Height: 5-8
Weight: 165
Catch: L
Born: 15 Jun 1951, Trenton ON (d. 2026)
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Regular Season Goaltending Record (key)
| year | team | ||||||||
| 1973-74 | Minnesota | ||||||||
| 1974-75 | Minnesota | ||||||||
| 1975-76 | Minnesota | ||||||||
| Toronto | |||||||||
| Totals (2 teams) | |||||||||
| 1976-77 | Birmingham | ||||||||
| 1977-78 | Birmingham | ||||||||
| 1978-79 | New England | ||||||||
| Totals: |
Playoff Goaltending Record
| year | team | ||||||||
| 1974 | Minnesota | ||||||||
| 1975 | Minnesota | ||||||||
| 1978 | Birmingham | ||||||||
| 1979 | New England | ||||||||
| Totals: |
Shutouts
| Date | Opponent | Home/Away | Score | Saves |
| Oct 19, 1973 | New England | Home | 1-0 | 30 |
| Dec 19, 1974 | Indianapolis | Away | 6-0 | 29 |
| Dec 29, 1974 | Cleveland | Home | 6-0 | 23 |
| Apr 18, 1975 | New England | Away | 4-0 | 27 |
| Nov 20, 1975 | New England | Away | 2-0 | 24 |
| Dec 17, 1975 | New England | Home | 0-0 | 26 |
| Mar 16, 1976 | Cleveland | Home | 6-0 | 36 |
| Jan 27, 1977 | Winnipeg | Home | 3-0 | 21 |
| Feb 4, 1977 | Quebec | Home | 7-0 | 24 |
| Feb 27, 1977 | Edmonton | Away | 4-0 | 31 |
| Mar 23, 1977 | Phoenix | Away | 4-0 | 43 |
| Dec 4, 1977 | Indianapolis | Home | 3-0 | 23 |
| Dec 21, 1977 | Czechoslovakia | Home | 5-0 | 24 |
| Dec 3, 1978 | Edmonton | Away | 7-0 | 25 |
| Apr 12, 1979 | Cincinnati | Home | 4-0 | 22 |
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Garrett Next Net Superstar? • by Charley Hallman • The Hockey Spectator • December 28, 1973
Infectious — that's Johnny Murdoch Garrett's smile. If you had to guess his line of business, you'd come up with comedian, song-and-dance man or funeral parlor director. He could also be a drummer for a rock and roll band ... preferably something smooth like the new rage, "Joy of Cooking." He would be right at home in that element . ..whaling away on the drums, smiling toothfully behind the girl singers ... giving the impression of glee with the way the world is flying. J. Murdoch Garrett is not your ordinary tender of goal. He's much too unconcerned. He could give a care less about Watergate, whether Quebec splits or judging the Miss Universe contest. He'd much rather stop shots by Bobby Hull, Gordon Howe and Pat Hickey. Pat Hickey? Whosthat? Pat Hickey is a 20-year-old kiddie player with the Toronto Toros. December ninth will be a day J. Murdoch Garrett recalls as long as other residents remember December the seventh. For on December ninth, year of our lord nineteen hundred seventy three, those rascals from Toronto, the bull-headed Toros, danced the red light behind our hero some 10 times ... the afforementioned Mr. Hickey turning the trick a quartet of instances. It was a rout, murder in the p.m., an ugly thorn to carry in a fuming mind. But Garrett is willing to shake it off. "Just one of those things," crooned the 22-year-old youngster who more often than not exerts the grace of a belly dancer in blue and gold towards WHA foes. "I really didn't want to end up as goals against leader in the league anyway," Garrett said. "I'd rather be the leader in victories." How quickly the young readjust their goals. "It's awful," moaned Saints' General Manager Glen Sonmor. "Why we did this to John Garrett I'll never know. Our defense broke down completely in front of him." Sonmor was lickety-split in expressing his happiness with Garrett, whisked away from a Chicago Black Hawk backup role last summer. "He's the best young goalie in hockey, bar none. And soon, he may be the best goalie in the game." The Saints pulled a fast one on Tommy Ivan. While making small talk with Tony Esposito, leaving visions of vanishing superstars dancing in Hawk disguises to the poor Ivan, the Minnesota effort was pitched at our man Murdoch's doorstep. Ivan waltzed terribly to Esposito's tune, leaving the Wirtz cupboard bare for Murdoch's wants ... and thus Sonmor was able to obtain the young goalie from Prime Minister Alan Eagleson, noble Canadian knight of player protection. "Ooph," said the badly-in-formed Ivan, when apprised of the Garrett defection. "That hurts." Ivan, you see, had pulled a fast one to spirit our hero from the St. Louis Blues a year earlier and was counting on Garrett to be the new Gary Smith ... 10-game-a-year man behind the omniplaying Esposito. "I couldn't see playing 10 games a year, even if they were behind Esposito,"' says Garrett. "I'm most happy to be a member of the Fighiting Saints. 