The Roger Crozier Saving Grace Award,[1] officially billed as the MBNA/MasterCard Roger Crozier Saving Grace Award,[2] was an award in ice hockey given annually to the goaltender who finished the regular season with the best save percentage in the National Hockey League (NHL).[3] Only goaltenders who played 25 games or more in the season were eligible for the award.[1] A goaltender's save percentage represents the percentage of shots on goal that he stops, and is calculated by dividing the number of saves by the total number of shots on goal.[4]
| Sport | Ice hockey |
|---|---|
| Awarded for | goaltender who has played a minimum of 25 games and finished the season with the best save percentage in the National Hockey League. |
| History | |
| First award | 1999–2000 NHL season |
| Final award | 2006–07 NHL season |
The award was first presented at the conclusion of the 1999–2000 season,[3] and was named in honor of former Detroit Red Wings, Buffalo Sabres and Washington Capitals goaltender Roger Crozier, a Calder and Conn Smythe Trophy winner who played in the NHL from 1964 to 1977.[5] It was presented by the MBNA corporation in memory of Crozier, who worked for the MBNA America Bank after retiring as a player, and died on January 11, 1996.[1] The winner of the trophy received a commemorative crystal trophy and was given US$25,000 to donate to a youth hockey or other educational program of their choice.[1]
By 2007, when it ceased being presented, the award had been handed to six different players on seven occasions. Marty Turco is the only goaltender to have won the award twice. Three Dallas Stars goalies have won the award, while two each have represented the Montreal Canadiens and the Minnesota Wild. Only seven awards were ever made. The award was not presented in 2005, as the entire 2004–05 season was canceled due to the lockout.[6]
Winners
| Denotes players who are still active in the NHL | |
| Denotes player who was elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame |
| Season | Player | Team | Save % | Win # | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1999–2000 | Ed Belfour | Dallas Stars | .919 | 1† | [7] |
| 2000–01 | Marty Turco | Dallas Stars | .925 | 1 | [8] |
| 2001–02 | Jose Theodore | Montreal Canadiens | .931 | 1 | [9] |
| 2002–03 | Marty Turco | Dallas Stars | .932 | 2 | [8] |
| 2003–04 | Dwayne Roloson | Minnesota Wild | .933 | 1 | [10] |
| 2004–05 | Season cancelled due to the 2004–05 NHL lockout | ||||
| 2005–06 | Cristobal Huet | Montreal Canadiens | .929 | 1 | [11] |
| 2006–07 | Niklas Backstrom | Minnesota Wild | .929 | 1 | [12] |
† - Belfour was a prior save percentage leader in the 1990-91 season, before the Crozier Award was first presented.
Save-percentage leaders (1956–1999)
Before 2000, there was no award for leading the league in save percentage. The NHL started counting the statistic in 1982,[13] while records have been compiled for save percentage back into the mid-1950s.[14]
Bold denotes highest season save percentage on record
* Season shortened by the 1994–95 NHL lockout
Save-percentage leaders (2007–present)
* Season shortened by the 2012–13 NHL lockout
† Season shortened by the COVID-19 pandemic
See also
Notes
^ Craig Anderson only played in 24 games in the 2012–13 season, however due to the 2012–13 NHL lockout the minimum game restriction was reduced from 25 games to 14.
^ Alex Nedeljkovic only played in 23 games in the 2020–21 season, however due to the COVID-19 pandemic the minimum game restriction was reduced from 25 games to 17.