Glenn Hall, record-setting Hall of Fame goaltender and Blackhawks legend, dies at 94

Legendary NHL goaltender Glenn "Mr. Goalie" Hall died Wednesday. He was 94. Hall spent 18 seasons in the NHL and was one of the most decorated goalies in the history of the sport, culminating with his Hall of Fame induction in 1975.

A three-time Vezina Trophy winner and a two-time Stanley Cup champion, Hall posted a career 2.50 goals against average and .918 save percentage. His 84 shutouts rank fourth all-time, and he owns one of more unbreakable records in NHL history. From 1995-62, Hall started 502 consecutive games for the Detroit Red Wings and Chicago Blackhawks. The next longest streak belongs to Alec Connell, who started 257 straight games.

Between his elite numbers, laundry list of accolades and his status as one of the greatest ironmen in sports history, Hall established himself as a true hockey legend.

"Glenn was a true star, whose career was filled with accomplishment and accolades," NHL commissioner Gary Bettman said in a statement. "From the moment he stepped foot in an NHL crease, Hall excelled. He won the Calder Trophy with the Red Wings, earned every win for the Blackhawks in their run to the 1961 Stanley Cup, and captured a Conn Smythe Trophy despite losing in the Final with the St. Louis Blues. A seven-time, first-team NHL All-Star -- an honor bestowed on him more than any other goalie -- Hall is an honored member of the Hockey Hall of Fame and was selected as one of the NHL's 100 greatest players."

Hall's career was so great that he won the Stanley Cup before ever playing a game. The Red Wings called him up from the minors for the 1952 playoffs, but Hall didn't appear in any games as the team went on to win the Cup and Hall had his name etched on the trophy.

In 1955-56, Hall got his first real shot at the NHL level when he replaced the great Terry Sawchuk. He quickly asserted himself as one of the game's best goalies and won the Calder Trophy that season.

Following the 1956-57 campaign, the Red Wings traded Hall to the Blackhawks, where he played the bulk of his career. In 10 seasons with the team, Hall won 276 games while posting a 2.60 GAA, .916 save percentage and 51 shutouts. In 1961, Hall backstopped Chicago to the Stanley Cup. In 1988, the Blackhawks retired Hall's No. 1 jersey.

Hall was left unprotected in the 1967 expansion draft, and he was selected by the St. Louis Blues. Even in those late stages of his career, Hall was still a tremendous player. In the 1968 Stanley Cup Playoffs, Hall boasted a .916 save percentage and powered the Blues to the Stanley Cup Final where they lost to the Montreal Canadiens. Despite that loss, Hall won the Conn Smythe Trophy as the playoff MVP, one of just six players in history to win the award as a member of the losing team.

Hall entered a brief retirement following the 1968-69 season but returned to play in each of the next two seasons. He finally hung up his skates for good in 1979. Hall then became a goaltending coach, and he was on the coaching staff of the Calgary Flames when they won the Stanley Cup in 1989.

Hall was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1975, and his impact can still be felt today. Hall was one of the pioneers of the butterfly technique in which goalies drop down to the ice to stop the puck, completely changing the way the position was played.