Olaf Kölzig Olaf Kölzig ( born April 6 , 1970 ) is a retired German professional ice hockey goaltender and associate goalie coach for the Washington Capitals . With the exception of 8 games with the Tampa Bay Lightning , he played his entire 14 year career with the Capitals . Though Kölzig was born in South Africa , he grew up in several cities across Canada and his family moved to Union Bay , British Columbia when he was a teenager . Kölzig never applied for Canadian citizenship , which , combined with his German parentage and German passport , allowed him to represent Germany internationally . Playing career . Kölzig had been with the Washington Capitals franchise since they selected him in the 1989 Draft ; he was the first South African - born player to be drafted to the NHL ; he was the last remaining Capital to have worn the original red , white and blue uniform and the blue jersey from 1995 . He spent several years in the American Hockey League with the Baltimore Skipjacks , Rochester Americans , and Portland Pirates , and the ECHL with the Hampton Roads Admirals , after playing major junior hockey for the New Westminster Bruins and Tri - City Americans of the Western Hockey League ( WHL ) . During Kölzig ' s time with the Americans , he had an on - ice fistfight with Portland Winter Hawks goaltender Byron Dafoe , someone with whom he would go on to have a friendly rivalry in the NHL — so friendly that they served as each other ' s best man in their respective weddings . On November 29 , 1989 , Kölzig scored a goal with the Americans . During 2004 / 05 NHL lockout he signed with the German club Eisbären Berlin . Kölzig played his first NHL game in the 1989 – 90 NHL season , only to be sent down to the minors for a few years . In the 1995 – 96 NHL season , he was brought up to be a backup for Jim Carey and remained the backup when the Capitals acquired Bill Ranford from the Boston Bruins during the 1996 – 97 NHL season . Early in the next season , Ranford suffered an injury and Kölzig was called upon to become the starter , at least temporarily . Kölzig wound up playing well for the rest of the season , winning a total of 33 games and achieving a 2 . 20 goals against average . He remained the starting goaltender for the Capitals until the 2008 trading deadline , and holds virtually every franchise record at his position . In the 1997 – 98 season Kölzig led the Capitals to the Stanley Cup Finals . In the playoffs , he became only the tenth goalie in NHL history to record four shutout s in one postseason . The Caps were swept in four games by the defending champion Detroit Red Wings . In 2000 , he won the Vezina Trophy as the NHL ' s best goalie after going 41 - 20 - 11 with a 2 . 24 GAA and five shutouts . In the American Hockey League he won the 1994 Jack A . Butterfield Trophy ( MVP of the American Hockey League playoffs ) and the 1994 Hap Holmes Memorial Award . Kölzig was also the starting goalie for the German Olympic team in the 1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano , Japan , recording a 1 . 00 GAA and went 2 - 0 . He also played with the German team in the 2004 World Cup , yet went 0 - 3 with a 3 . 34 GAA . Kölzig also has the distinction of being one of four goaltenders to play a scoreless period during an NHL All - Star Game , having done so at the 2000 All - Star Game . He also played in the 1998 All - Star Game , in which he made 14 saves on 17 shots . In recent years , Kölzig has on average played fewer games per season . Still , he is averaging 68 games and more than 4 , 000 minutes a season . He played in 59 games during the 2005 – 06 season . In 2004 , the Capitals held a vote for fans to determine the top 30 players in the franchise history to celebrate their 30th season in the league . Kölzig ' s 2 , 038 votes led all players . In 2005 , he and fellow Tri - City American alumni Stu Barnes became part of an ownership group in their former major junior team , assuring the existence of the Americans in Kennewick , Washington for about ten years . Kölzig also started in goal again for Germany ' s Olympic team at the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin , Italy . On February 11 , 2006 , Kölzig signed a two - year , $ 10 . 9 million extension with the Capitals . In February 2007 , in the midst of a 19 - 19 - 5 season , Kölzig tore his MCL . Prior to this injury , Kölzig had missed only 18 games and never more than four in a row . Still Kölzig has played more NHL games ( 711 following the 2007 - 08 season ) than any other active goalie in the NHL besides Martin Brodeur ( 973 ) . In February 2008 , the Capitals acquired goalie Cristobal Huet , who gradually took over Kölzig ' s position as starting goaltender . Despite this , on March 12 Kölzig became the twenty - third goalie to win 300 games . The Capitals qualified for the playoffs , and Huet started every game in their first round series against the Philadelphia Flyers . The Capitals lost in seven games . A few weeks after their elimination , Kölzig announced he did not intend to return to the team . On July 1 , 2008 , Kölzig became an unrestricted free agent and signed a $ 1 . 5 million , 1 - year contract with the Tampa Bay Lightning . He served as the back - up goalie to Mike Smith . In Kolzig ' s return to D . C . he was loudly cheered and a video in tribute to his time with the Caps was shown . On January 28 , 2009 , it was announced that Kölzig would miss the rest of the 2008 – 09 season due to a ruptured biceps tendon in his left arm . He was traded to the Toronto Maple Leafs along with Jamie Heward , Andy Rogers and a 4th round pick on March 4 , 2009 as part of a trade deadline deal for Richard Petiot . As he was at that time suffering from an injury that would see him out for the rest of the 2008 – 09 season , the end of which would also see his contract expire , his acquisition from Tampa Bay was largely seen as an effort by Toronto General Manager Brian Burke to " buy " the 4th round pick by taking on Kölzig ' s deadweight salary . On September 23 , 2009 , Kölzig announced his retirement from the NHL . Later that year , Kölzig was named to the ECHL Hall of Fame and was inducted in the Hall of Fame ' s Class of 2010 at the 2010 ECHL All - Star Game in Ontario , California . Off the ice . Kölzig is known for his service off the ice as well as his accomplishments on the ice . Along with fellow NHLers Byron Dafoe and Scott Mellanby , he founded Athletes Against Autism to raise awareness of autism and encourage more research , as well as the Carson Kolzig Foundation for Youth Autism in honor of his son , who is autistic . Because of his local and national service , he was awarded the NHL ' s King Clancy Memorial Trophy for humanitarian service in 2006 and was named one of the 10 Washingtonians of the Year by Washingtonian Magazine in 2000 . Olaf and his wife Christin have three children , a son Carson and two daughters , Kendall and Ashlyn .