"When Goalies Were Weird" is a six-part narrative podcast about 1990s-era NHL goalies. In the '90s, the position was undergoing a revolution in style and substance, as the butterfly goalie replaced the stand-up while advancements in equipment technology helped usher in a modernized, more athletic playing style. The old guard's quirks and the new guard's innovations melded together to produce an era of pure chaos in the blue paint.
Eddie "The Eagle" Belfour was the dogged perfectionist, a tireless competitor whose intensity was unrivaled. Belfour, who played for five NHL teams, most notably Chicago, Dallas, and Toronto, meticulously prepared for games. He was a warrior on the ice and a wild card off it. This is his story.
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(Note: This excerpt has been lightly edited for clarity and length.)
Determination was one of Ed Belfour's staples.
Coaches never had to worry about his fitness levels or daily commitment.
The Dallas Stars equipment staff even transported a piece of luggage across the continent called the "Eddie Trunk." Inside were stretching straps, bungee cords, free weights - they packed whatever the goalie needed to be his best.
Belfour, who played 60 or more games in a single NHL season nine times, gravitated towards anything that might aid his conditioning or flexibility, such as pilates and yoga, two workouts that had yet to fully infiltrate pro sports.
Former Chicago Blackhawks forward Mike Hudson vividly recalls Belfour diligently going about his business - fueling his body with nutrients, for example - in an era in which some guys were still smoking cigarettes.
"I'll never forget one time in the minors, he thought that if he could train for one or two years that he could become the boxing champion of the world," Hudson said.
"He really did think that, if he just had the time - you know, he needed to get in shape and learn and do it all - he could become the champion of the world at his weight, or whatever weight he was going to be," Hudson added. "I laughed at him when he said it, but after playing with him for a number of years, you start thinking, 'Well, it could be true ...'"
Between the pipes, Belfour started off in a low and wide stance. He relied on his boundless energy and ability to read the play. He was excellent at playing the angles and would also challenge shooters to shoot for his five-hole but snap it shut in a millisecond.
As a youngster, he had admired Tony Esposito, a pioneer of the butterfly, and the style eventually appeared in his game in the form of what was labeled a "half-butterfly."
But Belfour's calling card wasn't anything technical. It was instead his next-level competitiveness, which ex-Toronto Maple Leafs goalie coach Steve McKichan witnessed on more than a handful of occasions.
Case in point, one morning during the 2004-05 lockout, Belfour decided to join McKichan's dryland training group near London, Ontario, for a 45-minute race around the track behind the arena. The group was mostly elite 14- and 15-year-old athletes, plus Belfour, who was 40.
You can probably guess who took the race as a legitimate challenge.
"About five minutes left to go, he's getting beat by this kid named Michael McCarthy," McKichan said. "Ed's an ugly man, as you know, and he got about 12% uglier and caught this little bugger with about 10 meters to go and beat him. In a meaningless race, with nothing on the line, with his Hall of Fame credentials already secured.
"He stumbles over to me, pukes on the ground near my shoes. He's got puke hanging out of his mouth, and he looks up at me with that soft-spoken voice he has. He goes, 'That kid will never beat me.' And he's brought that story up every other phone call I have with him. He goes, 'What's that Michael McCarthy doing? Do you remember me kicking his ass?'
"So, that right there tells you all you need to know about him: He has to kick your ass in something - for a Stanley Cup or something meaningless - and he remembers it, and it's burned in his brain that he beat you."
To hear the full Ed Belfour episode, click here to listen on:
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Spotify
Google Podcasts
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And be sure to follow the podcast to check out all six episodes of "When Goalies Were Weird."
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