Blackhawks legend ‘Mr Goalie’ Glenn Hall passes away at 94

Hall of Fame goaltender Glenn Hall, whose remarkable streak of 502 consecutive regular-season games remains one of the most enduring records in professional sports, died Wednesday at a hospital in Stony Plain, Alberta, at the age of 94. With playoff games included, Hall started an astonishing 552 consecutive contests.

“Glenn Hall was the very definition of what all hockey goaltenders aspire to be. Aptly nicknamed ‘Mr. Goalie,’ Glenn was sturdy, dependable, and a spectacular talent in net,” NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman said in a statement. “He set the bar for consistency with a goaltending ironman record of 502 consecutive regular-season games played for the Detroit Red Wings and Chicago Blackhawks. That record, set from 1955-56 to 1962-63, still stands, probably always will, and is almost unfathomable – especially when you consider he did it all without a mask.

“Glenn was a true star, whose career was filled with accomplishment and accolades. From the moment he stepped foot in an NHL crease, Hall excelled. He won the Calder Trophy with the Red Wings, earned every win for the Blackhawks in their run to the 1961 Stanley Cup, and captured a Conn Smythe Trophy despite losing in the Final with the St. Louis Blues. A seven-time, first-team NHL All-Star – an honor bestowed on him more than any other goalie – Hall is an honored member of the Hockey Hall of Fame and was selected as one of the NHL’s 100 Greatest Players.

“The National Hockey League family mourns the passing of a legend of the game and sends our heartfelt condolences to Glenn’s children Pat, Lindsay, Tammy, and Leslie as well as the entire Hall family.”

Born on October 3, 1931, in Humboldt, Saskatchewan, Hall began his hockey journey in youth leagues before advancing to the Windsor Spitfires of the Ontario Hockey Association from 1949 to 1951. He spent multiple seasons in the minors, with the Indianapolis Capitals and Edmonton Flyers, before making his NHL debut with the Detroit Red Wings on December 27, 1952, against the Montreal Canadiens. Hall, only 21 at the time, played that game wearing borrowed equipment after his own gear failed to arrive. Nonetheless, he helped the Red Wings earn a 2-2 tie and finished his brief rookie call-up with four wins, a tie, a shutout, and a 1.67 goals-against average.

Hall’s official rookie season came in 1955-56, when he compiled a 12-shutout campaign with a 2.10 goals-against average, winning the Calder Memorial Trophy. He became Detroit’s starting goaltender after Terry Sawchuk was traded to the Boston Bruins and demonstrated remarkable durability, starting all 70 games that season. By 1957, Hall had started and finished 140 consecutive regular-season games before being traded to the Chicago Black Hawks along with forward Ted Lindsay.

During his decade with Chicago, Hall truly earned the nickname “Mr. Goalie,” snagging seven First-Team All-Star nods and winning the Vezina Trophy twice, in 1962-63 and 1966-67. He led the Black Hawks to their first Stanley Cup since 1938 in 1961, shutting out the Montreal Canadiens in the semifinal and defeating Detroit in the finals. Hall played without a mask throughout most of his career, pioneering what became known as the butterfly style, dropping to his knees with pads spread wide to cover the lower net while relying on his gloves to protect high shots. His style later influenced goaltenders like Tony Esposito and Patrick Roy.

At age 35, Hall was claimed by the St. Louis Blues in the 1967 NHL Expansion Draft. He helped the fledgling franchise reach the Stanley Cup Final in their first three seasons, earning the Conn Smythe Trophy in 1968 despite the Blues’ loss to Montreal, stopping 140 of 151 shots in the final series. Hall shared the Vezina Trophy with Jacques Plante in 1968-69, and his career concluded in 1971 with a record of 407 wins, 326 losses, 164 ties, 84 shutouts, and a 2.50 goals-against average over 906 regular-season games.

Hall’s accomplishments went beyond the record books. He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1975, had his number retired by the Blackhawks in 1988, was named one of the NHL’s 100 Greatest Players in 2017, and was celebrated in the 2023 St. Louis Blues Hall of Fame. After retirement, he remained involved as a goaltending consultant for the Calgary Flames and Edmonton Oilers while also managing his farm in Stony Plain.

Hall and his wife, Pauline, were married for 55 years before her passing in 2009. He is survived by their four children: Pat, Leslie, Tammy, and Lindsay.

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