1 think we have a heckuva hockey team here." And his Saints' teammates think they have a heckuva goalie combination with Garrett and Michael Curran. "We have excellent goalkeeping," says Defenseman Rick Smith. "Not bad," commented the oblique Black Michael McMahon, heaping extraordinary praise for his lingo. "We've been quite steady in the nets," says Shakey Walton, dressing room voice of the club. Garrett is batting about four above .500 and was heading along with a nice goals-against mark of about 2.65 until the Great Varsity Arena Fiasco. "Have to pick up a few shutouts," said the mustachioed Murdoch, holder of the Ontario Hockey Association (OHA) record for goals against allowed in a season at 2.96. "He was the toughest goalie I faced as a junior," said the upstart Hickey. "I've only scored one goal on him before. It was a nice feeling to do him in." Aha, young Hickey. The world exists for more than a night. J. Murdoch Garrett has your number and will recall your remarks on occasions of the future. "He'll be back," said Saints' coach Harry Neale of Garrett. "I don't worry about John. He's a competitor and a great young player. "Anyone can have an awful night, especially with the defensive mess we occasionally come up with." Yes, John Murdoch Garrett will be back. His face is still filled with the widest of smiles. And he still could be doing in the drums for "Joy of Cooking." |
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Excerpts from Pro Hockey, WHA 1975-76 (by Dan Proudfoot)
Some of the best goaltenders spend years wandering the minor leagues before they develop, and John Garrett wasn't any different despite his background. Garrett was supposed to be one of the soundest goaltenders to be seen in junior hockey for years. That was in 1971 when he was with the Peterborough, Ont., Petes. All of the scouts praised him, but he was not an especially high draft choice. St. Louis Blues drafted him in the second round, 38th overall, and he bounced around the minor leagues until Minnesota Fighting Saints rescued him. "He's still only 24," says manager Glen Sonmor, "and he just took off in 1974-75. With Garrett and Mike Curran we think we have two good goaltenders for the future. Mike's only 31, and surgery in the off-season has corrected his knee problems." |
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Excerpts from Zander Hollander's Guide to Pro Hockey, 1975-76 (by Reyn Davis)
Houston touched him for eight goals on the last night of the regular schedule, causing his goals-against average to tumble from second among WHA goalies... Earned serious consideration for All Star votes... Gaudy mask has angel wings painted on it... Saints tore up his old contract and gave him a new one midway through the 1974-75 season... Called "Chi-Chi" by his teammates... Started 58 games, winning 30 and earning ties in two... Secret ambition is to win a scoring title... Product of Chicago Black Hawk organization... Had outstanding career with Peterborough Petes of the OHA. |
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Excerpts from Pro Hockey, WHA 1976-77 (by Dan Proudfoot)
The Toronto Toros used six different goaltenders in 1975-76 and actually tried to land a seventh, Gilles Gratton, who had toiled for the Toros the year before. But 25-year-old John Garrett, whom the Toros signed after Minnesota Fighting Saints folded, leaving him unemployed, was the only one of the crowd who shut out an opponent. That, perhaps, was the strongest possible evidence of his goaltending skills, which have been undisputed since his days as a junior at Peterborough. "Am I surprised?" he said after blanking the Cleveland Crusaders, "Are you kidding? This team isn't noted for defensive play." |
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Excerpts from Zander Hollander's Guide to Pro Hockey, 1978-79 (by Reyn Davis)
Considered a bargain by hockey economists, considering what he's paid and what he does ... Thrives on work and heavy schedules ... Has the ear of management when it comes to airing grievances ... Very bright individual ... Nickname is "Cheech" ... a dedicated athlete and a strong family man ... Always interesting ... Good copy for media people ... Has a summer hockey school in Birmingham with Brent Hughes, coach Glen Sonmor and trainer Larry Ashley ... Appeared in more games (58) than any other WHA goaltender last season ... Posted a 24-32-1 record |
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