Frank Brimsek needed eight games in the NHL to earn the nickname that stuck with him for the rest of his career.
The native of Eveleth, Minnesota, was dubbed "Mr. Zero" after he had six shutouts in his first eight NHL games for the Boston Bruins in 1938-39, setting a League record for consecutive scoreless minutes in the process. Brimsek, an American in a league that was almost exclusively Canadian, quickly made Boston fans forget Tiny Thompson, who had been the Bruins' starter for the previous 10 seasons and won the Vezina Trophy in 1937-38 after the Bruins allowed the fewest goals during the regular season.
Frank Brimsek needed eight games in the NHL to earn the nickname that stuck with him for the rest of his career.
The native of Eveleth, Minnesota, was dubbed "Mr. Zero" after he had six shutouts in his first eight NHL games for the Boston Bruins in 1938-39, setting a League record for consecutive scoreless minutes in the process. Brimsek, an American in a league that was almost exclusively Canadian, quickly made Boston fans forget Tiny Thompson, who had been the Bruins' starter for the previous 10 seasons and won the Vezina Trophy in 1937-38 after the Bruins allowed the fewest goals during the regular season.
With Brimsek in goal, the Bruins finished first in the regular season in 1938-39 and won the Stanley Cup for the first time in 10 years. Brimsek won the Vezina and Calder trophies and was named an NHL First-Team All-Star after going 33-9 with one tie and leading the NHL in goals-against average (1.56) and shutouts (10).
That started a streak of eight consecutive seasons when Brimsek was either a First-Team or Second-Team All-Star (not including two years spent in military service). He helped the Bruins win the Cup again in 1941 and won the Vezina in 1941-42.
Brimsek was 24-17 with nine ties in 1942-43 and helped the Bruins reach the Stanley Cup Final (they were swept by the Detroit Red Wings), but his hockey career was put on hold for two seasons while he served in the U.S. Armed Forces during World War II. He played with the Coast Guard Cutters before being assigned to serve in the South Pacific.
After the war, Brimsek returned to the Bruins for the 1945-46 season and helped them reach the Cup Final before losing to the Montreal Canadiens in five games. He played two more seasons for the Bruins and finished second in voting for the Hart Trophy in 1948, losing to New York Rangers center Buddy O'Connor.
The Bruins traded Brimsek to the Chicago Black Hawks in 1949, and he went 22-38 with 10 ties in his lone season with them before retiring. He was the NHL leader in wins (252) and shutouts (40) at the time of his retirement.
Brimsek was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1966, the first U.S.-born goalie to be so honored, and in 1973 was among the first group of inductees into the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame. Beginning in 1994-95, the Frank Brimsek Award has been presented to the top high school goalie in Minnesota. He died Nov. 11, 1998.
NOTES & TRANSACTIONS
- EAHL Second All-Star Team (1936)
- George L. Davis Jr. Trophy (fewest goals against -- EAHL) (1936)
- IAHL First All-Star Team (1938)
- NHL First All-Star Team (1939, 1942)
- NHL Second All-Star Team (1940, 1941, 1943, 1946, 1947, 1948)
- Played in NHL All-Star Game (1939, 1947, 1948)
- Signed as a free agent by Boston, October 27, 1938.
- Traded to Chicago by Boston for cash, September 8, 1949.
