Glenn Hall, a Hockey Hall of Famer and record-holder for the NHL’s longest goaltending streak with 502 consecutive starts, has passed away at the age of 94.
Nicknamed “Mr. Goalie,” Hall played during an era when goaltenders were largely unmasked, pioneering the butterfly style of dropping to his knees to make saves. He was a dominant presence from the Original Six era through NHL expansion. A spokesperson for the Chicago Blackhawks confirmed Hall’s death, and league sources said he passed away Wednesday at a hospital in Stony Plain, Alberta.
Hall backstopped Chicago to the 1961 Stanley Cup and won the Conn Smythe Trophy in 1968 with St. Louis, becoming one of only six winners from a team that did not capture the Cup. His streak of 502 consecutive starts—and 552 including playoffs—remains one of the most untouchable records in sports; the second-longest streak is Alec Connell’s 257 games from 1924-1930. NHL commissioner Gary Bettman praised Hall as “sturdy, dependable and a spectacular talent,” noting the feat is even more remarkable because he played much of it without a mask.
Hall began his career with the Detroit Red Wings, winning the Calder Trophy as rookie of the year in 1956, before being traded to Chicago along with Ted Lindsay. He earned three Vezina Trophies as the league’s top goaltender, twice with Chicago and once with St. Louis, helping the Blues reach the finals in each of their first three seasons after the NHL expanded to 12 teams. He was in net for Bobby Orr’s famous overtime Cup-winning goal in 1970 before retiring in 1971 after one more season with St. Louis.
A native of Humboldt, Saskatchewan, Hall played 906 regular-season games, compiling 407 wins and 84 shutouts. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1975, and the Blackhawks retired his No. 1 jersey in 1988. Hall was also named one of the NHL’s top 100 players in its first century.
Blackhawks chairman and CEO Danny Wirtz called Hall “one of the greatest and most influential goaltenders in the history of our sport and a cornerstone of our franchise.” The team honored Hall and former coach/GM Bob Pulford, who passed Monday, with a moment of silence and a highlight video at Wednesday night’s game against St. Louis.
Fellow Hall of Famer Martin Brodeur, the NHL’s all-time leader in wins and games played, remembered Hall as “a legend” whose “toughness and consistency defined what it meant to play” goaltender.
