How Many Rookie Goaltenders Have Won the Stanley Cup?

Since the turn of the millennium, only three rookie goaltenders have won the Stanley Cup. The previous 30 years saw just two first-year netminders lead their team to glory. 

Both played for the Montreal Canadiens. 

Ten goalies won the Stanley Cup as rookies before 1970, but those instances occurred in playoffs with only two rounds.

Which Goalies Won the Stanley Cup as a Rookie? 

Ken Dryden (Montreal Canadiens, 1971)

Ken Dryden was the first rookie goaltender to win the Stanley Cup in a playoffs consisting of at least three rounds. He maximized his efforts by etching his name on the list of the youngest Conn Smythe winners in NHL history. 

He had played just six regular-season games before that storied 1971 Stanley Cup run, in which the Canadiens defeated the Boston Bruins, Minnesota North Stars, and Chicago Black Hawks in the final.  

In an eight-year career, Dryden won six Stanley Cups, the first of which came when he was 23. 

Patrick Roy (Montreal Canadiens, 1986)

The first of Patrick Roy’s four Stanley Cups came in his 1986 rookie season, with the Canadiens defeating the Calgary Flames 4-2 in the final. 

Roy remains the youngest goalie to win the Stanley Cup, accomplishing the feat at 20. During that regular season, Roy played 47 games and finished with a .875 save percentage and 3.36 goals-against average (GAA). 

With a 1.93 GAA and .923 save percentage, he sparkled in the playoffs. 

Cam Ward (Carolina Hurricanes, 2006)

Cam Ward’s historic 2006 run culminated in winning the Stanley Cup and playoff MVP, joining the exclusive club of rookie goalies who won the Conn Smythe. 

In his first seven postseason starts, all victories, Ward allowed nine goals, conceding one or fewer four times. 

He prevailed in two Game 7s, one in the conference final against the Buffalo Sabres and the other in the Stanley Cup Final decider against the Edmonton Oilers. Ward was 21 years old, tied for the second-youngest among Conn Smythe winners. 

Matt Murray (Pittsburgh Penguins, 2016, 2017)

Matt Murray is the only player to win the Stanley Cup twice as a rookie. 

Murray had played only 13 regular-season games before the 2016 playoffs, yet he led the Pittsburgh Penguins to the Stanley Cup. Murray was still considered a rookie in 2016-17 because he didn’t exceed 25 regular-season games. 

He was the backup entering the 2017 postseason, but replaced Marc-André Fleury in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference final against the Ottawa Senators.  

Jordan Binnington (St. Louis Blues, 2019)

Jordan Binnington replaced Jake Allen as the starter in January 2019 and didn’t look back, lifting the St. Louis Blues to an improbable Stanley Cup after defying the hockey odds at the BetMGM sportsbook to make the playoffs. 

Binnington made his NHL debut three years earlier at 22, appearing in one game in 2016, facing just four shots. 

He was 25 when the Blues hoisted the Cup, finishing the unforgettable playoff run with a 16-10 record, a 2.46 GAA and a .914 save percentage. 

Last Time a Rookie Goalie Won the Stanley Cup

Binnington was the last rookie goalie to win the Stanley Cup. He led the Blues to glory in 2019. 

Last Time a Rookie Goalie Won the Conn Smythe

Ward was the last rookie goalie to win the Conn Smythe Trophy, securing the award during the 2006 playoffs with the Stanley Cup champion Hurricanes. 

Has Any Rookie Goalie Won the Conn Smythe But Not the Stanley Cup?  

Ron Hextall won the Conn Smythe Trophy in 1987 despite his Philadelphia Flyers losing to the Oilers in the Stanley Cup Final. 

Who Is the Youngest Goalie to Win the Stanley Cup? 

Roy was 20 years old, the youngest goalie to win the Cup.