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Olaf Kölzig (born April 6, 1970) is a goalie for the NHL's Washington Capitals. He has the distinction of being the only person in the NHL to be born in the southern hemisphere, in Johannesburg, South Africa.
"Olie the Goalie" has been a part of the Washington Capitals franchise since being selected by them in the draft of 1989. He spent several years in the AHL with the Baltimore Skipjacks, the Hampton Roads Admirals and the Portland Pirates, after playing major junior hockey for the New Westminster Bruins/Tri-City Americans. He played his first NHL game in the 1989-1990, only to be sent down to the minors for a few years. In 1995-1996, he was brought up to become a replacement for then goalie, Jim Carey and has been the starting goalie ever since.
In 2000 he won the Vezina Trophy as the NHL's best goalie after going 41-20-11 with a 2.24 GAA and 5 Shutouts.
He was also the starting goalie for Germany's Olympic team in the 1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano, Japan, having a 1.00 GAA in two wins for them. He also has the admirable distinction of being one of the few goaltenders ever to play a scoreless period during an the NHL All-Star Game.
External links
- ESPN Profile for Kölzig (http://sports.espn.go.com/nhl/players/profile?statsId=0687)de:Olaf Kölzig