Cesare Maniago (NHL 1960-1978, Canucks 1976-1978) | 30 | G

[Kevin Biestra]

It's kind of a shame that a two-time Canucks MVP in Cesare Maniago is mostly unknown among fans today.  He is perhaps also the only player in Canucks history to be team MVP in every season that he was a Canuck (two for two).  He was our workhorse for part of the rough expansion years of the 1970s, when guys like him and Dunc Wilson had to weather the storm against the established teams in the NHL with firepower like Lafleur, Dionne, Esposito, Orr, Perreault, etc.

 

Maniago played his final two NHL seasons in Vancouver after a long run as the starter for the Minnesota North Stars.  He went 27-45-17 in the Canucks net but had to earn every one of those wins, as well as his two shutouts.

 

In a pretty long NHL career, he had a 190-257-97 record with 30 shutouts in 568 games.

 

When he retired, he was 12th all time in NHL games played by a goalie and in the top 25 for shutouts.

 

He was then the Canucks goaltending coach for a few years.

 

[Hail Cesare]

all Hail Cesare

[CaptainCanuck12]

I did like him.  I just didn't like to see us trade my first Canucks' hero, Gary Smith, to get him.