Bill Durnan
| Bill Durnan | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Hockey Hall of Fame, 1964 | |||
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| Born |
January 22, 1916 Toronto, ON, CAN |
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| Died | October 31, 1972 (aged 56) | ||
| Height | 6 ft 0 in (183 cm) | ||
| Weight | 190 lb (86 kg; 13 st 8 lb) | ||
| Position | Goaltender | ||
| Caught | Ambidextrous | ||
| Played for | Montreal Canadiens | ||
| Playing career | 1944–1950 | ||
William Ronald Durnan (January 22, 1916 – October 31, 1972) was a Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender who played for the Montreal Canadiens in the National Hockey League (NHL). He won the Stanley Cup twice and the Vezina Trophy six times. He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1964. On January 1, 2017, in a ceremony prior to the Centennial Classic, Durnan was part of the first group of players to be named one of the '100 Greatest NHL Players' in history.
Durnan, whom John McGourty of NHL.com refers to as "the greatest nearly forgotten player in the history of the NHL," only played seven seasons in the NHL, but accomplished much in his short career. Durnan was the recipient of the Vezina Trophy as top goaltender in each of his first four seasons, from 1943–44 to 1946–47, becoming the first to capture the award in four successive seasons. A poor season by the Montreal Canadiens in 1947–48 allowed Turk Broda of the Toronto Maple Leafs to end Durnan's streak. Durnan, however, returned to prominence the next season, capturing his fifth and sixth Vezina Trophies in 1948–49 and 1949–50. Durnan was also selected to the First Team All-Star six times during his career, including four consecutive selections from 1944–47.
During the 1947–48 season, Durnan served as the Canadiens' captain. However, he left the crease so often to argue calls that other teams claimed he was giving the Canadiens unscheduled timeouts. After the season, the NHL passed a rule barring goaltenders from performing the duties of captain, known as the "Durnan Rule."
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