A Real Devil of a Piece for the Collection! A New Jersey Devil That Is!

**IrbeFan4Life** · 09-23-2019, 03:15 PM

Yet another one of our eagerly awaited new pieces has arrived! Before we begin, however, don't forget to "LIKE" Bruce C. Goaltending Museum on Facebook and "FOLLOW" us on Twitter. Also, a huge thanks goes out to Tres Armstrong of Armstrong Customs for helping us acquire this exciting new piece. If you need a goalie mask custom painted to show off your unique style, Armstrong Customs is a great choice!

Born on September 11, 1966 in London, Ontario, Canada, Craig Billington was the first goaltender selected in the 1984 NHL Draft, 23rd overall by New Jersey. Coming off of a strong junior career with Belleville of the OHL and representing Canada in the 1984-85 World Juniors, Billington wasted no time in getting to the show. As a 19 year old, Billington made his NHL debut for the Devils on October 26, 1985 vs Los Angeles. He stopped 23 of 25 shots for the 5-2 win. That season, he appeared in 18 games for the Devils, recording a 4-9-1 record. He started the season off very strong, but ultimately hit a 9 game winless streak to end it. The following season, Billington resumed full-time back up duties with the Devils, appearing in a further 22 games. After spending the '87-88 season in the minors, Billington appeared in three more games in 1988-89. From there, he spent another season in the AHL before disappearing from the NHL as he played for Team Canada exclusively in 1990-91. Nothing could keep Billington down, however, as he bounced back with the Devils in '91-92. Over those next two seasons, he recorded career highs in shutouts each year, as well his two most-winningest seasons of his career with 13 and 21 wins respectively. He was then traded to the Ottawa Senators in 1993 in the deal that saw Peter Sidorkiewicz join the Devils. His two season stint with the Sens was not a pleasant one as he recorded a rough 11-47-6 record with the squad over 72 games. He then spent just over a season with the Boston Bruins before being acquired by the Colorado Avalanche in 1996-97. There, as the back-up to Patrick Roy, he recorded generally strong numbers and was seen as a very reliable number two goalie. Billington spent four more seasons as a #2 with Washington from 1999-2003 before retiring from play and then joining the Avs as their goalie coach in 2003. He then earned the role of the assistant GM in Colorado by 2009, a position he still holds today.

In his NHL career, Craig Billington appeared in 332 NHL games, recording a 110-149-31 record with nine shutouts, six assists, a 3.63GAA and a 0.877% save average. Additionally, in eight playoff games, Billington recorded an 0-2 record with a 4.23GAA, and a 0.853% save average.

What you are looking at right now is a photomatched Vaughn B1050 blocker used by Craig Billington of the New Jersey Devils during the 1991-92 season. Featuring many puck marks, this stunning piece highlights Billington's tenacity as this season marked his return to the NHL after a two season absence.

Acquired from: Tres Armstrong of Armstrong Customs

Dates of Game Use: Throughout 1991-92 season

Photomatched: YES