TOP 100 OILERS: DWAYNE ROLOSON (45)

7 years ago

Simply put, Dwayne Roloson is on this list because of the part he played in the stunning and unexpected roller-coaster ride the Edmonton Oilers took their fans on during the 2006 playoffs. When the underdog Oilers needed him most, starting in the opening round of the post-season against the Detroit Red Wings, Roloson was the best he’s ever been until the thrill ride ended when his right knee buckled in the goal crease.

Absolutely nothing in Roloson’s career as an NHL goaltender to that point led anybody to believe he was capable of the kind of performance he would produce for the upstart Oilers. For eight glorious weeks, 18 games, Roloson blocked pucks, refused to yield an inch of blue paint and seemingly sneered at critics who could not or would not believe what they were seeing. Every save seemed like a “screw you” to the doubters. Then, the play, the knee. Rollie stayed down.

Dwayne Roloson

Goalie — shoots L

Born Oct 12 1969 — Simcoe, ONT

Height 6.01 — Weight 180 [185 cm/82 kg]

BY THE NUMBERS

Season	Age	Tm	GP	GS	W	L	T/O	GA	SV%	GAA	SO	MIN
1996-97	27	CGY	31		9	14	3	78	.897	2.89	1	1618
1997-98	28	CGY	39		11	16	8	110	.890	2.99	0	2205
1998-99	29	BUF	18		6	8	2	42	.909	2.77	1	911
1999-00	30	BUF	14		1	7	3	32	.884	2.84	0	677
2001-02	32	MIN	45		14	20	7	112	.901	2.68	5	2506
2002-03	33	MIN	50		23	16	8	98	.927	2.00	4	2945
2003-04	34	MIN	48		19	18	11	89	.933	1.88	5	2847
2005-06	36	TOT	43		14	24	5	115	.908	2.73	2	2524
2005-06	36	MIN	24		6	17	1	68	.910	3.00	1	1361
2005-06	36	EDM	19		8	7	4	47	.905	2.42	1	1163
2006-07	37	EDM	68		27	34	6	180	.909	2.75	4	3932
2007-08	38	EDM	43	38	15	17	5	119	.901	3.05	0	2340
2008-09	39	EDM	63	62	28	24	9	166	.915	2.77	1	3597
2009-10	40	NYI	50	49	23	18	7	145	.907	3.00	1	2897
2010-11	41	TOT	54	54	24	25	5	138	.914	2.59	4	3199
2010-11	41	NYI	20	20	6	13	1	53	.916	2.64	0	1206
2010-11	41	TBL	34	34	18	12	4	85	.912	2.56	4	1993
2011-12	42	TBL	40	31	13	16	3	128	.886	3.66	1	2099
4 yrs		EDM	193	100	78	82	24	512	.909	2.78	6	11032
4 yrs		MIN	167		62	71	27	367	.919	2.28	15	9659
2 yrs		BUF	32		7	15	5	74	.900	2.80	1	1588
2 yrs		CGY	70		20	30	11	188	.893	2.95	1	3823
2 yrs		NYI	70	69	29	31	8	198	.909	2.90	1	4103
2 yrs		TBL	74	65	31	28	7	213	.898	3.12	5	4092
Career			606	234	227	257	82	1552	.908	2.72	29	34297

PLAYOFFS

Season	Age	Tm	GP	GS	W	L	T/O	GA	SV%	GAA	SO	MIN
1998-99	29	BUF	4		1	1		10	.851	4.32	0	139
2002-03	33	MIN	11		5	6		25	.903	2.59	0	579
2005-06	36	EDM	18		12	5		45	.927	2.33	1	1160
2010-11	41	TBL	17	17	10	6		41	.924	2.51	1	982
Career			50	17	28	18		121	.918	2.54	2	2860

NOTABLE

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Like picking at a scab, Oiler fans who watched their team upset the Red Wings in the first round and then beat the San Jose Sharks and Anaheim Ducks, have replayed what happened with 5:54 remaining in the third period of Game 1 of the Stanley Cup final against the Carolina Hurricanes until they draw blood. The play, in which Marc-Andre Bergeron took forward Andrew Ladd hard into the crease and Roloson, is here.

In my mind, it has always been that moment – and the fact the Oilers blew a 3-0 lead before Roloson went down in Game 1 – that turned the series, even though the drama would play out for a full seven games. With Roloson out, replacement Ty Conklin and captain Jason Smith misplayed a puck behind the net that led to the winner by Rod Brind’Amour with 31.1 seconds left in regulation time in that first game.

Until the point Roloson went down, he’d been nothing short of magnificent in back-stopping the Oilers that post-season. Acquired from the Minnesota Wild at the March trade deadline, Roloson, who’d never been the clear cut No. 1 on any team during his NHL career, didn’t exactly tear it up down the stretch with the Oilers. Roloson was 8-7-4 with a .905 save percentage and a 2.42 goals-against average in 19 appearances. Then came the playoffs.

THE STORY

All told, Roloson was 12-5 with a .927 save percentage and a 2.33 GAA when Ladd slammed into him. He’d make 68, 43 and 63 appearances in three subsequent seasons with the Oilers, but with so many key pieces of that 2006 playoff team gone – Chris Pronger, Sergei Samsonov, Michael Peca and Jaroslav Spacek, to name just four – those three seasons would be the start of the 10-year playoff drought the team is on now.

For me, the memorable thing about Roloson was that he battled. He’d scrap for his position in the crease. He dive into a scrum to snag a loose puck. He was absolutely tenacious. He never quit on a play. It’s those traits that saw him provide an encore in another playoff run with the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2011 at the age of 41. Roloson made 17 appearances for the Bolts, going 10-6 with a .924 save percentage.

We can’t turn back time of course, but I’ve got to admit I’ve wondered more than once what might have been in the 2006 SCF had Roloson survived that collision with Ladd in the crease, had he managed to get up, shake it off and continue, as he so often did. We’ll never know, but what I do know is I’ll never forget how good Roloson was for those eight weeks.

This series will look at the top 100 Edmonton Oilers from the NHL era 1979-80 to 2014-15, starting with 100 and working up.

Listen to Robin Brownlee Wednesdays and Thursdays from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. on the Jason Gregor Show on TSN 1260.

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TOP 100 OILERS: DWAYNE ROLOSON (45)

BY THE NUMBERS

NOTABLE

THE STORY

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