It took Eveleth, Minn., native Frank Brimsek, just eight NHL games to earn a nickname.
Frank Brimsek: Minnesota Sports Hall of Fame inductee, Class of 1988
Brimsek was called "Mr. Zero" after his stellar NHL debut.
November 6, 2019 at 4:47AM
After taking over as the Boston Bruins goalie in 1938, he twice recorded streaks of three consecutive shutouts during the first month of the 1938-39 season. He was instantly dubbed "Mr. Zero."
The rest of his rookie season was almost as spectacular — he finished the season with a 33-9-1 record, 10 shutouts and a 1.56 goals against average in 43 games. The Bruins went on to win the Stanley Cup and after the season he was awarded the Calder Trophy as the outstanding rookie and the Vezina Trophy as the league's leading goalie.
Brimsek was a second-team all-star in 1939-40 and in 1940-41 when Boston won another Stanley Cup. He was named the league's top goalie and a first-team all-star selection again in 1941-42.
Following the 1942-43 season, he joined the Coast Guard. He rejoined the Bruins in 1945. He played in the NHL until 1950, spending his final season with the Chicago Blackhawks.
In his 10-season NHL career, he won the Vezina trophy twice, was a first-team All-Star twice and a second-team All-Star six times. He finished with a 252-182-80 career record with 40 shutouts and a 2.70 goals-against-average.
After graduating from Eveleth High School, Brimsek played for St. Cloud State, before starting his career with the amateur Pittsburgh Yellow Jackets in 1935-36. He played one season with Providence of the International American League, before joining the Bruins.
Brimsek was inducted into the NHL Hall of Fame in 1966 and the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame in 1973.
FRANK BRIMSEK
Class: 1988.
Sport: Hockey.
Teams: Eveleth H.S., Boston Bruins.
