The Detroit Red Wings have a long history of excellent goaltending. If you were asked who had the best single season goals-against average in franchise history, who would you say? Terry Sawchuk? Glenn Hall? Dominik Hasek? Chris Osgood? If you were thinking along any of those lines, you’d be very wrong. The record belongs to a goaltender that set it for Detroit was known as the Red Wings; and even before they were known as the Falcons. The record belongs to Detroit Cougar netminder Clarence “Dolly” Dolson.

As a rookie in the 1928-29 season, Dolson strapped on the pads for Detroit and recorded a 1.43 average with 10 shutouts in 44 games. He put up a 19-6-9 record for a Detroit team that struggled to put pucks in the net, scoring just 9 more goals than Dolson allowed. They made it to the playoffs for the first time in their three-year existence, finishing third in the American Division, but were eliminated by the Maple Leafs as Dolson allowed seven goals in two games.

For some reason, Detroit coach Jack Adams did not believe in Dolson’s puck-stopping skills. Dolson played just five games for Detroit in his sophomore season, and then in 1930-31, he played another 44 games and posted a 2.29 average. However, after the original Ottawa Senators folded, Adams picked up ace goalie Alex Connell, who replaced Dolson permanently. When Ottawa returned and reclaimed Connell, Detroit picked up and used veteran John Ross Roach. During the revolving-door antics in net, Dolson was cut by Detroit and he never played an NHL game again.

Who knows what Dolson could have accomplished in his career had he been given a real chance. His numbers during his two full seasons in Detroit indicate that he may have been something great. Maybe not Terry Sawchuk-great, but maybe it would not have taken until 1936 for Detroit to win a Stanley Cup. Maybe Dolson had a spat with Adams that nobody knew of. Who knows? It’s too bad that a man who holds a record that’s stood for over 80 years has become just a footnote in Detroit’s long hockey history.