | NHL | 57 | 27 | 19 | 10 | 3347 | 128 | 2 | 2.29 | .919 |
| 1997–98 | Florida Panthers | NHL | 60 | 18 | 29 | 11 | 3451 | 165 | 4 | 2.87 | .899 |
| 1998–99 | Philadelphia Flyers Philadelphia Flyers The Philadelphia Flyers are a professional ice hockey team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League... |
NHL | 62 | 27 | 18 | 15 | 3712 | 135 | 6 | 2.18 | .902 |
| 1999–00 | Philadelphia Flyers | NHL | 50 | 25 | 15 | 9 | 2950 | 108 | 3 | 2.20 | .906 |
| 2000–01 | New York Islanders New York Islanders The New York Islanders are a professional ice hockey team based in Uniondale, New York. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League... |
NHL | 44 | 10 | 25 | 5 | 2390 | 120 | 1 | 3.01 | .898 |
| 2000–01 | New Jersey Devils New Jersey Devils The New Jersey Devils are a professional ice hockey team based in Newark, New Jersey, United States. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League... |
NHL | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 240 | 6 | 1 | 1.50 | .935 |
| 2001–02 | New Jersey Devils | NHL | 5 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 300 | 10 | 0 | 2.00 | .915 |
| NHL totals | 882 | 374 | 346 | 119 | 50,475 | 2503 | 40 | 2.98 | .899 | ||
Post season
| Season | Team | League | GP | W | L | MIN | GA | SO | GAA | SV% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980–81 | Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds | OHL | 11 | 3 | 3 | 457 | 24 | 1 | 3.15 | — |
| 1981–82 | Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds | OHL | 7 | 1 | 4 | 276 | 20 | 0 | 4.35 | — |
| 1982–83 | Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds | OHL | 16 | 7 | 6 | 944 | 56 | 1 | 3.56 | — |
| 1983–84 | Tulsa Oilers | CHL | 4 | 4 | 0 | 240 | 10 | 0 | 2.50 | — |
| 1983–84 | New York Rangers | NHL | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 | .000 |
| 1984–85 | New York Rangers | NHL | 1 | 0 | 0 | 20 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 | 1.000 |
| 1985–86 | New York Rangers | NHL | 16 | 8 | 8 | 897 | 49 | 1 | 3.38 | .897 |
| 1986–87 | New York Rangers | NHL | 4 | 1 | 3 | 195 | 11 | 1 | 3.38 | .900 |
| 1988–89 | New York Rangers | NHL | 2 | 0 | 1 | 107 | 6 | 0 | 3.37 | .889 |
| 1989–90 | New York Rangers | NHL | 6 | 2 | 3 | 298 | 15 | 0 | 3.02 | .902 |
| 1990–91 | New York Rangers | NHL | 1 | 0 | 0 | 52 | 1 | 0 | 1.16 | .955 |
| 1991–92 | New York Rangers | NHL | 7 | 2 | 5 | 368 | 23 | 0 | 3.75 | .872 |
| 1995–96 | Florida Panthers | NHL | 22 | 12 | 10 | 1332 | 50 | 1 | 2.25 | .932 |
| 1996–97 | Florida Panthers | NHL | 5 | 1 | 4 | 328 | 13 | 1 | 2.38 | .929 |
| 1998–99 | Philadelphia Flyers | NHL | 6 | 2 | 4 | 369 | 9 | 1 | 1.46 | .938 |
| NHL totals | 71 | 28 | 38 | 3965 | 177 | 5 | 2.68 | .915 | ||
International
| Year | Team | Event | GP | W | L | T | MIN | GA | SO | GAA | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1982 1982 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships The 1982 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships was the 6th edition World Junior Ice Hockey Championships and was held from December 22, 1981 until January 2, 1982. The tournament was hosted by the United States in various cities across the state of Minnesota with some games also played in the... |
United States United States men's national junior ice hockey team The United States men's national junior ice hockey team is the national under-20 ice hockey team in the United States. The team represents the United States at the International Ice Hockey Federation's IIHF World U20 Championship.... |
WJC | 5 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 200 | 19 | 0 | 5.70 | |
| 1983 1983 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships The 1983 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships was the 7th edition of the World Junior Ice Hockey Championships and was held in Leningrad, Soviet Union between December 26, 1982 and January 4, 1983... |
