Glenn Hall

After finishing his junior years playing for the Humboldt Indians and the Windsor Spitfires, he signed with the Detroit Red Wings in 1949. The first few years of his NHL career were spent playing in Detroit's minor system. In the 1952 playoffs he was called up from the minors to be the backup goalie in the finals, but did not play for Detroit. Detroit still put Hall's name on the Stanley Cup, before he had ever played his first NHL game. He finally made the Red Wings' lineup as their starting goalie in the 1955–56 season, displacing Terry Sawchuk. Hall played in every game of his first full season with the Red Wings, recording twelve shutouts, winning the Calder Memorial Trophy as rookie of the year and being voted the Second Team All-Star goaltender. He seemed erratic during the Stanley Cup Finals against Montreal.

Glenn Hall 1963 trading card

During his second full season with Detroit, he again played every game and was voted as the First Team All-Star goaltender, which since the Vezina Trophy was automatically awarded to the goaltenders on the team allowing the fewest goals, was essentially being named the best goaltender in the league. Despite this, at season's end he found himself traded to the Chicago Black Hawks along with NHL Players' Association co-organizer Ted Lindsay. Hall continued his stellar play in the Windy City, playing every regular-season game as well as every playoff game. In 1961, Hall backstopped the Black Hawks to their first Stanley Cup Championship since 1938 over Detroit. On November 7, 1962, the record streak finally came to an end against the Boston Bruins, as Hall had back problems. Denis DeJordy replaced him during the game. Hall managed to play 502 consecutive complete games, which spanned eight seasons, an NHL record for goaltenders that is unlikely to ever be broken. He never wore a goaltending mask or helmet during the streak, only doing so late in his career, which will be an unbreakable record as the mask has now become a mandatory piece of equipment. It is rumoured that Hall threw up before each game, then drank a glass of orange juice. During his time in Chicago he was voted the First Team All-Star goaltender five times and the Second Team All-Star goaltender three times.

Despite winning the Vezina Trophy in 1966–67, the 36-year old Hall was left unprotected for that summer's NHL expansion draft and was chosen by the St. Louis Blues. One of six expansion franchises in their first year in the league, the Blues stocked themselves with veteran talent, including Red Berenson and Phil Goyette, and won the West Division Playoffs in two seven-game series. Hall's play led them all the way to the Stanley Cup Final. Most hockey fans expected an utter rout when the established Canadiens faced the 1st-year expansion Blues. But this was Hall's fourth trip to the finals, and his goaltending was the most outstanding contribution to the surprisingly good performance of the Blues against the Montreal Canadiens. The Blues lost the best-of-seven series getting swept 4–0, but in 4 exciting 1-goal games (3–2 (OT), 1–0. 4–3 (OT), and 3–2). Hall's remarkable play was recognized by the award to him of the Conn Smythe Trophy as the playoffs' Most Valuable Player, an award rarely going to a player from a losing team. ‘Even though we lost to the Canadiens in a sweep, I don’t feel it tainted my winning the Smythe one bit’, said Hall. ‘The odds were heavily stacked against us right from the start.’

In 1968, veteran goaltending legend Jacques Plante joined the Blues, sharing duties with Hall. The two put together a fine season in 1968–69, winning the Vezina Trophy, and setting a then-Blues' record of 13 shutouts. Hall was voted the First Team All-Star goaltender emblematic of being the best goaltender in the league, his record seventh selection as such.

Glenn Hall in 2011

He had retired after the 1968–69 season, but Hall came out of retirement to play 18 games in 1969–70 season. He was in goal when the Boston Bruins' Bobby Orr scored the Stanley Cup-clinching goal in game 4 of the 1970 Finals after only 40 seconds of overtime.

Hall's career ended after the 1970–71 season when he announced his retirement at the age of 39. In 1975 he was elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame. Hall won his third Stanley Cup as the goaltender coach with Calgary Flames in 1989.

* Stanley Cup Champion.

"Hall's stats". The Goaltender Home Page. Retrieved 2017-08-07.