LA Kings Legend Rogie Vachon Finally Receives Hall of Fame Ring

By Jeff Duarte
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Updated: November 13, 2016

It was 30 years in the making, and 30 years of waiting for the legendary goaltender and former general manager of the LA Kings, but Rogatien “Rogie” Vachon is finally being inducted into the holy shrine of the Hockey Hall of Fame, and on Friday, he received his Hall of Fame ring.

Born on September 8, 1945 in Palmarolle, Quebec, Canada, the 5 ft 8 goaltender was brought into the NHL by Vachon’s childhood team, the Montreal Canadiens and he helped them reach the Stanley Cup Final in 1967. The following year, Vachon while teaming with fellow Hall of Famer Lorne “Gump” Worsley, led the Habs to back to back Stanley Cup victories in 1968 and 1969, where Vachon was the number one goalie during that ’69 run. As an added bonus, Vachon and “Gump” co-won the Vezina Trophy together (which at that time was given to the goaltenders with the best goals against average, which today would be for the William Jennings Trophy), as well in 1968.

Vachon on the start of his NHL career,

“I was very lucky to play for the Montreal Canadiens in 1966 at the start of my career. My first shot on net was a breakaway by Gordie Howe. I stopped it and it kept me in the league for 16 more years.”

Vachon was a part of the 1971 Stanley Cup winning Montreal Canadiens as well, but rookie sensation and future Hall of Famer Ken Dryden was famously between the pipes during those playoffs and preferring to be a number one goalie, (think Martin Jones) Vachon politely asked for a trade. That trade happened on November 21, 1971 to the Los Angeles Kings and the rest as they say, is history.

Vachon on his trade and the reasoning behind it to Los Angeles,

Playing for a Kings’ team that was … well … not that great at the time, is what made Vachon the superstar and Hall of Famer that he became. Keeping the Kings in every game after facing an average of 50 shots a game, Vachon soon found his stats near the top of the NHL. In 1971, Vachon was awarded with the Inspirational Player of the year award and was named the LA Kings’ Most Valuable Player four times in the seven years he played in Los Angeles. In 1975, Vachon was the runner-up for both the Hart Memorial Trophy for the league’s MVP and for another Vezina Trophy.

(photo credit to kings.nhl.com)

Vachon finished his time with the Kings by breaking and holding the franchise goaltending records of regular season wins (171), shutouts (32) and the lowest GAA in one season with (2.86), (Jonathan Quick is now the franchise leader in all of those categories).

Speaking to the media after receiving his ring at the Hockey Hall of Fame, this is what Rogie had to say about his time playing in Los Angeles,

“Yeah, it was tough. First of all because the weather. Nobody really cared. Nobody would come to the game but things really changed after a while when Marcel Dionne came in. It was a different era in the middle ’70’s but we [became] very respectable. The crowds started coming in and people started to recognize us, like in restaurants somewhere.”

Representing the Los Angeles Kings, Rogie Vachon was selected to play for Team Canada for the first ever “Best on Best” tournament in hockey history at the 1976 Canada Cup (now known as the World Cup of Hockey). With Montreal goalie and former teammate Ken Dryden injured and Philadelphia Flyers’ superstar goalie (and future Hall of Famer) Bernie Parent also sidelined with a pinched nerve in his neck, Vachon was given the opportunity to shine in front of the entire hockey world as Canada’s number one goalie, and shine he did! He not only led Canada to hockey supremacy by backstopping them all the way to the championship with a 6-1 record, 2 shutouts and a 1.39 GAA, but with a team that included Legends such as Bobby Orr, Bobby Hull, King’s teammate Marcel Dionne, Guy LaFleur, Gilbert Perreault, Phil Esposito, Larry Robinson and Denis Potvin, Vachon was named the tournament’s MVP and a first team All-Star. He was lights out.

(Side-note, this picture was taken by Martin Brodeur‘s father.)

After Los Angeles, Vachon played two seasons with the Detroit Red Wings before retiring as a player. His career numbers finished at 355 career wins, 51 shut-outs and a GAA of 2.99, (plus with a Vezina Trophy win, another Vezina nomination and 3 Stanley Cup rings). At that time, his numbers and accomplishments were stronger than some other goaltenders from that era that were easily selected into the Hall of Fame, while Rogie had to unfairly wait for approximately 3 and half decades before getting his due. In that time, Vachon returned to Los Angeles and worked his way up to become the general manager and ironically was the one who brought in fellow 2016 Hall of Fame inductee, the late Pat Quinn, to be the coach of the Kings. Rogie Vachon was also the first player to have his number retired (30) by the Kings’ franchise.

Proud to be finally wearing a Hall of Fame ring and for finally being recognized for his legendary achievements (the Montreal Canadiens also payed tribute to Vachon before their game against the Kings the night before), Rogie couldn’t help but to feel bittersweet about the entire occasion. A short 8 months ago, Rogie lost his soul mate when his wife Nicole passed away due to cancer. Their relationship was a love story for the ages.

“It doesn’t get any better than this. The only regret that I have is that my wife passed away in February.”

Rogie Vachon than excused himself as his voice got choked up after mentioning Nicole. After collecting himself, he continued,

“I miss her but I have my kids, my grandkids and we have to move on but it’s still a big honor to be here. I just wish she could be here. We were married 45 years. She was a wonderful woman.”

When asked what Nicole would say to him if she were here right now, Rogie smirked and answered, “She would say it’s about time you got in here!”

Bob Stellick, who helps organize the Hall of Fame events, gathered up Rogie and his fellow Hall of Fame inductees Eric Lindros, Sergei Makarov and the late Pat Quinn’s daugher Kalli (who there on her late father’s behalf), to set up a photo opp of the inductees with hockey sticks holding up a puck with their blade. The idea was for the inductees to flip the puck in the air and catch it back with the blade end of the stick. Unfortunately, the inductee’s all dropped the puck to the ground, that is all except for Rogie Vachon. Instead of letting his puck drop, instinctively Rogie CAUGHT the puck with his left hand in mid-air, which made me instantly shout out in my best Bob Miller impersonation, “Save by Vachon!” Awed by his skill and quick flash of “the glove”, the entire audience at the Grand Hall began to cheer, applaud and yell out, “You still have it!” and “And that’s why he’s going in the Hall of Fame!” After a 30 year wait and freshly suffering from a heavy heart, finally, Hockey Hall of Fame inductee Rogie Vachon was fully smiling.

(YOU STILL GOT IT! *Clap Clap ClapClapClap* YOU STILL GOT IT! *Clap Clap ClapClapClap*)

*Special thanks to Rogie Vachon, Bob Stellick, Kelly Masse, Ryan Cowley of MakeWayForTheKings.net, Mario Hicks, Catresse Ivannabe and Theresa Walsh-Duarte for their help with this article.

I will be providing more Hall of Fame weekend coverage in the days to come so … STAY TUNED!!!

Stay with us at Calisportsnews.com as we will keep you up-to-date on all things Los Angeles Kings and the rest of the LA sports teams! All Cali, all the time!