187. Gilles Meloche

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They say in baseball that you still have to be a good player if you lose 20 Games because that means that they have the confidence in you to go out there, and it is unspoken between the player and coach that the team around him just wasn’t that good.  There is something similar in hockey, as you can argue that Gilles Meloche was a really good netminder, and even though he is fourth all-time in Losses (351) and lost 81 more Games than he won, this was a veteran of 788 Games, and any Goalie who played that many games had to be good.

After playing only two games with the Chicago Blackhawks (they had Tony Esposito, so he wasn't going to see much playing time), he was traded to the California Golden Seals, where he lost many games but kept the team in more games than they had any business competing in.  He would later find himself in Cleveland with the Barons, and it wasn’t until he was with the Minnesota North Stars nine years into his career with a half-decent team that he played, and he had five 20 Win Seasons and two All-Star Game appearances.  Considering who he played for overall, his 270 wins are impressive.

The Bullet Points

  • Country of Origin: Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
  • Eligible Since: Tuesday, 01 January 1991
  • Position: Goalie
  • Games Played: 788
  • Notable Statistics:

    270 Wins
    351 Losses
    131 Ties
    20 Shutouts
    3.65 Goals Against Average
    .885 Save Percentage
    113.8 Goalie Point Shares

    45 Playoff Games
    21 Wins
    19 Losses
    2 Shutouts
    3.49 Goals Against Average
    .888 Save Percentage
  • Played For: California Golden Seals, Chicago Blackhawks, Cleveland Barons, Minnesota North Stars, Pittsburgh Penguins
  • Non-NHL Teams: Team Canada (World Hockey Championship 1982)
    Verdun Junior Maple Leafs (QMJHL)
    Quebec Remparts (QMJHL)
  • Major Accolades and Awards:

    Stanley Cup Rings (None)
    All-Star (2) (1980 & 1982)
    Most Games Played by a Goalie (1) (1973)
    Most Saves (1) (1973)
    Most Minutes Played by a Goalie (1) (1973)
    World Hockey Championship Bronze Medal (1) (Canada, 1982)
  • Notable Top Ten Finishes: Top Ten Vezina Trophy Finishes:
    8th in 1981-82
    3 Top Ten Wins Finishes
    11 Top Ten Saves Finishes
    2 Top Ten Save Percentage Finishes
    3 Top Ten Goals Against Average Finishes
    7 Top Ten Shutouts Finishes
    9 Top Ten Minutes Played Finishes
    3 Top Ten Goalie Point Shares Finishes
  • Rankings: 14. Saves: 21,140
    21. Games Played by a Goalie: 788
    21. Minutes Played by a Goalie: 45,323
    40. Goalie Point Shares: 113.8
    57. Wins: 270

    These rankings are as of the end of the 2024-25 Season.

Should Gilles Meloche be in the Hall of Fame?

Definitely put him in! - 75%
Maybe, but others deserve it first. - 0%
Probably not, but it wouldn't be the end of the world. - 12.5%
No opinion. - 0%
No way! - 12.5%
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