Frank Brimsek

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Position Goaltender
Nickname(s) Mister Zero
Height
Weight
5 ft 09 in (1.75 m)
170 lb (77 kg/12 st 2 lb)
Pro clubs Boston Bruins
Chicago Black Hawks
Nationality Flag of the United States United States
Born September 26, 1913(1913-09-26),
Eveleth, Minnesota, USA
Died November 11, 1998 (aged 85),
Pro career 19381950
Hall of Fame, 1966

Francis Charles "Mister Zero" Brimsek (September 26, 1913November 11, 1998) was an American professional ice hockey goaltender who played for the Boston Bruins and Chicago Black Hawks in the National Hockey League.

Born in Eveleth, Minnesota, Brimsek was one of the first great American hockey players. In the 1938–39 season, he was promoted to the Bruins following an injury to goaltender Tiny Thompson, also a future Hall-of-Famer. He notched 10 shutouts that season, earning him the nickname "Mr. Zero." He won the Calder Memorial Trophy as NHL Rookie of the Year, and helped the Bruins win the Stanley Cup in 1939 season, and again in 1941.

He remained with the Bruins until 1949, and played a final season with the Chicago Black Hawks. He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1966 (the first American to earn HHOF membership) and was inducted into the United States Hockey Hall of Fame in 1973. In 1998, shortly before his death, he was ranked number 67 on The Hockey News' list of the 100 Greatest Hockey Players.

Despite the success of Thompson and Brimsek, both of whom were elected to the Hall of Fame and wore uniform number 1, the Bruins are the only one of the NHL's "Original Six" teams not to have retired the number (or, in the case of the Toronto Maple Leafs, hung banners indicating it is an "Honoured Number" while leaving it in circulation).

An annual award given to the top high school goaltender in the state of Minnesota is given in Brimsek's honor.

[edit] Awards and Achievements

  • Calder Memorial Trophy (1939)
  • NHL First All-Star Team Goalie (1939, 1942)
  • NHL Second All-Star Team Goalie (1940, 1941, 1943, 1946, 1947, 1948)
  • Vezina Trophy (1939, 1942)

[edit] See also

[edit] External links

Preceded by
Cully Dahlstrom
Winner of the Calder Memorial Trophy
1939
Succeeded by
Kilby MacDonald
Preceded by
Cecil Thompson
Winner of the Vezina Trophy
1939
Succeeded by
David Kerr
Preceded by
Turk Broda
Winner of the Vezina Trophy
1942
Succeeded by
Johnny Mowers