The 25 greatest NHL goalies who never won a Stanley Cup

Over his 15-year career with the New York Rangers, Lundqvist had many seasons ranked among, if not the best, at his position. No season was more impressive than his 2012 campaign, which resulted in his lone Vezina Trophy. Despite a stellar .918 save percentage and a 2.43 GAA, the Swedish netminder never hoisted the Cup. His Ranger teams even made the postseason in 11 of his first 12 seasons, including one Finals appearance in 2014. 

The Hall of Famer was one win away from a Stanley Cup triumph with Vancouver before falling in Game 7 to Boston in 2011. The five-time All-Star was a workhorse over his 19-year career, leading the league twice in saves and shots faced, along with a 2010-11 campaign that saw him win a league-best 38 games between the pipes. That season also saw him earn the Jennings Trophy, awarded to the goalie who surrendered the fewest goals. 

The 2015 MVP was a frequent participant in the postseason with 9 appearances over his 16 seasons. His Montreal squad lost in five in the 2021 Cup Finals to Tampa Bay, which also happened to be his last full season. Price led the NHL in every major goalie statistic in 2014-15, which is why he won the Vezina along with the aforementioned Hart Trophy for being the most valuable player that season. The lone hardware he never had the honor of hoisting is Lord Stanley's prize. 

Joseph has 63 playoff wins -- the 12th most as of 2025 -- yet none ended with a Cup above his shoulders. No goalie has that many postseason victories without winning it all. Along those same lines, his 454 regular-season wins are the most among anyone who, you guessed it, never won a Cup. His career was spectacular. All he is missing is that iconic image of him hoisting that silver chalice. 

The four-time Vezina finalist and one-time winner took his Nashville team on many playoff runs over his 18 seasons in the league. Only one, though, ended with a berth in the Stanley Cup Finals, and that one visit ended in six games at the hands of Pittsburgh. His accolades include twice leading the NHL in shutouts and three 40-win seasons, including a league-best 43-18 mark in the 2011-12 season. 

The 2004 Finals saw Calgary take Tampa Bay to Game 7 before falling to the brink of elimination. That would be Kiprusoff's best shot at winning it all, as he carried that squad on the back of 15 wins and five shutouts during that miraculous playoff run. He holds the Calgary franchise record for most wins, shutouts, and games played, highlighting his dominance with the organization. His 2006 season saw him take home his first Vezina and Jennings Trophy. 

There was a nine-year stretch where the Rangers made the playoffs every year, yet Giacomin never got to enjoy the thrill of victory when it mattered the most. The six-time All-Star was instrumental in many of those runs, coming the closest in 1972 before losing in six to Boston. He earned a place in the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1987, along with seeing his No. 1 jersey retired by New York. 

Before Pekka Rinne came in and grabbed all of Nashville's goalie records, it was Vokoun who dominated within the Music City. He had some tough seasons with struggling teams in Nashville and Florida, as evidenced by twice leading the league in losses. That being said, he ended his career with a 2.56 GAA and a .917 save percentage. 

It seems hard to imagine that someone of Miller's lore never won a Cup, but that's unfortunately the case. The Hall of Famer starred at the 2010 Olympics, where he led Team USA to silver and was named the tournament MVP. He left Buffalo as the franchise's leader in wins, games played, and his 41 wins in the 2009-2010 season remain a record. He suited up for 57 playoff games in his 18-year career but never reached the Finals.  

There's a slight caveat with Kolzig because he won it all as a player, but he did soak in the experience as a coach with Tampa Bay in 2018. The 2000 Vezina winner reached the Finals once as a player in a series that ended with his Washington team being swept by Detroit. His 301 wins stand atop the Washington record books, even ahead of Braden Holtby, who helped bring the city its long-awaited Cup in 2018. 

A Finals run in 2004 with San Jose was the closest Nabokov ever got to a Cup. It wasn't until about halfway into his career that he got an opportunity to be a full-time starter, and once he got that role, he rewarded San Jose with three straight 40-win seasons, including a league-best 46 wins at the position in 2007-08. That stretch saw him finish inside the top-five for Vezina voting each season, as well. 

