Scotty Bowman Knows The Importance of A Veteran Goalie

Throughout the history of the NHL, there has been an emphasis on goaltending. This past year, the Hockey Hall of Fame saw three goaltenders enter the hallowed halls: Henrik Lundqvist, Tom Barrasso, and Mike Vernon. Two of those goaltenders — Barrasso and Vernon — played for legendary Hockey Hall of Fame head coach Scotty Bowman.

And we are seeing goaltending play a factor in the beginning of the season. Whether it be in Winnipeg, Boston, New York, Los Angeles or Buffalo, teams having success like the Jets, Bruins, Rangers, and Kings are getting good goaltending, while teams like the Sabres, Edmonton Oilers, Minnesota Wild, and New Jersey Devils are getting subpar goaltending.

And it is not just limited to regular season success. It is important to have solid goaltending in the playoffs. And having that veteran around makes life easier for a young goalie in the league.

In an exclusive with Full Press Hockey, Scotty Bowman talks about the importance of goaltending and why you should not rely on a rookie goalie to carry the load, plus why he went to Mike Vernon in 1997 and not Chris Osgood.

Jim Biringer: One of your guys you coached, Mike Vernon, going in, helped you guys win a Stanley Cup in 1997, and when did you know exactly in the season he was going to be your guy going forward?

Scotty Bowman: Well, Chris Osgood was young goalie and we needed experience and we brought Mike in to help him. Mike was in Calgary and Glenn Hall had helped him a lot, in his rookie year and so on. I just thought in the West Division at that time, we were going against Ed Belfour, you’re going against Patrick Roy, it’s really hard on the young goalie. You’re in the playoffs and you’re looking on the far end, you know, it’s tough, you gotta get experienced. I mean, Patrick did it, Patrick, back in ’86 Patrick. There’s been other young rookie goalies I’m sure I’ve done it, but it’s it’s a tough job in the playoffs.

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Biringer: Was being in such a difficult conference the sole reason you went to Vernon in 1997?

Bowman: It’s really tough on a young goalie when he’s standing on one end in big playoff games, as previously stated. But we did not do it for that reason. Mike won the Cup in ’89, as you know, and Doug Riseborough was the manager. They were having some contract trouble. And he called me, and he said, you want him, and I said, well, we need an experienced goalie, so that’s how we got him. Then, the first year, we lost the Devils, as you know, in four straight, and then we had a tough ’96. We had a great regular season. And then he won a Cup in ’97, and he didn’t play a lot during that year, but he he did a great job with Chris Osgood, and then Osgood won the next year.

Biringer: What made Mike Vernon so good?

Bowman: He had ice water in his veins. He never got it, never got flustered. He told me, ‘I let in four in the All-Star Game, so what?’ Next game he is back on the beat.

Biringer: Where does Vernon rank for you in terms of goalies you were able to coach?

Bowman: I was kidding him the other day; Mike is a lot of fun. I said, Mike, I got to put you, it’s tough with these Hall of Fame goalies, but I said there was Hall and then Plante. And I said I was very, very lucky when I went to Montreal, and I said we had Vachon and Dryden. I said Dryden was in. So that made a great year, the year before, so they traded Rogie. Then I came with Tommy. And then I said, I got really lucky in Pittsburgh when I went to the coach, but I said even my last year, Dominik Hasek. So I said, I gotta decide if you are sixth or seventh.

And you look around the league now and see the tandem that are working like the one with the Rangers having Igor Shesterkin and Jonathan Quick. It is important to have that veteran guy to guide the young goaltender. It is a tough league to adjust to, especially having legends across from you at the other end of the rink.

It is the “Lonely End of the Rink”, as the late and great Gord Downie of the Tragically Hip sang about. But as we see in Buffalo, where Bowman used to coach, you have to wonder why they did not go get a veteran to help the youngster Devon Levi out.

Goaltending is so important. Not to mention, having great players is equally important. And Scotty Bowman was lucky to coach some great teams. But those teams are not that great without the goaltenders in between the pipes.