Olaf Kölzig

Olaf Kölzig
Kölzig before a game in 2007
Born	(1970-04-06) April 6, 1970 Johannesburg, South Africa
Height	6 ft 3 in (191 cm)
Weight	221 lb (100 kg; 15 st 11 lb)
Position	Goaltender
Caught	Left
Played for	Washington Capitals Tampa Bay Lightning
National team	Germany
NHL draft	19th overall, 1989 Washington Capitals
Playing career	1989–2009

Kölzig and Brent Johnson. 2007–08 Washington Capitals practice session at the Kettler Capitals Iceplex in Arlington, Virginia

Olaf Kölzig (born April 6, 1970), known as Olie the Goalie or Godzilla, is a retired South African born German professional ice hockey goaltender, subsequently the goaltender coach and now player development coach for the Washington Capitals. With the exception of 8 games with the Tampa Bay Lightning, he played his entire 14 year career with the Capitals.

Kölzig was born in South Africa but grew up in several cities across Canada; his family moved to Union Bay, British Columbia when he was a teenager. Kölzig never applied for Canadian citizenship, which, combined with his German parentage and German passport, allowed him to represent Germany internationally. He was the first African-born player in the NHL.

Playing career

Kölzig was selected by the Capitals 1989 Draft. He spent several years in the American Hockey League with the Baltimore Skipjacks, Rochester Americans, and Portland Pirates, and the ECHL with the Hampton Roads Admirals, after playing major junior hockey for the New Westminster Bruins and Tri-City Americans of the Western Hockey League (WHL). During Kölzig's time with the Americans, he had an on-ice fistfight with Portland Winter Hawks goaltender Byron Dafoe, someone with whom he would go on to have a friendly rivalry in the NHL—so friendly that they served as each other's best man in their respective weddings. On November 29, 1989, Kölzig scored a goal with the Americans. During 2004/05 NHL lockout he signed with the German club Eisbären Berlin.

Kölzig played his first NHL game in the 1989–90 NHL season, only to be sent down to the minors for a few years. In the 1995–96 NHL season, he was brought up to be a backup for Jim Carey and remained the backup when the Capitals acquired Bill Ranford from the Boston Bruins during the 1996–97 NHL season. Early in the next season, Ranford suffered an injury and Kölzig was called upon to become the starter, at least temporarily. Kölzig wound up playing well for the rest of the season, winning a total of 33 games and achieving a 2.20 goals against average. He remained the starting goaltender for the Capitals until the 2008 trading deadline, and holds virtually every franchise record at his position.

In the 1997–98 season Kölzig led the Capitals to the Stanley Cup Finals. In the playoffs, he became only the tenth goalie in NHL history to record four shutouts in one postseason. The Caps were swept in four games by the defending champion Detroit Red Wings.

In 2000, he won the Vezina Trophy as the NHL's best goalie after going 41–20–11 with a 2.24 GAA and five shutouts. In the American Hockey League he won the 1994 Jack A. Butterfield Trophy (MVP of the American Hockey League playoffs) and the 1994 Hap Holmes Memorial Award.

Kölzig was also the starting goalie for the German Olympic team in the 1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano, Japan, recording a 1.00 GAA and went 2–0. He also played with the German team in the 2004 World Cup, yet went 0–3 with a 3.34 GAA.

Kölzig also has the distinction of being one of four goaltenders to play a scoreless period during an NHL All-Star Game, having done so at the 2000 All-Star Game. He also played in the 1998 All-Star Game, in which he made 14 saves on 17 shots.

In 2004, the Capitals held a vote for fans to determine the top 30 players in the franchise history to celebrate their 30th season in the league. Kölzig's 2,038 votes led all players.

In 2005, he and fellow Tri-City American alumni Stu Barnes became part of an ownership group in their former major junior team, assuring the existence of the Americans in Kennewick, Washington for about ten years.

Kölzig also started in goal again for Germany's Olympic team at the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin, Italy.

On February 11, 2006, Kölzig signed a two-year, $10.9 million extension with the Capitals.

Olaf Kölzig 2008

In February 2007, in the midst of a 19–19–5 season, Kölzig tore his MCL. Prior to this injury, Kölzig had missed only 18 games and never more than four in a row.

