The hockey world is mourning the loss of a true giant. Glenn Hall, the legendary goaltender revered as the father of the modern butterfly style, passed away at the age of 92. The sad news was delivered to coaching great Scotty Bowman in a phone call from Hall's eldest son, Pat, on Wednesday.
A Legacy Forged in the Crease
Hall, affectionately known as "Mr. Goalie," leaves behind a legacy that places him among the sport's absolute elite. He is routinely mentioned on the Mount Rushmore of netminders alongside icons like Jacques Plante, Terry Sawchuk, Patrick Roy, and Martin Brodeur. Renowned for his calm demeanor under pressure, Hall was at his brilliant best when the stakes were highest.
Pat Hall informed Bowman that his father died of congestive heart failure in hospital. In a poignant reflection, Bowman noted that the gentle and self-deprecating Hall is now likely sharing stories in heaven with his contemporaries, Plante and Sawchuk.
The Man Behind the Mask and the Myth
For years, Hall's health had been fragile. He had recently moved to an assisted living facility from his famous 155-acre farm in Stony Plain, Alberta, which he and his late wife Pauline purchased in 1965. The farm was the source of one of hockey's most enduring tales: Hall's legendary excuse for being late to training camps was that he was busy painting the barn.
His son Pat clarified the lore that grew around that story. "There was a barn… but it wasn't getting painted in the fall by Hall," Pat said. The anecdote began as an off-the-cuff remark. When the phone would ring with a call from his team, Hall would tell his wife to simply say he was "painting that barn." The comment took on a life of its own, becoming a permanent part of hockey folklore. Pat later revealed that after retirement, Hall had a children's playhouse shaped like a barn, which he jokingly referred to as "the barn I was actually painting."
A Life Intertwined with Hockey History
Glenn Hall's impact was deeply personal for those in the game. Scotty Bowman honoured the goalie by naming his own son, Stanley Glenn Bowman, born in June 1973, after both the Stanley Cup and Glenn Hall. "Very strange how all this occurred," Bowman mused upon hearing of Hall's passing.
Pat Hall believes his father was the oldest living Hockey Hall of Famer at the time of his death. He also held a unique place in expansion history, noting, "He was the original Blue, the first man on planet Earth knowing he was going to play for a team called the St. Louis Blues."
His connection to the game remained strong until the end. Pat shared that he and his brother Stan brought their father to Edmonton last year to visit Scotty Bowman and attend Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final between the Oilers and the Florida Panthers.
The passing of Glenn Hall marks the end of an era. He was not just a phenomenal athlete who played 906 professional games, often battling nausea before each one, but an innovator who changed how the goaltending position is played. His gentle character, dry wit, and monumental contributions ensure that the legacy of "Mr. Goalie" will be celebrated for generations to come.
