| Pete Peeters | |
|---|---|
| Born | August 17, 1957 Edmonton, Alberta, CAN |
| Height | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) |
| Weight | 185 lb (84 kg; 13 st 3 lb) |
| Position | Goaltender |
| Caught | Left |
| Played for | AHL Maine Mariners Binghamton Whalers Hershey Bears NHL Philadelphia Flyers Boston Bruins Washington Capitals |
| National team | Canada |
| NHL Draft | 135th overall, 1977 Philadelphia Flyers |
| Playing career | 1977–1991 |
Peter H. Peeters (born August 17, 1957) is a retired Vezina-winning professional ice hockey goaltender who was one of the NHL's most colourful characters in the 1980s.
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Peeters was born in a family of Dutch immigrants in Edmonton, Alberta. At a young age, he valued swimming more than hockey. It was not until he was 18 that Peeters was committed to junior hockey. In 1975, Peeters joined a struggling Medicine Hat Tigers team. He would stay with the Tigers for two years before being drafted. Peeters was drafted 135th overall by the Philadelphia Flyers in the 1977 NHL Amateur Draft after showing scouts that he had what it took to play at an NHL level. He played for two years in the AHL winning the Harry "Hap" Holmes Memorial Award for best GAA in the league and he was also selected to the First All-Star Team.
Peeters was called up by the Flyers in 1980 sharing the net with Phil Myre. Peeters started with a 22–0–5 record before losing his first game of the season on February 19. The Flyers went a NHL record 35 straight games without a loss that season. Peeters finished the season with a 29–5–5 record with a 2.73 GAA. He led the Flyers all the way to the Stanley Cup Finals before losing to the New York Islanders on an overtime goal by Bob Nystrom. For his effort, Peeters was selected to play in the NHL All-Star Game.
The following season, expectations were high for Peeters but he did not meet them. Over the next two years his GAA rose and his playoff success diminished. In 1982, Peeters was traded to the Boston Bruins for defenceman Brad McCrimmon.
Peeters joined the Boston Bruins for the 1982–83 season. Peeters had perhaps his best year as he played in 62 games and posting a 40–11–9 record with 8 shutouts and a decade high 2.36 GAA. At one point, Peeters went 31 games without a loss. He won the Vezina Trophy for his spectacular play and was selected First All-Star Team goalie. He also played in the All-Star Game in his first season with Boston. Surprisingly, Peeters finished 2nd in voting for the Hart Memorial Trophy to Wayne Gretzky.[1] Next season, expectation were high again for Peeters and like in Philadelphia he did not meet them. He played for two more years with the Bruins with his GAA inflating and the losses piling up.
Peeters was invited to Team Canada for the 1984 Canada Cup. Despite having a sprained ankle, Peeters was able to play in four games including the final game against Sweden and the memorable overtime win against the Soviets.
| Medal record | ||
|---|---|---|
| Competitor for Canada | ||
| Men's ice hockey | ||
| Canada Cup | ||
| Gold | 1984 Canada | Ice hockey |
After the Canada Cup experience, Peeters had trouble readjusting his game to the NHL level. After a slow start in the 1985–86 season, Peeters was traded to the Washington Capitals in exchange for goaltender Pat Riggin. Peeters provided the Caps with solid goaltending for the next five seasons. But in the playoffs, Peeters did not find much success again.
Peeters returned to Philadelphia in 1990 by way of free agency. He remained there for the last two seasons of his career sharing the net with Ron Hextall and Ken Wregget. Peeters would hang up the pads in 1991.
At the end of his playing career, Peeters returned to the family farm in Edmonton. He then got into coaching, serving as a goaltender coach to the Minnesota North Stars, Winnipeg Jets, Phoenix Coyotes, and the Edmonton Oilers. On July 27, 2009, he signed on as goaltending coach for the Anaheim Ducks, a position which had been left vacant following the departure of François Allaire.