In February 2008, the Capitals acquired goalie Cristobal Huet, who gradually took over Kölzig's position as starting goaltender. Despite this, on March 12 Kölzig became the twenty-third goalie to win 300 games. The Capitals qualified for the playoffs, and Huet started every game in their first round series against the Philadelphia Flyers. The Capitals lost in seven games. A few weeks after their elimination, Kölzig announced he did not intend to return to the team. At the time, he was the last remaining Capital to have worn the original red, white and blue uniform and the blue jersey from 1995.

On July 1, 2008, Kölzig became an unrestricted free agent and signed a $1.5 million, 1-year contract with the Tampa Bay Lightning. He served as the back-up goalie to Mike Smith. In Kolzig's return to D.C. he was loudly cheered and a video in tribute to his time with the Caps was shown. On January 28, 2009, it was announced that Kölzig would miss the rest of the 2008–09 season due to a ruptured biceps tendon in his left arm.

He was traded to the Toronto Maple Leafs along with Jamie Heward, Andy Rogers and a 4th round pick on March 4, 2009 as part of a trade deadline deal for Richard Petiot. As he was at that time suffering from an injury that would see him out for the rest of the 2008–09 season, the end of which would also see his contract expire, his acquisition from Tampa Bay was largely seen as an effort by Toronto General Manager Brian Burke to "buy" the 4th round pick by taking on Kölzig's deadweight salary.

On September 23, 2009, Kölzig announced his retirement from the NHL. Later that year, Kölzig was named to the ECHL Hall of Fame and was inducted in the Hall of Fame's Class of 2010 at the 2010 ECHL All-Star Game in Ontario, California.

The Capitals have not issued Kölzig's number 37 since his retirement, and he may become the first Capitals goaltender to have his number retired should he be inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame.

Off the ice

Kölzig is known for his service off the ice as well as his accomplishments on the ice. Along with fellow NHLers Byron Dafoe and Scott Mellanby, he founded Athletes Against Autism to "raise awareness" of autism and encourage more research, as well as the Carson Kolzig Foundation for Youth Autism in honor of his son, who is autistic. Because of his local and national service, he was awarded the NHL's King Clancy Memorial Trophy for humanitarian service in 2006 and was named one of the 10 Washingtonians of the Year by Washingtonian Magazine in 2000.

Olaf was previously married. He has 3 kids.

Awards and achievements

• Jack A. Butterfield Trophy – 1994.
• Hap Holmes Memorial Award – 1994 (along with Byron Dafoe).
• NHL All-Star Game – 1998 and 2000.
• Vezina Trophy – 2000.
• NHL First All-Star Team – 2000.
• DEL Champion – 2004–05.
• King Clancy Memorial Trophy – 2006.
• One of Ten "Washingtonians of the Year" (From Washingtonian Magazine) – 2000.
• ECHL Hall of Fame Inductee, Developmental Player – 2010.

Washington Capitals records

The records below are amongst goaltenders only.

Career

• Most career games played (711).
• Most career wins (303).
• Most career losses (293).
• Most career ties (86).
• Most career minutes played (41,261).
• Most goals allowed (1,860).
• Most career shutouts (35).
• Most career points scored (17).

Season

• Most games played in a season (73 in 2000).
• Most minutes played in a season (4,371 in 2000).
• Most wins in a season (41 in 2000).
• Most ties in a season (11 in 2000).
• Highest save percentage in a season (.920 in 1998).

Playoffs

• Most career playoffs games played (45).
• Most career playoffs wins (20).
• Most career playoffs losses (24).
• Most career playoffs minutes played (2,799).
• Most career playoffs goals allowed (100).
• Most career playoffs shutouts (6).
• Most career playoffs penalty minutes (12).
• Lowest career playoffs GAA (2.14)
• Highest career playoffs save percentage (.927)

