Wikipedia:Today's featured article/December 31, 2010

Georges Vézina (1887–1926) was a Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender who played seven seasons in the National Hockey Association (NHA) and nine in the National Hockey League (NHL), all with the Montreal Canadiens. After being signed by the Canadiens in 1910, Vézina played in 327 consecutive regular season games and 39 playoff games, before leaving a game in 1925 due to illness. Vézina was diagnosed with tuberculosis, and died in 1926. The only goaltender to play for the Canadiens between 1910 and 1925, Vézina helped the team win the Stanley Cup in 1916 and 1924, while reaching the Finals three more times. Nicknamed the "Chicoutimi Cucumber" for his calm composure, Vézina allowed the fewest goals against in the league seven times in his career: four times in the NHA and three times in the NHL. In 1918, Vézina became the first NHL goaltender to both record a shutout and earn an assist on a goal. At the start of the 1926–27 NHL season, the Canadiens donated the Vezina Trophy to the NHL as an award to the goaltender who allowed the fewest goals during the season. When the Hockey Hall of Fame opened in 1945, Vézina was one of the original twelve inductees. (more...)

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