Bill Durnan

William Ronald (Bill) Durnan (born January 22, 1916, in Toronto, Ontario - October 31, 1972) was a Canadian professional goaltender who played for the Montreal Canadiens in the National Hockey League (NHL). Durnan was an ambidextrous goalie, equally adept at using his right or left hand (he wore special gloves that permitted him to catch with either hand while still holding his stick]). Until Roberto Luongo was named captain of the Vancouver Canucks on September 30, 2008, he was the last goalie to be a captain in the National Hockey League. Including Luongo, he is one of only seven ever.
Durnan only played seven seasons in the NHL, but accomplished much in his short career. Durnan was the recipient of the Vezina Trophy as top goaltender in each of his first four seasons, from 1944 to 1947, becoming the first to capture the award in four successive seasons. A poor season by the Montreal Canadiens in 1948 allowed Turk Broda of the Toronto Maple Leafs to end Durnan's streak. However, Durnan returned to prominence the next season, capturing his fifth and sixth Vezina Trophies in 1949 and 1950. Durnan would also be selected to the First Team All-Star 6 times during his career, including 4 consecutive selections from 1944–47. Following the 1949–50 NHL season, at the age of 35, Durnan abruptly retired, no longer able to stand the stress of playing professional hockey. He later went into coaching, most notably with the Ottawa Senators of the QSHL in 1950-51, and the Kitchener-Waterloo Dutchmen of the OHA in 1958-59.
Durnan set a long-standing modern NHL record between February 26 and March 6, 1949, when he amassed four consecutive shutouts, not allowing a goal over a span of 309 minutes, 21 seconds. This record was not surpassed until 2004, when Brian Boucher, then of the Phoenix Coyotes, broke it.
He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1964. In 383 regular-season games, Durnan had 208 wins, and 112 losses, with 34 shutouts and a 2.36 goals-against average. He had 27 wins, and 12 losses, with 2 shutouts and a 2.07 average in 45 playoff games. Durnan also won the 1940 Allan Cup with the Kirkland Lake Blue Devils. He died of kidney failure on October 31, 1972. He suffered from diabetes in his last years and his health had been failing steadily.
Ironically, he died just two weeks after the death of his goaltender rival, Turk Broda.
== Awards ==
*First All-Star Team goalie in 1944, 1945, 1946, 1947, 1949, 1950.
*Won the Vezina Trophy in 1944, 1945, 1946, 1947, 1949, 1950.
*Played in NHL All-Star Game in 1947, 1948, 1949.
*Stanley Cup Champion in 1944, 1946.
*In 1998, he was ranked number 34 on the List of 100 greatest hockey players by The Hockey News, despite the relative brevity of his career.
==Career Statistics==
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
Season 	Team 	League 		GP 	W 	L 	T 	MIN 	GA 	SO	GAA
1943–44 	Montreal Canadiens	NHL 		50 	38 	5 	7 	3000 	109	2 	2.18
1944–45 	Montreal Canadiens	NHL 		50 	38 	8 	4 	3000 	121	1 	2.42
1945–46 	Montreal Canadiens	NHL 		40 	24 	11 	5 	2400 	104	4 	2.60
1946–47 	Montreal Canadiens	NHL 		60 	34 	16 	10	3600 	138	4 	2.30
1947–48 	Montreal Canadiens	NHL 		59 	20 	28 	10	3505 	162	5 	2.77
1948–49 	Montreal Canadiens	NHL 		60 	28 	23 	9 	3600 	126	10	2.10
1949–50 	Montreal Canadiens	NHL 		64 	26 	21 	17	3840 	141	8 	2.20
NHL totals	NHL totals 	NHL totals		383	208	112	62	22945	901	34	2.36
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
==Gallery==
1947Apr-Carveth_Schmidt_Durnan.jpg|#9 Joe Carveth, #15 Milt Schmidt are stopped by Canadiens Bill Durnan and Hubert Macey during a 1947 playoff game.
==External Links==
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Category:Born in 1916
Category:Dead in 1972
Category:Canadian ice hockey players
Category:Montreal Canadiens players
Category:Hockey Hall of Fame
Category:Vezina Trophy winners
Category:Stanley Cup champions
Category:Canada's Sports Hall of Fame inductees
Category:Allan Cup winners
Category:Sudbury Wolves alumni
Category:Kirkland Lake Blue Devils players
Category:Montreal Royals players
Category:Canadian ice hockey coaches
Category:Ottawa Senators (senior) coaches
Category:Kitchener-Waterloo Dutchmen coaches
Category:Retired in 1950