Career statistics

Regular season

Season	Team	League		GP	W	L	T	OTL	MIN	GA	SO	GAA	SV%
1987–88	New Westminster Bruins	WHL		15	6	5	0	—	2333	156	0	4.01	—
1988–89	Tri-City Americans	WHL		30	16	10	2	—	1671	97	1	3.48	—
1989–90	Tri-City Americans	WHL		48	27	16	4	—	2504	187	1	4.48	—
1989–90	Washington Capitals	NHL		2	0	2	0	—	120	12	0	6.00	.810
1990–91	Hampton Road Admirals	ECHL		21	11	9	1	—	1248	71	2	3.41	.890
1990–91	Baltimore Skipjacks	AHL		26	10	12	1	—	1367	72	0	3.16	.889
1991–92	Hampton Road Admirals	ECHL		14	11	3	0	—	847	41	0	2.90	.914
1991–92	Baltimore Skipjacks	AHL		28	5	17	2	—	1503	105	1	4.19	.878
1992–93	Rochester Americans	AHL		49	25	16	4	—	2737	168	0	3.68	.882
1992–93	Washington Capitals	NHL		1	—	—	—	—	20	2	0	6.00	.714
1993–94	Portland Pirates	AHL		29	16	8	5	—	1725	88	3	3.06	.906
1993–94	Washington Capitals	NHL		7	0	3	0	—	224	20	0	5.36	.844
1994–95	Portland Pirates	AHL		2	1	0	1	—	125	3	0	1.44	.952
1994–95	Washington Capitals	NHL		14	2	8	2	—	724	30	0	2.49	.902
1995–96	Portland Pirates	AHL		5	5	0	0	—	300	7	1	1.40	.957
1995–96	Washington Capitals	NHL		18	4	8	2	—	897	46	0	3.08	.887
1996–97	Washington Capitals	NHL		29	8	15	4	—	1644	71	2	2.59	.906
1997–98	Washington Capitals	NHL		64	33	18	10	—	3788	139	5	2.20	.920
1998–99	Washington Capitals	NHL		64	26	31	3	—	3586	154	4	2.58	.900
1999–00	Washington Capitals	NHL		73	41	20	11	—	4371	163	5	2.24	.917
2000–01	Washington Capitals	NHL		72	37	26	8	—	4279	177	5	2.48	.909
2001–02	Washington Capitals	NHL		71	31	29	8	—	4131	192	6	2.79	.903
2002–03	Washington Capitals	NHL		66	33	25	6	—	3894	156	4	2.40	.919
2003–04	Washington Capitals	NHL		63	19	35	9	—	3738	180	2	2.89	.908
2004–05	Eisbären Berlin	DEL		8	—	—	—	—	452	19	2	2.52	.905
2005–06	Washington Capitals	NHL		59	20	28	—	11	3506	206	0	3.53	.896
2006–07	Washington Capitals	NHL		54	22	24	—	6	3184	159	1	3.00	.910
2007–08	Washington Capitals	NHL		54	25	21	—	6	3154	153	1	2.91	.892
2008–09	Tampa Bay Lightning	NHL		8	2	4	—	1	410	25	0	3.66	.898
NHL totals				719	303	297	63	24	41,670	1885	35	2.71	.906

Playoffs

Season	Team	League		GP	W	L	MIN	GA	SO	GAA	SV%
1987–88	New Westminster Bruins	WHL		3	0	3	149	11	0	4.43	—
1989–90	Tri-City Americans	WHL		6	4	0	318	27	0	5.09	—
1990–91	Hampton Road Admirals	ECHL		3	1	2	180	14	0	4.66	—
1992–93	Rochester Americans	AHL		17	9	8	1040	61	0	3.52	—
1993–94	Portland Pirates	AHL		17	12	5	1035	44	0	2.55	—
1994–95	Washington Capitals	NHL		2	1	0	44	1	1	1.35	.952
1995–96	Washington Capitals	NHL		5	2	3	341	11	0	1.93	.934
1997–98	Washington Capitals	NHL		21	12	9	1351	44	4	1.95	.941
1999–00	Washington Capitals	NHL		5	1	4	284	16	0	3.38	.845
2000–01	Washington Capitals	NHL		6	2	4	375	14	1	2.24	.908
2002–03	Washington Capitals	NHL		6	2	4	404	14	1	2.08	.927
2004–05	Eisbären Berlin	DEL		3	—	—	178	7	1	2.36	—
NHL totals				45	20	24	2799	100	7	2.14	.927

International

Year	Team	Event			GP	W	L	T	MIN	GA	SO	GAA
1996	Germany	WCH			1	0	1	0	45	5	0	6.67
1997	Germany	WC			4	0	3	0	199	13	0	3.92
1998	Germany	Oly			2	2	0	0	120	2	1	1.00
2004	Germany	WC			5	2	2	1	299	11	0	2.21
2004	Germany	WCH			3	0	3	0	180	10	0	3.34
2006	Germany	Oly			3	0	1	2	179	8	0	2.68
Senior int'l totals					18	4	10	3	1022	48	1	2.82

External links

• Olaf Kölzig player profile at NHL.com
• "One on one with Olaf Kolzig", HoboTrashcan.com.
• Olaf Kölzig career statistics at The Internet Hockey Database
• Athletes Against Autism
• Olaf Kolzig biographical article, NHL.com