| Played for | Toronto Maple Leafs Montreal Canadiens New York Rangers Minnesota North Stars Vancouver Canucks |
|---|---|
| League | NHL |
| Position | Goaltender |
| Catches | Left |
| Height | 6 ft |
| Height in | 3 |
| Weight lb | 195 |
| Birth date | January 13, 1939 (age 87) |
| Birth place | Trail, British Columbia, Canada |
| Career start | 1960 |
| Career end | 1978 |
Cesare Maniago (/ˈsiːzər/ SEE-zər;[1] born January 13, 1939) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey goaltender who played 410 of his 568 National Hockey League (NHL) games for the Minnesota North Stars, the second most in franchise history.
Playing career
Originally the property of the Toronto Maple Leafs, the young goalie played seven games for the Leafs in the 1960–61 season. Picked up by the Montreal Canadiens in the inter-league draft the following season, Maniago underwent a lengthy apprenticeship in the minor leagues, spending the better part of five years on the farm. The high point of his years with Montreal was a 14-game stint in relief of the ailing Jacques Plante during the 1963 season. He had a sparkling season for the Minneapolis Bruins of the Central Hockey League in 1965, winning the league's most valuable player award,[2] after which he was dealt to the New York Rangers.
Maniago competed against Ed Giacomin and Don Simmons for the starting goal position in 1966, playing 28 games for the last-place team. On March 12, in Chicago, he allowed the Black Hawks' star left winger Bobby Hull's 51st goal of the season, the first time in league history that any player had scored more than 50 goals in one year. After the game, he insisted that Chicago's crafty forward Eric Nesterenko had interfered with him during the play: "Nesterenko lifted the blade of my stick, and the puck went under it."[3]
Giacomin firmly won the job the next season as the much-improved Rangers made the playoffs, and Maniago played in just six games as his backup.
Minnesota
With expansion arriving the next season, Maniago had his opportunity. He was the first draft choice of the expansion Minnesota North Stars on June 6, 1967, immediately becoming their number one goaltender, a job he kept for the next nine seasons. His play led the North Stars into the playoffs in five of their first six seasons. In his first season with the North Stars, he had career highs in wins and shutouts while leading underdog Minnesota into the 1967-68 West Division semi-finals. The North Stars struggled the next season, finishing in last place and missing the playoffs.
Unable to find a suitable goalie to help Maniago with the workload (the other goalies the team tried went a combined 11-35-16 in Minnesota's first three seasons) the North Stars obtained Gump Worsley's rights from the Canadiens on February 27, 1970, talking him out of retirement in 1970. The late-season addition rejuvenated the struggling team, who finished strongly, ending up in third place. Over the next three seasons, the tandem led the North Stars into the playoffs, including an appearance against Montreal in the 1971 semifinals. In this series, Minnesota was the first expansion team to defeat an Original Six team in a playoff game, beating the Canadiens twice.
Starting in 1974, the fortunes of the Minnesota club sagged, as did Maniago's play. Worsley's retirement that season left him as the sole experienced goalie on the struggling team. After the 1976 season, he was traded to the Vancouver Canucks for Gary "Suitcase" Smith on August 23, 1976, where Cesare played for his two final seasons.
Legacy
In retirement, Maniago was involved in the wholesale sporting goods business, but later became the goaltending coach for the Canucks.[4]
Maniago retired with 190 wins in 568 games, recording 30 shutouts and a career 3.27 goals against average, leading Minnesota goaltenders in every meaningful statistical category.[5]
At the time of his retirement, Maniago was in the top 25 in NHL history in shutouts, fifth in all-time losses and twelfth in all-time games played.