United States | WJC | 5 | — | — | 0 | 280 | 17 | 0 | 3.64 | |
| 1985 1985 World Ice Hockey Championships The 1985 Ice Hockey World Championships took place in Prague, Czechoslovakia from 17 April to 3 May. Eight teams took part, with each team playing each other once. The four best teams then played each other again. This was the 50th World Championships, and also the 61st European Championships of... |
United States | WC Ice Hockey World Championships The Ice Hockey World Championships are an annual ice hockey tournament organized by the International Ice Hockey Federation . First officially held at the 1920 Summer Olympics, it is the sport's highest profile annual international tournament. The IIHF was created in 1908 while the European... |
9 | 6 | 3 | 0 | 492 | 46 | 0 | 5.64 | |
| 1987 1987 World Ice Hockey Championships The 1987 Ice Hockey World Championships was the 52nd such event hosted by the International Ice Hockey Federation. It was also the 63rd ice hockey European Championships. Teams representing 28 countries participated in four levels of competition.... |
United States | WC | 7 | 2 | 5 | 0 | 419 | 28 | 0 | 4.01 | |
| 1987 1987 Canada Cup The 1987 Canada Cup was a professional international ice hockey tournament held from August 28 to September 15, 1987. The finals took place in Montreal on September 11 and Hamilton, Ontario, on September 13 and September 15, and were won by Team Canada.... |
United States | Can-Cup Canada Cup The Canada Cup refers to several types of professional sporting events held in Canada: It is also the previous name of the World Cup of Golf and the World Cup of Hockey.* Canada Cup for men's professional ice hockey* Canada Cup... |
4 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 240 | 9 | 0 | 2.00 | |
| 1989 1989 World Ice Hockey Championships -Final Round:-Consolation Round:Poland was relegated to Group B.-World Championship Group B :Played in Oslo and Lillehammer March 30th to April 9th. The April 5th game between Norway and Austria was officially adjusted to 8-0 for Norway because of Siegfried Haberl's positive drug test... |
United States | WC | 5 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 265 | 20 | 0 | 4.53 | |
| 1991 1991 Men's World Ice Hockey Championships -Final Round:-Consolation Round:No team was relegated because of the expansion to twelve teams.-World Championship Group B :... |
United States | WC | 10 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 526 | 41 | 0 | 4.67 | |
| 1991 1991 Canada Cup The 1991 Canada Cup was a professional international ice hockey tournament played in September 1991. The finals took place in Montreal on September 14 and Hamilton, Ontario on September 16, and were won by Canada. The Canadians defeated the USA in a two game sweep, to win the fifth and final Canada... |
United States | Can-Cup | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 60 | 3 | 0 | 3.00 | |
| 1998 Ice hockey at the 1998 Winter Olympics Ice hockey at the 1998 Winter Olympics was played at The Big Hat and Aqua Wing Arena in Nagano, Japan.-Men's tournament:The 1998 Olympic men's ice hockey tournament was the first in which professional players from the National Hockey League were allowed to participate, allowing national teams to... |
United States | Oly Ice hockey at the Olympic Games Ice hockey tournaments have been staged at the Olympic Games since 1920. The men's tournament was introduced at the 1920 Summer Olympics and was transferred permanently to the Winter Olympic Games programme in 1924. The women's tournament was first held at the 1998 Winter Olympics... |
1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 | |
| Junior int'l totals | 10 | — | — | 0 | 480 | 36 | 0 | 4.50 | |||
| Senior int'l totals | 37 | 15 | 16 | 3 | 2003 | 147 | 0 | 4.40 | |||