We're closing in on the start of the 2025-26 NHL season, but these first few weeks of September remain a part of hockey's summer doldrums. The NHL has been rolling out fun facts and statistics about goaltenders the past week, and yesterday they showed off franchise leaders in shutouts.
While Jordan Binnington may be the best St. Louis Blues goaltender in recent memory, he--quite surprisingly--does not hold the franchise record for most shutouts with the team. Binnington, as good as he is, lands at fourth on the Blues' all time list with 18 shutouts. Ahead of him, in third place, is Jarsolav Halak with 20 shutouts; in second place is Jake Allen with 21.
There's a pretty good chance that, when all is said and done, Binnington will surpass both Halak and Allen--maybe as soon as the 2025-26 season, if he has a good year and the Blues continue to play the sort of hockey they played in the second half of last season. Binngington may hold the record for wins with 168 and counting, and he may've won the team their first Stanley Cup in franchise history, but he's got some work to do to catch the franchise leader in shutouts--he's seven behind the current record holder. With 25 shutouts during a five-year stint in St. Louis, the record holder is none other than Brian Elliott.
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— NHL (@NHL) September 6, 2025
Elliott had some outstanding years with the Blues, and his first season with the team in 2011-12 was impressive. In 38 games, Elliott finished with a bonkers .940 save percentage, 1.56 goals against average, and nine (9!) shutouts--career bests in every category.
With a bit of quick math, you can figure out that Elliott left opponents scoreless in nearly a quarter of the games he played that year--pitching shutouts in nearly 25 percent of games played is admirable work. He finished that season fifth in Vezina Trophy voting, and won the Jennings Trophy (with some help from Jaroslav Halak) for fewest goals allowed in the regular season.
He's been retired for a couple seasons now, but it's easy to forget just how good Elliott was at his peak. His final season with the Blues in 2015-16 was excellent as well, posting a .930 save percentage and once again getting scattered Vezina votes.
Elliott never managed to win a Stanley Cup, but he still had a long, successful career as journeyman goaltender, with some fantastic highs--and most of those peak moments happend with the Blues.