Maniago remains third in all-time games played and minutes played in net for the Minnesota/Dallas franchise behind Marty Turco and Kari Lehtonen, and third in shutouts to Ed Belfour and Turco, and fifth in wins.[6]
Career statistics
| Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | League | GP | W | L | T | MIN | GA | SO | GAA | SV% | GP | W | L | T | MIN | GA | SO | GAA | SV% | ||
| 1957–58 | St. Michael's Majors | OHA-Jr. | 48 | 21 | 19 | 7 | 2880 | 173 | 2 | 3.60 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1958–59 | St. Michael's Majors | OHA-Jr. | 42 | — | — | — | 2520 | 131 | 4 | 3.12 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1959–60 | Kitchener-Waterloo Dutchmen | OHA-Sr. | 38 | — | — | — | 2240 | 149 | 0 | 3.99 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1959–60 | Chatham Maroons | Al-Cup | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 14 | 10 | 3 | 1 | 850 | 40 | 3 | 2.82 | — | ||
| 1960–61 | Toronto Maple Leafs | NHL | 7 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 420 | 17 | 0 | 2.43 | .928 | 2 | 1 | 1 | — | 145 | 6 | 0 | 2.48 | .905 | ||
| 1960–61 | Sudbury Wolves | EPHL | 11 | 7 | 3 | 1 | 660 | 19 | 3 | 1.73 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1960–61 | Vancouver Canucks | WHL | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 120 | 5 | 0 | 2.50 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1960–61 | Spokane Comets | WHL | 30 | 17 | 10 | 3 | 1800 | 90 | 1 | 3.00 | — | 4 | 1 | 3 | — | 240 | 19 | 0 | 4.75 | — | ||
| 1961–62 | Hull-Ottawa Canadiens | EPHL | 68 | 37 | 21 | 10 | 4080 | 168 | 3 | 2.47 | — | 13 | 8 | 5 | — | 823 | 32 | 0 | 2.33 | — | ||
| 1962–63 | Montreal Canadiens | NHL | 14 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 820 | 42 | 0 | 3.07 | .897 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1962–63 | Quebec Aces | AHL | 5 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 300 | 19 | 0 | 3.80 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1962–63 | Spokane Comets | WHL | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 60 | 4 | 0 | 4.00 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1962–63 | Hull-Ottawa Canadiens | EPHL | 28 | 13 | 11 | 4 | 1680 | 86 | 1 | 3.07 | — | 3 | 0 | 3 | — | 185 | 9 | 0 | 2.92 | — | ||
| 1963–64 | Buffalo Bisons | AHL | 27 | 11 | 13 | 1 | 1630 | 103 | 0 | 3.79 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1963–64 | Omaha Knights | CPHL | 6 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 360 | 23 | 0 | 3.83 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1964–65 | Minneapolis Bruins | CPHL | 67 | 34 | 26 | 7 | 4020 | 184 | 6 | 2.75 | — | 5 | 1 | 4 | — | 300 | 19 | 1 | 3.80 | — | ||
| 1965–66 | New York Rangers | NHL | 28 | 9 | 14 | 4 | 1613 | 94 | 2 | 3.50 | .895 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1965–66 | Baltimore Clippers | AHL | 27 | 11 | 16 | 0 | 1572 | 83 | 1 | 3.17 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1966–67 | New York Rangers | NHL | 6 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 219 | 14 | 0 | 3.84 | .863 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||
| 1967–68 | Minnesota North Stars | NHL | 52 | 22 | 16 | 9 | 2876 | 133 | 6 | 2.77 | .913 | 14 | 7 | 7 | — | 895 | 39 | 0 | 2.61 | .918 | ||
| 1968–69 | Minnesota North Stars | NHL | 64 | 18 | 34 | 10 | 3599 | 198 | 1 | 3.30 | .905 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1969–70 | Minnesota North Stars | NHL | 50 | 9 | 24 | 16 | 2887 | 163 | 2 | 3.39 | .908 | 3 | 1 | 2 | — | 180 | 6 | 1 | 2.00 | .941 | ||
| 1970–71 | Minnesota North Stars | NHL | 40 | 19 | 15 | 6 | 2380 | 107 | 5 | 2.70 | .914 | 8 | 3 | 5 | — | 480 | 28 | 0 | 3.50 | .896 | ||
| 1971–72 | Minnesota North Stars | NHL | 43 | 20 | 17 | 4 | 2539 | 112 | 3 | 2.65 | .919 | 4 | 1 | 3 | — | 238 | 12 | 0 | 3.03 | .906 | ||
| 1972–73 | Minnesota North Stars | NHL | 47 | 21 | 18 | 6 | 2736 | 132 | 5 | 2.89 | .910 | 5 | 2 | 3 | — | 309 | 9 | 2 | 1.75 | .939 | ||
| 1973–74 | Minnesota North Stars | NHL | 40 | 12 | 18 | 10 | 2378 | 138 | 1 | 3.48 | .898 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1974–75 | Minnesota North Stars | NHL | 37 | 11 | 21 | 4 | 2129 | 149 | 1 | 4.20 | .881 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1975–76 | Minnesota North Stars | NHL | 47 | 13 | 27 | 5 | 2704 | 151 | 2 | 3.36 | .901 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1976–77 | Vancouver Canucks | NHL | 47 | 17 | 21 | 9 | 2699 | 151 | 1 | 3.36 | .894 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1977–78 | Vancouver Canucks | NHL | 46 | 10 | 24 | 8 | 2570 | 172 | 1 | 4.02 | .870 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| NHL totals | 568 | 190 | 257 | 97 | 32,569 | 1773 | 30 | 3.27 | .902 | 36 | 15 | 21 | — | 2247 | 100 | 3 | 2.67 | .916 | ||||
"Maniago's stats". The Goaltender Home Page. Retrieved 2017-10-01.
References
- ^ Minnesota North Stars 1974–75 Media Guide (profile on page 44). Retrieved 5 December 2025.
- ^ Slate, Ralph. "Cesare Maniago". The Internet Hockey Database. hockeyDB.com. Retrieved 24 November 2025.
- ^ Kane, Martin (21 March 1966). "HOCKEY'S BIGGEST MOMENT NO. 51". SI Vault. Sports Illustrated. Retrieved 15 September 2019.
- ^ "Top 100 Goalies: No. 86 — Cesare Maniago". The Hockey News. Roustan Media Ltd. Retrieved 24 November 2025.
- ^ Slate, Ralph. "Cesare Maniago". The Internet Hockey Database. hockeyDB.com. Retrieved 24 November 2025.
- ^ "Dallas Stars Career Leaders". Hockey Reference. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved 24 November 2025.