In our 2023 Goalie Issue, we've got you covered post-to-post with features on the state of NHL goaltending and what records have become unreachable, plus player profiles on Adin Hill, Alexandar Georgiev, Joonas Korpisalo, Spencer Knight, Filip Gustavsson and many more. In our cover story, we build the perfect goalie using the top traits of today's best keepers. In addition, we rank the best crease duos across the NHL and name the top goalie of all-time for every franchise.
LASTING LEGACY
MASTHEAD
THE DEFINITION OF LEADERSHIP
SETTLING FOR SECOND PLACE • Fleury is closing in on Roy for the No. 2 spot on the NHL’s all-time wins list – but nobody’s beating Brodeur’s record any time soon
BEHIND THE MASK
JERSEY HOUND
BRUISE-O-METER • As offense continues to get supercharged, some teams have turned the attacking zone into a shooting gallery – meaning goalies are under siege. Among active keepers with at least 100 NHL games, these are the leaders in saves per game
IN THE CARDS
KEEP ON CHUGGING • With more than 50 years of history, the Chuggers Pool continues its annual pursuit of The Stick and The Puck
PLASTIC PUCKSTERS • After nearly a decade away from the game, McFarlane Toys returns with a new series of NHL SportsPicks figures
THE COUNTDOWN • Ranking the best tandems in today’s game is a lot more than honing in on the starter. A strong backup and a solid defense are needed to make the podium
10 ‘PRE-ROOKIE’ CARDS OF ’90s LEGENDS • Before a player gets a rookie card – his first with an NHL team – he may have already appeared on a previous card showing him with his junior, NCAA or minor-league club. Here are 10 such cards of some of the best NHL players during the 1990s
FOREVER A WARRIOR • The trailblazing Boucha was a proud Ojibwe and high-school hockey star who played in the Olympics and NHL before returning home to Warroad. ‘He was truly a legend in the state of Minnesota’
‘THIS PROGRAM SAVED MY LIFE’ • THE WARRIOR FOR LIFE FUND IS USING HOCKEY TO SUPPORT VETERANS WHO ARE STRUGGLING IN THEIR POST-COMBAT LIVES
BUILDING THE ULTIMATE GOALIE • From head (mental toughness) to toe (rebound control), we have constructed the PERFECT GOALKEEPER using the top traits from today’s best in the blue paint
MINNESOTA NICE • From friendly – and rabid – fans to supportive teammates, life with the Wild has been pretty darn good for FILIP GUSTAVSSON. And that’s helped him put up numbers comparable to Vezina-level competition
BRING IT ON • It took some time and a great deal of courage for SPENCER KNIGHT to seek help as issues stemming from obsessive-compulsive disorder increasingly debilitated him from even functioning, let alone playing in the NHL. He now knows that while problems ‘don’t really go away,’ that that’s just life. And he’s OK with that. And he feels he’s better equipped to deal with all that’s still to come – good and bad
ROCKIES ROAD • ALEXANDAR GEORGIEV was a well-travelled man. And that’s before he even landed in the NHL. But now at home in Colorado, he showed last year he has all the tools to help the Avs reach the summit once again
KORPISALO 2.0 • After learning the importance of being level and gaining a new perspective after the birth of his first child, JOONAS KORPISALO is a changed man. The Ottawa Senators are banking on this advanced version of their prized summer pickup to get them back into the hunt for the Stanley Cup
TOP OF THE HILL • Far from heralded, ADIN HILL was a walk-on in junior and toiled in obscurity on bad teams for years. That all changed earlier this year. Suddenly, the 27-year-old anonymous goalie was a Stanley Cup champion with a near $10-million deal in his back pocket. It’s a hard act to follow, but Hill has a plan: ‘Let’s do it again’
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