After the 2002 season, Turco set the record for the lowest ever GAA at 1.72, a record that has since been broken. The longtime Dallas netminder holds the franchise's mark for goalie appearances and wins. He nearly took the Stars to the Finals in 2008 before tripping up in the Western Conference finals. 

Hextall had two separate Finals appearances, both ending in defeat in 1987 and 1997. He even took home the Conn Smythe Trophy in that first Finals loss as the postseason's top performer. One of his unique achievements is being the only goalie to score in both the regular season and the playoffs. 

Weekes has seen his star rise as an analyst in the hockey media landscape. As a player, though, he held his own despite never being on a Cup-winning club. He reached the Finals once with Carolina in 2002. The majority of his career was spent in a backup role, but he handled it well, posting a career .903 save percentage and 2.87 GAA. 

The 1986 Vezina winner holds the honor of leading Florida to its first-ever Cup appearance in 1996. A five-time All-Star, Vanbiesbrouck's career spanned 20 seasons across five teams. The technically sound netminder has his name etched into the Hall of Fame after being inducted in 2023. 

The first overall pick in 2000, DiPietro struggled out of the gate with a few forgettable seasons to begin his career. He found his rhythm in his third season with a career-best 2.36 GAA. That would mark the beginning of a strong four-year run, during which he helped the New York Islanders regain competitiveness. His career will ultimately be remembered for not living up to the hype of being the top pick, but he retired with one All-Star selection and one season that earned him votes in the Vezina voting. 

The durable goaltender reached the Finals once with the New Jersey Devils in 1999. The three-time All-Star had a mixed bag of seasons across his 18 years, but more than half his career saw him record a GAA that was 2.80 or lower. Three times he received Vezina votes, as well, with his best showing coming in the 2001-02 season, when he recorded a career-high 33 wins and a .920 save percentage. 

Hebert had a nice run in the middle of his career, during which he had three seasons that earned him Vezina votes. He also earned his first and only All-Star selection in the 1996-97 season. Unfortunately, he didn't have much playoff success, posting a 4-7 record, but he remained a reliable netminder throughout the regular season. 

Liut is among the most decorated St. Louis goaltenders to ever lace up the skates. He led the league in shutouts in three separate seasons, while his 2.11 GAA in 1989-90 topped the chart. With multiple All-Star selections on his resume, Liut is among the top goalies in the 1980s to never win it all. 

Potvin's career saw him make multiple playoff runs, but never beyond the conference finals. The 1993 Rookie of the Year had a long and productive career, earning multiple All-Star selections and Vezina finalist nominations. His sophomore season saw him lead the NHL in both GAA (2.50). 

Lalime had multiple cracks in the playoffs with both Buffalo and Ottawa. He burst onto the scene as a rookie by winning the Calder Trophy, jumpstarting an impressive first half to his career. While his numbers dipped towards the latter half of his playing days, Lalime compiled an impressive 167-112 record between 1997 and 2004 with a .909 save percentage and 2.39 GAA in that span. 

Early in his career, Tugnutt was a part of some non-competitive Quebec teams. He led the league in losses in his fourth season, but he eventually found some team success when he landed with clubs like Ottawa and Pittsburgh towards the back half of his career. Twice, he was a Vezina finalist, which included a season in which he led the league with an eye-opening 1.71 GAA. 

In 1994, McLean helped lead Vancouver to the Cup before falling to New York. A legend in Canucks lore, McLean had a handful of impressive seasons that included a pair of Vezina finalists and multiple All-Star selections. McLean's efforts in the 1990s helped put Vancouver back on the map. 

A Hall of Famer and pioneer at the position, Rayner starred in New York for his entire 10-year career, with eight of those seasons spent with the Rangers and the other two with the New York Americans and Brooklyn Americans. He earned four-straight All-Star nods and even won the Hart Trophy in 1950. 

A longtime backup in the league who oftentimes played in a 1A/1B situation, Biron quietly put together a remarkable career. He posted a 230-191 record over his 16 years and retired in 2014 with a respectable 2.61 GAA and .910 save percentage. He has no individual awards to his name nor any All-Star bids, which is why he is often overlooked among the goalies of his era.