Most Red Wings fans over most of the last 17 seasons have seen a goaltender do nothing but his job. Starter or not, injured or not, Cup contender or not. Chris Osgood's career is nothing more but quiet, simple, and successful.
Yet when you hear talk about his career, many stop to wonder if he's a Hall of Famer. The quick answer is yes. To draw it out for you: 401 career wins, 39 shutouts, ranks 2nd all time amongst Red Wing goaltenders in victories, and retires today as 1 of only 6 goaltenders to win 3 Stanley Cups while winning 400 games. The other 5? Martin Brodeur, Patrick Roy, Terry Sawchuk, Jacques Plante, and Grant Fuhr.
That's a pretty good group. Some will quip that the Red Wings were built like a dynasty in front of him for all those years, and some will also quip that his other stops in his career (Islanders and Blues before coming back) weren't productive or successful.
It's true. It helps to have a strong foundation in front of you. But if you move on and don't have that, no one will succeed. Bottom line is, Osgood did his thing quietly, professionally, regularly. He won a lot of games. He helped the team contend for Stanley Cups. In the end, as with most pros, the body says it's time to go. He will move on to his next venture, and in time he will get his Hall call.
I just hope that call isn't delayed. After Ozzie's career, he's earned a loud ovation for his accomplishments. Even if those accomplishments have gone quiet and almost unnoticed.
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