This Day in History: The Vezina Trophy Race of 1965
On March 28, 1965, one game stood out to hockey fans everywhere, as the Toronto Maple Leafs and Detroit Red Wings faced off in an otherwise meaningless game to determine which teams' goalie would take home the Vezina Trophy, awarded to the best goalkeeper in the NHL.
Today, the Vezina trophy is just awarded to the goalie that is voted to be the best in the league, but in 1964-65, it was awarded to the goalie who started the most games for the team that allowed the least goals. On that fateful March day in 1965, the Leafs began the game having had allowed two more goals than Detroit had on the season.
Terry Sawchuk and Johnny Bower split time relatively evenly in net for the Leafs in the 1964-65 season, playing 36 and 34 games, respectively. A young Roger Crozier was having himself a fine season in Detroit, playing all 70 games himself. On this final game of the regular season, Bower and Crozier faced off for all the marbles.
Don McKenney for the Leafs opened up the scoring in the first period. Leafs legend Tim Horton piled on in the second, tying the season-long goal count for the two teams. Pete Stemkowski and Dave Keon took it home in the third period, sealing a 4-0 victory over the Red Wings with Johnny Bower in net. With the four goal difference, the Leafs had leapfrogged over the Red Wings for the Vezina, having now allowed two less goals than Detroit had in the regular season.
Following the season, a rule change was to take place allowing multiple goalies to share the Vezina on the same team (with the caveat being that both goalies had to have played 25 or more games). However, because this rule wasn't yet codified for the 1964-65 season, Terry Sawchuk was the official winner of the Vezina before publicly stating that he would refuse to take the trophy unless Bower's name was also inscribed. The league agreed, and Sawchuk and Bower became the first pair of goalies to share the prize in NHL history.
For an otherwise meaningless game, this cold Sunday in Detroit holds an important place in NHL history, and Toronto Maple Leafs history. What a difference one small game can make on the legacy of three Hall of Famers in Sawchuk, Bower and Crozier!