Chicago Blackhawks Season Countdown: Ed Belfour

As the countdown to the Chicago Blackhawks 2018-19 season continues, we’ll take a look at one player who best wore the same number as there are days left until October 4 when the season kicks off against the Ottawa Senators.

The Chicago Blackhawks start their regular season just 30 days from today. As a result, we’ll take a look at one past Blackhawk to wear no. 30.

His name? Ed Belfour.

Belfour played in 23 games during his first season with the Chicago Blackhawks in 1988-89. In that time, he went 4-12-3.

That’s a pretty terrible record, and Ed had the poor stats to match it posting a .878 SV% and a 3.87 GAA.

For a point of reference, none of the five different backup goaltenders the Chicago Blackhawks put in the net last season posted numbers as terrible as that.

After a brutally terrible season, Belfour played a year in Canada before playing with the Hawks again in 1990-91.

In that 90-91 season, his true rookie year, Belfour won 43 games which still stands as a Chicago Blackhawks single season record. That season, he won the Calder Memorial trophy and the Vezina trophy. It was also in that year that Belfour (with help from the famous design on his helmet) earned the nickname the “Eagle,” given to him from coach Mike Keenan.

According to Keith Shultz, former site expert at BlackhawkUp.com, Belfour was quite the goaltender to watch.

"“Belfour was an emotional goalie that could back up his actions.” Schultz wrote. “He led the Blackhawks to the Stanley Cup Final in 1992 only to fall in four tightly fought battles to Mario Lemieux, Jaromir Jagr and the Pittsburgh Penguins.”"

The emotion Keith is referencing shows through in some of his tape. Belfour was one goaltender in a long line of them who impressed on the ice.

His equipment, along with saves like this, probably helped him to stand out as well.

I still can’t believe he made that save.

Though Belfour wasn’t able to capture the Stanley Cup during that 1992 run with the Chicago Blackhawks, he eventually would win one with the Dallas Stars later in his career in 1999. Additionally, Belfour would go on to be elected to the Hall of Fame in 2011.

He even came back for the Chicago Blackhawks “One More Shift” series in which they bring back a former Blackhawk to join the current lineup on the ice during the national anthem.

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If memory serves you correctly, quite a few different goaltenders have taken the net while wearing number 30, including the late Ray Emery.

Today marks 30 days until Blackhawks hockey; stay tuned to see who’s featured at day 29!