| Season | Team | League | GP | W | L | T | MIN | GA | SO | GAA | SV% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1974–75 | Edmonton Crusaders | AJHL | 35 | — | — | — | 2012 | 114 | 0 | 3.25 | — |
| 1975–76 | Medicine Hat Tigers | WCHL | 37 | 16 | 11 | 9 | 2074 | 147 | 0 | 4.25 | .877 |
| 1976–77 | Medicine Hat Tigers | WCHL | 62 | 26 | 24 | 12 | 3423 | 232 | 1 | 4.07 | .877 |
| 1977–78 | Milwaukee Admirals | IHL | 33 | 12 | 10 | 7 | 1698 | 92 | 1 | 3.25 | .919 |
| 1977–78 | Maine Mariners | AHL | 17 | 8 | 2 | 2 | 855 | 40 | 0 | 2.80 | — |
| 1978–79 | Maine Mariners | AHL | 35 | 25 | 6 | 3 | 2067 | 100 | 2 | 2.90 | — |
| 1978–79 | Philadelphia Flyers | NHL | 5 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 280 | 16 | 0 | 3.43 | — |
| 1979–80 | Philadelphia Flyers | NHL | 40 | 29 | 5 | 5 | 2373 | 108 | 1 | 2.73 | — |
| 1980–81 | Philadelphia Flyers | NHL | 40 | 22 | 12 | 5 | 2333 | 115 | 2 | 2.96 | — |
| 1981–82 | Philadelphia Flyers | NHL | 44 | 23 | 18 | 3 | 2591 | 160 | 0 | 3.71 | .871 |
| 1982–83 | Boston Bruins | NHL | 62 | 40 | 11 | 9 | 3611 | 142 | 8 | 2.36 | .904 |
| 1983–84 | Boston Bruins | NHL | 50 | 29 | 16 | 2 | 2868 | 151 | 0 | 3.16 | .876 |
| 1984–85 | Boston Bruins | NHL | 51 | 19 | 26 | 4 | 2975 | 172 | 1 | 3.47 | .868 |
| 1985–86 | Boston Bruins | NHL | 8 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 485 | 31 | 0 | 3.84 | .873 |
| 1985–86 | Washington Capitals | NHL | 34 | 19 | 11 | 3 | 2021 | 113 | 1 | 3.35 | .876 |
| 1986–87 | Binghamton Whalers | AHL | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 245 | 4 | 1 | 0.98 | .967 |
| 1986–87 | Washington Capitals | NHL | 37 | 17 | 11 | 4 | 2002 | 107 | 0 | 3.21 | .885 |
| 1987–88 | Washington Capitals | NHL | 35 | 14 | 12 | 4 | 1896 | 88 | 2 | 2.78 | .898 |
| 1988–89 | Washington Capitals | NHL | 35 | 20 | 7 | 3 | 1854 | 88 | 4 | 2.85 | .889 |
| 1989–90 | Philadelphia Flyers | NHL | 24 | 1 | 13 | 5 | 1140 | 71 | 1 | 3.74 | .883 |
| 1990–91 | Hershey Bears | AHL | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 105 | 11 | 0 | 6.29 | .833 |
| 1990–91 | Philadelphia Flyers | NHL | 26 | 9 | 7 | 1 | 1270 | 61 | 1 | 2.88 | .902 |
| NHL totals | 489 | 246 | 155 | 51 | 27,699 | 1424 | 21 | 3.08 | — | ||
| Season | Team | League | GP | W | L | MIN | GA | SO | GAA | SV% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1976–77 | Medicine Hat Tigers | WCHL | 4 | — | — | 204 | 17 | 0 | 5.00 | — |
| 1977–78 | Maine Mariners | AHL | 11 | 8 | 3 | 562 | 25 | 1 | 2.67 | — |
| 1978–79 | Maine Mariners | AHL | 6 | 5 | 0 | 329 | 15 | 0 | 2.74 | — |
| 1979–80 | Philadelphia Flyers | NHL | 13 | 8 | 5 | 779 | 37 | 1 | 2.78 | — |
| 1980–81 | Philadelphia Flyers | NHL | 3 | 2 | 1 | 180 | 12 | 0 | 4.00 | — |
| 1981–82 | Philadelphia Flyers | NHL | 4 | 1 | 2 | 220 | 17 | 0 | 4.64 | — |
| 1982–83 | Boston Bruins | NHL | 17 | 9 | 8 | 1024 | 61 | 1 | 3.57 | — |
| 1983–84 | Boston Bruins | NHL | 3 | 0 | 3 | 180 | 10 | 0 | 3.33 | .853 |
| 1984–85 | Boston Bruins | NHL | 1 | 0 | 1 | 60 | 4 | 0 | 4.00 | .846 |
| 1985–86 | Washington Capitals | NHL | 9 | 5 | 4 | 544 | 24 | 0 | 2.65 | .905 |
| 1986–87 | Washington Capitals | NHL | 3 | 1 | 2 | 180 | 9 | 0 | 3.00 | .882 |
| 1987–88 | Washington Capitals | NHL | 12 | 7 | 5 | 654 | 34 | 0 | 3.12 | .896 |
| 1988–89 | Washington Capitals | NHL | 6 | 2 | 4 | 359 | 24 | 0 | 4.01 | .854 |
| NHL totals | 71 | 35 | 35 | 4200 | 232 | 2 | 3.31 | — | ||
| Year | Team | Event | GP | W | L | T | MIN | GA | SO | GAA | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1984 | Canada | Can-Cup | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 234 | 13 | 0 | 3.00 | |
| Senior int'l totals | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 234 | 13 | 0 | 3.00 | |||
| Preceded by Billy Smith |
Winner of the Vezina Trophy 1983 |
Succeeded by Tom Barrasso |