Olaf Kölzig

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Template:Short description Template:EngvarB Template:Use dmy dates Template:Infobox ice hockey player Olaf Kölzig (born 6 April 1970) is a South African-born German professional ice hockey goaltender and current goaltender coach and player development coach for the Washington Capitals of the National Hockey League (NHL). With the exception of eight games with the Tampa Bay Lightning, he played his entire 14-year NHL career with the Capitals.

Nicknamed "Olie the Goalie", Kölzig was born in South Africa to German parents and grew up in several cities across Canada. His family moved to Union Bay, British Columbia, when he was a teenager. Kölzig never applied for Canadian citizenship, which allowed him to represent Germany internationally.<ref name = "legends">Template:Cite web</ref> Kölzig ranks among the NHL's top 30 in career saves (15th with 18,233), wins (28th with 303), games (23rd with 719), and minutes (23rd with 41,671).<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Playing career

Kölzig and Brent Johnson during the Capitals' practice session in 2008

Kölzig played major junior hockey for the New Westminster Bruins and Tri-City Americans of the Western Hockey League (WHL). During his time with the Americans, he had an on-ice fistfight with Portland Winter Hawks goaltender Byron Dafoe, who also settled in the Comox Valley with his family at a young age. Dafoe and Kolzig would later get in a fist fight in the NHL on November 28, 1998 during a line brawl in a game between the Boston Bruins and Washington Capitals. Ironically, Olaf Kölzig and Byron Dafoe were each other's best man at their respective weddings. On 29 November 1989, Kölzig scored a goal while playing for Tri-City.<ref>Olaf "Godzilla" Kolzig</ref>

The Capitals selected Kölzig in the 1989 NHL Entry Draft. Kölzig played his first NHL game in the 1989–90 NHL season, but was sent down to the minors where he remained for several years. He spent several years in the American Hockey League (AHL) with the Baltimore Skipjacks, Rochester Americans, and Portland Pirates, and one year with the Hampton Roads Admirals of the East Coast Hockey League (ECHL). In 1994, as a member of the Pirates, he won both the 1994 Jack A. Butterfield Trophy as MVP of the AHL playoffs, and the 1994 Hap Holmes Memorial Award.

During the 1995–96 NHL season, the Capitals recalled Kölzig to serve as backup for Jim Carey. When the Capitals acquired Bill Ranford from the Boston Bruins for the 1996–97 NHL season, Kölzig remained as backup. In Washington's first game of the 1997-98 season, Ranford suffered an injury and Kölzig took over. Kölzig played well for the rest of the season, winning a total of 33 games and achieving a 2.20 goals against average. He backstopped the Capitals to the Stanley Cup Finals, being one of only 21 goalies in NHL history to record four shutouts in one postseason.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Despite his success, the Capitals were swept in the finals by the defending champions, the Detroit Red Wings.

He also played in the 1998 All-Star Game, in which he made 14 saves on 17 shots. During the 2004–05 NHL lock-out he signed with the German club Eisbären Berlin. In his first game in Cologne against the Sharks, he registered a shootout in a 1-0 victory.

On 11 February 2006, Kölzig signed a two-year, $10.9 million extension with the Capitals. In February 2007, in the midst of a 19–19–5 season, Kölzig tore his medial collateral ligament (MCL). Prior to this injury, Kölzig had missed only 18 games and never more than four in a row.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Kölzig in 2008

The Capitals qualified for the playoffs, and Huet started every game in their first round series against the Philadelphia Flyers. The Capitals lost in seven games. A few weeks after their elimination, Kölzig announced he did not intend to return to the team.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

On 1 July 2008, Kölzig became an unrestricted free agent and signed a $1.5 million, 1-year contract with the Tampa Bay Lightning,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> where he served as the back-up goalie to Mike Smith. Upon Kölzig's return to D.C. as a member of Tampa Bay, he was loudly cheered and a video in tribute to his time with the Caps was shown.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> On 28 January 2009, it was announced that Kölzig would miss the rest of the 2008–09 season due to a ruptured biceps tendon in his left arm.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Kölzig was traded to the Toronto Maple Leafs along with Jamie Heward, Andy Rogers and a 4th round pick on 4 March 2009 as part of a trade deadline deal for Richard Petiot.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> As he was at that time suffering from an injury that would see him out for the rest of the 2008–09 season, the end of which would also see his contract expire, his acquisition from Tampa Bay was largely seen as an effort by Toronto general manager Brian Burke to "buy" the 4th round pick by taking on Kölzig's deadweight salary.

On 23 September 2009, Kölzig announced his retirement from the NHL.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Later that year, Kölzig was named to the ECHL Hall of Fame at the 2010 ECHL All-Star Game in Ontario, California.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

The Capitals have not issued Kölzig's number 37 since his retirement.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Personal life

In 2005, Kölzig and fellow Tri-City Americans alumnus Stu Barnes became part of an ownership group in their former major junior team, assuring the existence of the Americans in Kennewick, Washington.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Kölzig is known for his service off the ice as well as his accomplishments on the ice. Along with fellow NHLers Byron Dafoe and Scott Mellanby, he founded Athletes Against Autism to raise awareness of autism and encourage more research, as well as the Carson Kolzig Foundation for Youth Autism in honour of his son, who is autistic. Because of his local and national service, he was awarded the NHL's King Clancy Memorial Trophy for humanitarian service in 2006, named one of the 10 Washingtonians of the Year by Washingtonian Magazine in 2000, and one of only four non-Canadian winners to receive the NHL Foundation Player Award.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Growing up, Kölzig was a fan of the Toronto Maple Leafs.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

International play

Kölzig was also the starting goalie for the German Olympic team at the 1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano, Japan, recording a 1.00 GAA and went 2–0. He played for Germany at the 2004 World Cup of Hockey, and went 0–3 with a 3.34 GAA. Kölzig also started in goal for Germany at the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin, Italy.

