Lynn Zimmerman, Goalie Assist Machine
Years before Grant Fuhr set the NHL mark with 14 goalie assists in 1983/84, a minor league tender accomplished the same feat...and he almost matched it the following year as well.5"8" Lynn Zimmerman from Fort Erie, Ontario began his professional career in 1966/67 with the Eastern League Charlotte Checkers and was a Second Team All-Star. He played most of the next eight years in the AHL, mainly with Rochester. By 1975/76 he was in the North American Hockey League with the Erie Blades. He had 30 wins in 54 games, and more impressively he also had 13 assists. He also spent three weeks filling in for the soon-to-fold Denver/Ottawa WHA team where he garnered another helper.
Apparently Zimmerman was so able and active with the puck, Erie coach Nick Polano devised a breakout plan around him. "This year Nick put in a system where I handle the puck instead of the defenseman. We work on it in practice everyday. When the other team comes in after the puck we just break out and trap them." says Zimmerman in the March 19, '76 issue of Hockey News. Imagine a goalie today making the first pass as a defenseman does. The issue also states that he once collected three assists in one AHL game. Jeff Reese, with Calgary in Feb, 1993. is the only other pro goalie to accomplish this.
The following year with Erie, he collected another 12 assists for a two season total of 26. He would finish up his career the following season in the WHA with the Houston Aeros.
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But there was another WHA Goalie who was probably even better with the puck (and in net), Don "Smokey" McLeod. He played with the Vancouver Blazers/Calgary Cowboys, the Oilers, Les Nordiques & also the Houston Areos. In 73-74 "Smokey" won the WHA championship with Houston, was a 1st team All-Star and nabbed the Ben Hatskin Trophy as Goalie Of The Year. (Over Cheevers!) I vaguely remember seeing him play a few games against the Toros with Houston & Vancouver/Calgary.
I once read in the Edmonton Journal (Was it?) that McLeod was born with a club foot, but it never stopped him from being a pretty good Goalie. Like so many other goalies of the era, he spent almost an entire career in the minors. Between the rule change to allow backup goalies and the 60's NHL expansion, many of these career minor leaguers found themselves where they always should have been. And after the birth of the WHA and a few more NHL expansion teams, the number of major-pro goalie roster spots went from 6 to over 66 in under 10 years. Suddenly, every good goalie had a shot. Because of this, there were suddenly several rookie netminders in their 30's. (Today, all you have to do to get a goaltending gig is be 6'7, 250Lbs and able to crawl around the ice like Baby Huey.)
But according to the newspaper report, McLeod had NO trouble launching 2 line passes, icing the puck and even taking decent shots on net in scrimmage/game conditions. From what I understand, he used this skill mostly for defensive purposes. Unlike Zimmerman's coach in Erie, I expect most major-league coaches didn't want their goalie playing offence. Seeing goalie do something with the puck was still pretty unusual back then. McLeod undoubtedly showed off the WHA's unique rule of allowing 2-Line passes (LONG before "the other league" did). On the downside for McLeod, he probably also showed off another unique WHA rule, calling short-handed icings (if shot from inside your own blue line). That would have really limited his usefulness.
That said, in 329 WHA games, "Smokey" still got a whopping 43 assists! In 75-76 with the Cowboys, he got a jaw dropping 13 Assists (& a playoff Assist)! That put him tied for 15th in Assists behind players who averaged 10-15 more games. With that kind of firepower, it's astounding he never scored a goal (Again, probably a taboo move.)
In any era, as long as they have the consistency and don't take stupid risks, having a goalie who can clear the puck & make a good pass is a great asset. Both Zimmerman & McLeod could do that.