Tuukka Rask didn't get the "Hall Call," but he shouldn't worry about it too much. Rask was a fine goaltender for the Boston Bruins, and he deserves a spot in the Hall. It just wasn't his year. Anyway, let me share with you why I'm a big fan of Rask, at some point, getting the "Hall Call."
Here's the score: If you spend your entire NHL career with one team, then you more than earned my respect. In pro sports today, and the NHL is no different, player movement is so prevalent that by the time you buy someone's jersey, they just played for two other teams. Well, that wasn't the case with former Boston Bruins netminder, Tuukka Rask.
Rask spent his entire 15-year career with the Bruins, and for 12 of those seasons, he saw time in at least 20 games, serving as the No. 1 man in the net for more than a few of those seasons. And wow, were his numbers incredibe, or what?
Throughout his time in Boston, Rask put up a 0.921 save percentage, a 2.28 GAA, 52 shutouts, and a 0.608 quality starts percentage. It's hard to argue against those being Hall of Fame worthy numbers, especially since Rask played in 564 career matchups.
Tuukka Rask did more than just put up awesome numbers
Rask was part of that championship-winning Bruins team in 2011. And while he didn't man the net during the playoffs, he played well in a supplementary role throughout the 2010-11 season, finishing the year with a 0.918 save percentage and a 2.67 GAA. That season, he was the No. 2 guy in what was a dynamic duo with the late-bloomer, Tim Thomas.
But, Rask got a chance to lead the Bruins to the Finals as the No. 1 guy in the net in 2013 and 2019. While the Bruins didn't win the Cup in either of those two seasons, Rask's numbers were incredible, with five shutouts in 2012-13, to go with a 0.929 save percentage, and a 2.00 GAA.
In 2018-19, he snagged four shutouts, with a 0.912 save percentage, and a 2.48 GAA. In both 2013 and 2019, Rask picked it up in the playoffs. In 22 games during the 2013 postseason, Rask logged a 0.940 save percentage, three shutouts, and a 1.88 GAA. Fast-forward to 2019, and he had two shutouts, with a 0.934 save percentage, and a 2.02 GAA.
Rask notched even more accolades during his legendary career
Rask's accolades didn't stop with the outstanding resume he built during the Bruins championship season in 2011 and their deep playoff runs in 2013 and 2019. He also took home the Vezina Trophy in 2014, a year in which he notched seven shutouts, a 0.930 save percentage, and a 2.04 GAA to with a 0.672 quality starts percentage.
During his age-32 season in 2019-20, Rask won the Jennings Trophy in a year that saw him finish with a 0.929 save percentage, a 2.12 GAA, and five shutouts, wiith a 0.683 quality starts percentage. I mean, everywhere you turn, Rask was looking like the legendary goaltender he was in Boston, and the only thing he never accomplished was winning the Cup as the No. 1 man in the net.
Still, that shouldn't take away from why he deserved a nomination. Rask was a pivotal part of what's been one of the NHL's most consistent franchises outside of the 2024-25 season. And that should say a lot.
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