Terry Sawchuk < br > Terence Gordon Sawchuk ( December 28 , 1929 , in Winnipeg , Manitoba , Canada – May 31 , 1970 in New York City , New York , United States ) was a Canadian professional goaltender who played 21 seasons in the National Hockey League for the Detroit Red Wings , Boston Bruins , Toronto Maple Leafs , Los Angeles Kings and New York Rangers . Playing career . During his career , Sawchuk won 501 games , 447 regular season and 54 playoff games , while recording 115 shutouts , 103 in the regular season and 12 in the playoffs Nicknamed " Uke " because of his Ukrainian ancestry , Sawchuk began his professional career at age 17 , winning rookie - of - the - year honors in the United States Hockey League . He won rookie - of - the - year honors again after being promoted to the Indianapolis Capitals of the American Hockey League . Called up to the Detroit Red Wings of the National Hockey League for the 1950 – 51 season , he won the Calder Trophy as the league ' s top rookie , making him the first player to win the rookie - of - the - year award in three different professional leagues . He also was voted onto the first All - Star team , the equivalent to today ' s Vezina Trophy , since the Vezina at that time was given to the goalie ( s ) with the lowest goals against average . In 1952 , Sawchuk led the Detroit Red Wings to the Stanley Cup in the minimum eight games of two best - of - seven series during which he recorded four shutouts and allowed only five goals . In each of his first five years in the NHL , he led the league in wins and was named to the All - Star team . In 1954 – 55 , he was traded to the Boston Bruins where he had difficulty adjusting . During the 1956 – 57 season he retired from the game , succumbing to severe stress and a bout with mononucleosis . However , the following year he returned to play after being traded back to Detroit . In return , the Red Wings sent a young forward named Johnny Bucyk to Boston in what is arguably one of the most one - sided trades in NHL history . Before the start of the 1964 - 65 season he was claimed by the Toronto Maple Leafs via the intraleague waiver draft , where he won another Vezina Trophy in 1964 – 65 and helped the Leafs win the 1966 – 67 Stanley Cup . Sawchuk ' s ability to play despite painful injuries , a valuable asset in the days before goalies wore protective facemasks , was shown early in his life . A neglected injury he received while playing a friendly rugby match when he was 12 was discovered two years later to have been a broken arm that had healed poorly , leaving Sawchuk with one arm two inches shorter than the other . In his professional hockey career , Sawchuk played for more than a dozen years without a mask and received over 600 stitches to his face . However , he later wore a mask and valued its protective use . Death . He struggled with untreated clinical depression , a condition that often affected his conduct . An alcohol - induced shoving match with his New York Rangers teammate Ron Stewart left Sawchuk with internal injuries that led to his death a few weeks later in New York . It is not clear whether this incident was horseplay or a fight , but an investigation into possible involuntary manslaughter charges was undertaken , and no charges were filed against Stewart . In any event , Sawchuk suffered a lacerated liver and clots had to be surgically removed , but a clot stopped Sawchuk ' s heart on May 31 , 1970 . Sawchuk was buried in Mount Hope Cemetery in Pontiac , Michigan . Legacy . Sawchuk finished his hockey career with 447 wins , a record that stood for thirty years , and his career record of 103 shutouts remains unsurpassed among NHL goaltenders . ( George Hainsworth holds the record for total major league shutouts with 104 , 94 of them in the NHL . ) In 1971 , Sawchuk was posthumously elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame and awarded the Lester Patrick Trophy for his contribution to hockey in the United States . His number 1 has been retired by the Detroit Red Wings . The Terry Sawchuk Arena in his hometown of Winnipeg is named in his honour .