Ed Belfour will go down in history as one of the premier goaltenders ever to play in the NHL, but there is no denying he was a late bloomer. A native of Carman, Manitoba, Belfour was still playing Tier Two hockey for the Winkler Flyers of the Manitoba Junior League as an overage player back in 1985-86 when he was 21. From there Belfour accepted a scholarship to the University of North Dakota, where he first began to show signs that he had the potential of being a top-flight goaltender. He won 29 of 34 games and caught the attention of the Chicago Blackhawks scouting staff. In September, 1987 Belfour, nicknamed "Eddie the Eagle" was signed by the Blackhawks to a free-agent contract. During the 1988-89 season, at the age of 23, Belfour appeared in 23 games, coming out of the gate with a rather unimpressive 4-12-3 official record and a 3.87 GAA. The following year Belfour suited up for 33 games with the Canadian National Team, and it was there that he once again showed signs of being a potential NHLer. Belfour won the starting job at Chicago's training camp and was the team's workhorse, playing in 74 games, winning 43. He was also rewarded with a spot on the Team Canada roster for the 1991 Canada Cup, although he did not play.



Belfour had quickly established himself as one of the top goaltenders in the NHL, based primarily on one good season. Eager to follow that up, Belfour did not disappoint in 1991-92, where he helped the Blackhawks advance all the way to the Stanley Cup finals before losing to the Pittsburgh Penguins. Belfour had also become known for his spirited personality, which one more than one occasion seemed to directly clash with that of fiery head coach Mike Keenan. Media members and fans alike often sat on the edge of their seats in anticipation of Belfour's reaction at being yanked out of the net by Keenan, which happened with regularity. Although Belfour often seemed at odds with Keenan, and some teammates, he always produced on the ice, which was all that really mattered. The Belfour days in Chicago came to a surprising end in January, 1997, when he was dealt to the San Jose Sharks when it became apparent the two sides were not going to be able to work out a new contract. He remained with the Sharks for the duration of the 1996-97 season before signing a free-agent deal with the Dallas Stars. Belfour played in the Lone Star State for five years, and led the organization to its first Stanley Cup title in 1999, beating the Buffalo Sabres in the finals. Belfour remained the Stars' number one netminder through the 2000-02 season, but a dismal year for the team and a record of 21-27-11 record for Belfour left the Stars out of the playoffs and it was apparent changes were in the offing. Although the NHL season was a downer, Belfour was a member of Canada's gold medal winning team at the Salt Lake City Olympics. During the summer of 2002, Belfour inked a multiyear contract with the Toronto Maple Leafs, replacing the departed Curtis Joseph as the team's number one netminder. Upon his arrival with the Leafs, Belfour has continued his solid play in goal and the conclusion of the 2003-04 season was tied for third all-time in wins with 435. Belfour wears number 20 as a tribute to former Russian goaltending great Vladislav Tretiak, who coached Belfour in Chicago in the 1990s.