Awards and achievements

As a player

As a coach

Washington Capitals records

The records below are amongst goaltenders only.

Career

  • Most career games played (711).
  • Most career wins (301).
  • Most career losses (293).
  • Most career ties (86).
  • Most career minutes played (41,261).
  • Most goals allowed (1,860).
  • Most career shutouts (35).
  • Most career points scored (17).

Regular season

  • Most games played in a season (73 in 2000) (Tied with Braden Holtby).
  • Most minutes played in a season (4,371 in 2000).
  • Most ties in a season (11 in 2000).

Playoffs

  • Most career playoffs shutouts (6).
  • Most career playoffs penalty minutes (12).

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs

Regular season Playoffs
Season Team League GP W L T OTL MIN GA SO GAA SV% GP W L MIN GA SO GAA SV%
1987–88 New Westminster Bruins WHL 15 6 5 0 — 2333 156 0 4.01 — 3 0 3 149 11 0 4.43 —
1988–89 Tri-City Americans WHL 30 16 10 2 — 1671 97 1 3.48 — — — — — — — — —
1989–90 Tri-City Americans WHL 48 27 16 4 — 2504 187 1 4.48 — 6 4 0 318 27 0 5.09 —
1989–90 Washington Capitals NHL 2 0 2 0 — 120 12 0 6.00 .810 — — — — — — — —
1990–91 Hampton Roads Admirals ECHL 21 11 9 1 — 1248 71 2 3.41 .890 3 1 2 180 14 0 4.66 —
1990–91 Baltimore Skipjacks AHL 26 10 12 1 — 1367 72 0 3.16 .889 — — — — — — — —
1991–92 Hampton Roads Admirals ECHL 14 11 3 0 — 847 41 0 2.90 .914 — — — — — — — —
1991–92 Baltimore Skipjacks AHL 28 5 17 2 — 1503 105 1 4.19 .878 — — — — — — — —
1992–93 Rochester Americans AHL 49 25 16 4 — 2737 168 0 3.68 .882 17 9 8 1040 61 0 3.52 —
1992–93 Washington Capitals NHL 1 0 0 0 — 20 2 0 6.00 .714 — — — — — — — —
1993–94 Portland Pirates AHL 29 16 8 5 — 1725 88 3 3.06 .906 17 12 5 1035 44 0 2.55 —
1993–94 Washington Capitals NHL 7 0 3 0 — 224 20 0 5.36 .844 — — — — — — — —
1994–95 Portland Pirates AHL 2 1 0 1 — 125 3 0 1.44 .952 — — — — — — — —
1994–95 Washington Capitals NHL 14 2 8 2 — 724 30 0 2.49 .902 2 1 0 44 1 1 1.35 .952
1995–96 Portland Pirates AHL 5 5 0 0 — 300 7 1 1.40 .957 — — — — — — — —
1995–96 Washington Capitals NHL 18 4 8 2 — 897 46 0 3.08 .887 5 2 3 341 11 0 1.93 .934
1996–97 Washington Capitals NHL 29 8 15 4 — 1644 71 2 2.59 .906 — — — — — — — —
1997–98 Washington Capitals NHL 64 33 18 10 — 3788 139 5 2.20 .920 21 12 9 1351 44 4 1.95 .941
1998–99 Washington Capitals NHL 64 26 31 3 — 3586 154 4 2.58 .900 — — — — — — — —
1999–2000 Washington Capitals NHL 73 41 20 11 — 4371 163 5 2.24 .917 5 1 4 284 16 0 3.38 .845
2000–01 Washington Capitals NHL 72 37 26 8 — 4279 177 5 2.48 .909 6 2 4 375 14 1 2.24 .908
2001–02 Washington Capitals NHL 71 31 29 8 — 4131 192 6 2.79 .903 — — — — — — — —
2002–03 Washington Capitals NHL 66 33 25 6 — 3894 156 4 2.40 .919 6 2 4 404 14 1 2.08 .927
2003–04 Washington Capitals NHL 63 19 35 9 — 3738 180 2 2.89 .908 — — — — — — — —
2004–05 Eisbären Berlin DEL 8 — — — — 452 19 2 2.52 .905 3 — — 178 7 1 2.36 —
2005–06 Washington Capitals NHL 59 20 28 — 11 3506 206 0 3.53 .896 — — — — — — — —
2006–07 Washington Capitals NHL 54 22 24 — 6 3184 159 1 3.00 .910 — — — — — — — —
2007–08 Washington Capitals NHL 54 25 21 — 6 3154 153 1 2.91 .892 — — — — — — — —
2008–09 Tampa Bay Lightning NHL 8 2 4 — 1 410 25 0 3.66 .898 — — — — — — — —
NHL totals 719 303 297 63 24 41,670 1,885 35 2.71 .906 45 20 24 2,799 100 7 2.14 .927

International

Year Team Event GP W L T MIN GA SO GAA SV%
1996 Germany WCH 1 0 1 0 45 5 0 6.67 .886
1997 Germany WC 4 0 3 0 199 13 0 3.92 .891
1998 Germany OLY 2 2 0 0 120 2 1 1.00 .966
2004 Germany WC 5 2 2 1 299 11 0 2.21 .921
2004 Germany WCH 3 0 3 0 180 10 0 3.34 .905
2006 Germany OLY 3 0 1 2 179 8 0 2.68 .899
Senior totals 18 4 10 3 1022 49 1 2.88 .915

References

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