Anyone who laces up a pair of skates dreams of playing in the NHL one day. Many people are lucky enough to achieve this dream, while others are less fortunate.
Whether someone has a long career in the league or drinks a cup of coffee, the goal is to leave their mark on hockey yearbooks. However, sometimes these names are close to some dubious records.
Today, we want to look at five Pittsburgh Penguins single-season goaltending records that no one wants to own, but someone does. Unfortunately, some of these marks may never be broken.
Penalty minutes – Andy Brown (60)
Andy Brown He played 62 games in the NHL, skating in 17 with the Detroit Red Wings from 1971 to 1973 before being traded to the Penguins in February 1973. He played nine games, going 3-4-2 with just two penalty minutes.
During the 1973-74 campaign, the only NHL season in which he played starting minutes (1,951), he compiled a 13-16-4 record in 36 games. However, he left his name in the record books by racking up 60 penalty minutes.
Brown reached double figures in penalties on three occasions, including a season-high 22 minutes against the St. Louis Blues on March 30, 1974. Overall, he was called for infractions in 12 matches, finishing fourth on the team in penalty minutes. behind Steve Durbano (138), Bryan Watson (137) and Bob Kelly (78).
Average goals conceded – Greg Redquest (14.08)
On March 19, 1978, the Penguins visited the Chicago Blackhawks at Chicago Stadium and were defeated 9-1. Denis Herron started between the pipes, with Greg Redquest going into relief after 6-1.
In just 12:47 minutes, Redquest gave up three goals on 10 shots to finish the night with a .700 save percentage (SV%) and a team-record 14.08 goals-against average (GAA). Considering he never played in the NHL again, his stats in that contest remain the highest in Penguins history.
Savings Percentage – John Curry (0.634)
John Curry played eight games in the NHL, splitting his games evenly between the Penguins and Minnesota Wild. He played three games in 2008-09 and participated in one contest in 2009-10.
In that contest against the Vancouver Canucks on January 16, 2010, at General Motors Place, Curry started, playing the first 24:29 while surrendering five goals on 14 shots. His night ended second, when he recorded a 0.643 SV%.
Curry did not skate with the Penguins again and holds the team’s single-season record for lowest SV%.
Own goals – Greg Millen (258)
Greg Millen played 14 years in the NHL, dressing for 604 games for six clubs, including the Penguins from 1978 to 1981. Even though he gave up 282 goals in 1982-83 while playing for the Hartford Whalers, he surrendered 258 for Pittsburgh in 1980-81, the club record.
In 63 games, he recorded a 4.17 GAA and .864 SV%, earning a 25-27-10 record. His worst performance was against the Whalers on December 26, 1980, when he conceded nine goals. Overall, Millen gave up five or more lights out in 22 games.
Interestingly, he did not record any defeats during the campaign, only conceding a goal four times.
Losses – Johan Hedberg (34)
Johan “The Moose” Hedberg made his NHL debut in 2000-01 and went 7-1-1 in nine games. At the time, it seemed like the Swedish goalkeeper would be the team’s future, especially after Tom Barrasso’s recent departure.
However, in his first full season in 2001–02, Hedberg played a career-high 66 games, earning a 25–34–7 record with a 2.76 GAA and .904 SV%.
The Penguins finished last in the Atlantic Division, second-to-last in the Eastern Conference and third in the league’s basement.
Hedberg’s season began with a three-game losing streak, which he repeated three more times throughout the campaign. The longest streak reached five in a row in late March and early April.
As of 2024, he remains one of three goalkeepers to miss more than 30 games in a season, behind Les Binkley (31) and Michel Dion (30).
Related: The Pittsburgh Penguins’ Longest Playoff Droughts
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