The Roger Crozier Saving Grace Award, officially billed as the MBNA/MasterCard Roger Crozier Saving Grace Award, 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). Only goaltenders who played 25 games or more in the season were eligible for the award. 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.
The award was first presented at the conclusion of the , 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. 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. 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.
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 was canceled due to the lockout.
Winners
Denotes players who are still active in the NHLDenotes player who was elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame Season Player Team Save % Win # Ref. Dallas Stars .919 1† Dallas Stars .925 1 Montreal Canadiens .931 1 Dallas Stars .932 2 Minnesota Wild .933 1 Season cancelled due to the 2004–05 NHL lockout Montreal Canadiens .929 1 Minnesota Wild .929 1
† - 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, while records have been compiled for save percentage back into the mid-1950s.
Bold denotes highest season save percentage on record
* Season shortened by the 1994–95 NHL lockout Season Player Team Save % Win # Montreal Canadiens .930 1 Detroit Red Wings .928 1 New York Rangers .927 1 Montreal Canadiens .925 2 Toronto Maple Leafs .919 1 Toronto Maple Leafs .923 2 Montreal Canadiens .923 3 Chicago Black Hawks .918 2 Toronto Maple Leafs .932 3 Toronto Maple Leafs .924 4 Toronto Maple Leafs .930 5 Toronto Maple Leafs .925 6 Toronto Maple Leafs .934 1 St. Louis Blues .940 4 Chicago Black Hawks .932 1 Toronto Maple Leafs .944 5 Chicago Black Hawks .934 2 Montreal Canadiens .926 1 Philadelphia Flyers .932 1 Los Angeles Kings .927 1 New York Islanders .914 1 Montreal Canadiens .920 2 Montreal Canadiens .922 3 New York Islanders .914 2 Montreal Canadiens .907 1 Philadelphia Flyers .913 1 Montreal Canadiens .910 2 New York Islanders .909 1 New York Islanders .903 2 Chicago Black Hawks .903 1 Philadelphia Flyers .909 1 Philadelphia Flyers .902 1 Montreal Canadiens .900 1 Montreal Canadiens .908 2 Montreal Canadiens .912 3 Chicago Blackhawks .910 1 Montreal Canadiens .914 4 St. Louis Blues .911 1 Buffalo Sabres .930 1* Buffalo Sabres .930 2 Buffalo Sabres .920 3 Buffalo Sabres .930 4 Buffalo Sabres .932 5 Buffalo Sabres .937 6
Save-percentage leaders (2007–present) * Season shortened by the 2012–13 NHL lockout † Season shortened by the COVID-19 pandemic
Season Player Team Save % Win # Nashville Predators .924 1 Boston Bruins .933 1 Boston Bruins .931 1 Boston Bruins .938 2 St. Louis Blues .940 1 Ottawa Senators .941 1 Minnesota Wild .933 1 Montreal Canadiens .933 1 St. Louis Blues .930 2 Columbus Blue Jackets .932 1 St. Louis Blues .931 1 Dallas Stars .934 1† Dallas Stars .930 1† Carolina Hurricanes .932 1 New York Rangers .935 1 Boston Bruins .938 1 Florida Panthers .925 1 Toronto Maple Leafs .926 2 Colorado Avalanche .921 1
See also List of National Hockey League awards List of NHL statistical leaders William M. Jennings Trophy Vezina Trophy
Notes
Craig Anderson only played in 24 games in the , 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 , however due to the COVID-19 pandemic the minimum game restriction was reduced from 25 games to 17.
References