Every Swedish NHL goalie of all time

The answer depends on what you value: a long career, an exceptional season or playoff performances. We compare those dimensions separately.

Career longevity

Wins and games played reflect both performance and opportunity over a career. Henrik Lundqvist's 15 NHL seasons and five Vezina finalist appearances illustrate sustained success. Wins also depend on team results, of course; a goalie can do a lot, but not everything.

Single-season peak

The Vezina Trophy offers another perspective alongside statistics: it recognizes one season and is voted on by NHL general managers. Pelle Lindbergh's win in 1984-1985 and Linus Ullmark's win in 2022-2023 show why a shorter or still ongoing career belongs in the comparison. The award says a lot about how well a goalie played that season, but less about their whole career.

Save percentage and goals allowed

Save percentage (SV%) is the share of shots on goal a goalie saves. GAA is goals allowed per 60 minutes. Also consider how many games the goalie has played and how the team defends. Goalies from the same period are easier to compare because scoring in the NHL has changed over the years. A few good games can produce a high save percentage without telling us much about an entire career.

Compare playoffs separately

The list above covers the regular season. The playoffs are different, so games, wins and save percentage need to come from playoff games and be reported separately. Winning the Stanley Cup is a team achievement: distinguish being on the championship team from actually playing in goal during the playoffs.

Compare career wins · See Swedish Vezina winners