gold star for USAHOF

4. John Vanbiesbrouck

4. John Vanbiesbrouck
Can it be argued that the first pick of the Florida Panthers Expansion draft could not have gone any better?

Coming off a great run with the New York Rangers where he won the Vezina Trophy, John Vanbiesbrouck gave the Florida Panthers instant credibility.  In his first year in Florida, he led the National Hockey League in Goals Saved Above Average and was named to the Second Team All-Star squad.  Vanbiesbrouck was an All-Star three times for Florida and most notably he backstopped the Panthers to their first-ever Stanley Cup appearance, an incredible accomplishment considering that he did so in only the third year of the organization’s existence!

The Bullet Points

  • Country of Origin: Detroit, Michigan, United States
  • Position: Goalie
  • Acquired: Selected from the Vancouver Canucks in the Expansion Draft 6/24/93.
  • Departed: Signed as a Free Agent with the Philadelphia Flyers 7/16/98.
  • Games Played: 268
  • Notable Statistics: 106 Wins
    108 Losses
    43 Ties
    13 Shutouts
    2.58 Goals Against Average
    .912 Save Percentage
    50.0 Goalie Point Shares

    27 Playoff Games
    13 Wins
    14 Losses
    2 Shutouts
    2.30 Goals Against Average
    .931 Save Percentage
  • Major Accolades and Awards: Second Team All-Star (1994)
    All-Star (1994, 1996 & 1997)
    Highest Goals Saved Above Average (1994)

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