Johnny Bower had one of the weird careers of a star NHL goalie: he didn’t find a permanent job in the NHL until he was 33. And then, he won. A lot. He won four Cups, and arguably could have won the Conn Smythe at least twice had it existed.
He also has one of the best career regular season save percentages in history.
So the question is, where does he rank among the greatest goalies of all time?
Listen to us discuss Bower here:
Johnny Bower’s Career:
- NHL: 1953-55, 1956-57, 1958-70, 15 seasons, 9 as a starter, 2 as a 1A, 4 as a backup (or injured)
- Totals:
- 250W (9th All Time at his retirement),
- 192L (12th All Time at his retirement),
- 90T (7th All Time at his retirement),
- 37 Shutouts (17th All Time at his retirement) in
- 31989 Minutes (8th All Time at his retirement) over
- 552 Games (8th All Time at his retirement);
- 104.3 Point Shares (8th All Time at his retirement)
- 191 Goals Saved Above Average (13th All Time, 2nd All Time at his retirement – Glen Hall)
- Averages:
- 2.51 GAA (15th All Time at his retirement)
- .922 SV% (2nd All Time – Hasek – 1st at his retirement)
- Era: Of the 16 goalies who played in 205 games between 1953 and 1970, Bower is
- 5th in Wins
- 5th in Losses
- 5th in Ties
- 5th in Goals Against
- 1st in Save Percentage (ahead by .003)
- 4th in GAA
- 5th in Saves
- 5th in Shots
- 2nd in GSAA
- 5th in Shutouts
- 5th In Minutes
- 5th in Games
- Season average: 17-13-6, 2 SO in 37 starts; 12.2 GSAA; 7 PS
- 82-game average: 37-29-13, 5 SO; 31.46 GSAA; 15.5 PS
- 3-year peak (1959-62): 70-game average of 28-16-8; 3 SO; 1.95 GAA: 0.920 SV%; 21.2 GSAA; 14.1 PS
- Playoffs:
- 35W (t-5th All Time at his retirement)
- 34L (6th All Time at his retirement);
- 5 SO (t-11th All Time at his retirement);
- .924 SV% (13th All Time, 3rd at his retirement – Cheevers, Plante);
- 2.47 GAA (13th All Time at his retirement);
- 20 GSAA (22nd All Time – 5th at his retirement – Worsley, Hall, Lumley, Cheevers) in
- 4376 Minutes (7th All Time at his retirement) over
- 74 Games (6th All Time at his retirement)
- Era: Of the 9 goalies to play in at least 20 playoff games between 1953 and 1970, Bower is
- T-4th in Wins
- 3rd in Losses
- 4th in Goals Against
- 3rd in Save Percentage
- 3rd in GAA
- 4th in Saves
- 4th in Shots
- 3rd in GSAA
- 4th in Shutouts
- 4th In MInutes
- 4th in Games
- Adjustment for Era:
- .919 Adjusted Save Percentage (6th All Time)
- 2.65 Adjusted GAA (18th All Time)
- 222 Goals Versus Average (10th All Time)
- 588.5 Goals Versus Threshold (22nd All Time)
- Trades:
- Traded into the NHL at 28 for Emile Francis (26), Neil Strain (27) and cash
- Traded out of the NHL at 32 for Ed MacQueen and cash
- Waived at 33
Johnny Bower’s Accomplishments:
- Top 5 in Hart voting once
- Vezina (‘61, ‘65)
- All Star:
- 1st Team All Star once
- 4 All Star Games
- Top Player:
- Top Player (by PS) four times (‘60, ‘61, ‘62, ‘64)
- Top 10 eight times (‘54, ‘63, ‘65, ‘66)
- Top 5 Goalie (by GPS) eight times (‘54, ‘60, ‘61, ‘62, ‘63, ‘64, ‘65, ‘66)
- Top 10 thirteen times (‘55, ‘57, ‘59, ‘67, ‘68) – t-8th most ever
- Wins:
- Leader-boards:
- Lead the league in Wins once
- Top 5 seven times
- Top 10 eleven times
- Leader-boards:
- Shutouts:
- Leader-boards:
- Top 5 in Shutouts ten times (t-7th most ever)
- Top 10 eleven times
- Totals:
- 5 Shutouts three times (one of only 24 goalies ever at his retirement)
- Leader-boards:
- Shots Against:
- Led the league in Shots Against once
- Top 5 three times
- Top 10 eleven times (t-4th most ever – Hall, Sawchuk, Esposito)
- Saves:
- Total Saves:
- Led the league in Saves once
- Top 5 four times
- Top 10 eleven times (t-5th most ever – Hall, Espito, Sawchuk, Plante)
- Percentage:
- Leader-boards:
- Led the league in Save Percentage six times (t-most ever)
- Top 5 ten times (4th most all time – Hall, Worsley, Plante)
- Averages:
- Set the single record in Save Percentage and held it through 1968
- Above .930 three times (t-3rd most all time – Hasek, Khudobin – most all time at his retirement)
- Above .925 four times (t-7th most all time, t-most all time at his retirement)
- Above .920 six times (t-9th most all time, t-2nd most at his retirement – Hall)
- Leader-boards:
- Total Saves:
- Goals Against:
- GAA:
- Leader-boards:
- Led the league in GAA three times (t-6th most all time)
- Top 5 eleven times (t-3rd most all time – Hall, Plante)
- Averages:
- Under 2.5 five times (1 of only 18 goalies ever at his retirement)
- Leader-boards:
- GSAA:
- Leader-boards:
- Led the league in GSAA three times
- Top 5 ten times (t-3rd most all time – Esposito, Hall)
- Totals:
- Over 30 once (1 of only 6 goalies ever at his retirement)
- Over 25 three times (1 of 17 goalies ever, 1 of only 3 goalies ever at his retirement – Plante, Hall)
- Over 20 six times (1 of only 8 goalies ever, 1 of only 2 goalies ever at his retirement – Hall)
- Over 15 eight times (1 of only 8 goalies ever, 1 of only 2 goalies ever at his retirement – Hall)
- Leader-boards:
- GAA:
- Minutes:
- Leader-boards:
- Led the league in Minutes once
- Top 5 four times
- Top 10 thirteen times (t-7th most ever)
- Totals:
- +4,000 Minutes once (1 of only 17 goalies)
- Leader-boards:
- Adjusted Peak:
- .918 Save Percentage (15th All Time)
- 189.6 Goals Versus Average (13th All Time)
- 460.2 Goals Versus Threshold (15th All Time)
- AHL:
- MVP (‘56, ‘57, ‘58) t-most ever
- WHL [minor pro]
- Outstanding Goalkeeper (‘55)
Johnny Bower’s Great Teams:
- NHL:
- Best Player (led playoffs in games, wins, losses, shots against, saves, save percentage, GAA, shutouts and minutes, played every minute) on one Champion (‘64 Leafs)
- Best Player (led playoffs in wins, saves, save percentage, GAA and shutouts, played every minute) on one Champion (‘63 Leafs)
- Best Player? (led playoffs in wins, save percentage and GAA) on one Champion (‘62 Leafs)
- Starter (led the playoffs in games, losses, goals against, shots against, saves and minutes, played every minute) on two Runners Up (‘59, ‘60 Leafs)
- Starter on two Final Fours (‘61, ‘65 Leafs)
- 1A on one Final Four (‘66 Leafs)
- Backup (led playoffs in save percentage) on one Champion (‘67)
- AHL:
- Starter on on three Calder Cup Champions (‘48, ‘51, ‘53)