| Alan Bester | |
| Birth Date: | 26 March 1964 |
| Birth Place: | Hamilton, Ontario, Canada |
| Height Ft: | 5 |
| Height In: | 7 |
| Weight Lb: | 155 |
| Position: | Goaltender |
| Catches: | Left |
| Played For: | Toronto Maple Leafs Detroit Red Wings Dallas Stars |
| Draft: | 48th overall |
| Draft Year: | 1983 |
| Draft Team: | Toronto Maple Leafs |
| Career Start: | 1983 |
| Career End: | 1998 |
Alan Bester (born March 26, 1964)[1] is a Canadian former professional ice hockey goaltender. He played in the National Hockey League with the Toronto Maple Leafs, Detroit Red Wings, and Dallas Stars between 1984 and 1996.
Bester was born in Hamilton, Ontario. He played with the Brantford Alexanders of the OHL for three seasons before moving on to professional hockey. He was drafted into the National Hockey League (NHL) by the Toronto Maple Leafs in the third round (48th overall) of the 1983 NHL Entry Draft.
Bester spent parts of 11 seasons in the NHL, beginning in 1983–84. He spent eight years in Toronto, and then was traded to the Detroit Red Wings in 1991. He spent most of his career moving between the NHL and American Hockey League (AHL). In 1992, Bester won a Calder Cup with the Adirondack Red Wings. He was awarded the Jack A. Butterfield Trophy as playoff MVP. Bester made a short return to the NHL after a four-year absence, playing ten games for the Dallas Stars in the mid-1990s.
Bester ended his career in the International Hockey League (IHL). He played with both the San Diego Gulls and Orlando Solar Bears before announcing his retirement in August 1998.
| Regular season | Playoffs | ||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | League | GP | W | L | T | MIN | GA | SV% | GP | W | L | MIN | GA | SO | GAA | SV% | ||||
| 1981–82 | Brantford Alexanders | OHL | 19 | 4 | 11 | 0 | 970 | 68 | 0 | 4.21 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1982–83 | Brantford Alexanders | OHL | 56 | 29 | 21 | 3 | 3210 | 188 | 0 | 3.51 | — | 8 | 3 | 3 | 480 | 20 | 1 | 2.50 | — | ||
| 1983–84 | Toronto Maple Leafs | NHL | 32 | 11 | 16 | 4 | 1848 | 134 | 0 | 4.35 | .883 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1983–84 | Brantford Alexanders | OHL | 23 | 12 | 9 | 1 | 1271 | 71 | 1 | 3.35 | — | 1 | 0 | 1 | 60 | 5 | 0 | 5.00 | — | ||
| 1984–85 | Toronto Maple Leafs | NHL | 15 | 3 | 9 | 1 | 767 | 54 | 1 | 4.22 | .874 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1984–85 | St. Catharines Saints | AHL | 30 | 9 | 18 | 1 | 1669 | 133 | 0 | 4.78 | .866 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1985–86 | Toronto Maple Leafs | NHL | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 20 | 2 | 0 | 6.00 | .600 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1985–86 | St. Catharines Saints | AHL | 50 | 23 | 23 | 3 | 2855 | 173 | 1 | 3.64 | .881 | 11 | 7 | 3 | 637 | 27 | 0 | 2.54 | — | ||
| 1986–87 | Toronto Maple Leafs | NHL | 36 | 10 | 14 | 3 | 1808 | 110 | 2 | 3.65 | .889 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 39 | 1 | 0 | 1.54 | .941 | ||
| 1986–87 | Newmarket Saints | AHL | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 190 | 6 | 0 | 1.89 | .937 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1987–88 | Toronto Maple Leafs | NHL | 30 | 8 | 12 | 5 | 1607 | 102 | 2 | 3.81 | .884 | 5 | 2 | 3 | 253 | 21 | 0 | 4.98 | .844 | ||
| 1988–89 | Toronto Maple Leafs | NHL | 43 | 17 | 20 | 3 | 2460 | 156 | 2 | 3.80 | .890 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1989–90 | Toronto Maple Leafs | NHL | 42 | 20 | 16 | 0 | 2206 | 165 | 0 | 4.49 | .873 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 196 | 14 | 0 | 4.29 | .883 | ||
| 1989–90 | Newmarket Saints | AHL | 5 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 264 | 18 | 0 | 4.09 | .891 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1990–91 | Toronto Maple Leafs | NHL | 6 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 247 | 18 | 0 | 4.37 | .860 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1990–91 | Newmarket Saints | AHL | 19 | 7 | 8 | 4 | 1157 | 58 | 1 | 3.01 | .909 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1990–91 | Detroit Red Wings | NHL | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 178 | 13 | 0 | 4.38 | .869 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 20 | 1 | 0 | 3.00 | .917 | ||
| 1991–92 | Detroit Red Wings | NHL | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 31 | 2 | 0 | 3.87 | .778 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1991–92 | Adirondack Red Wings | AHL | 22 | 13 | 8 | 0 | 1268 | 78 | 0 | 3.69 | .879 | 19 | 14 | 5 | 1174 | 50 | 1 | 2.56 | .915 | ||
| 1992–93 | Adirondack Red Wings | AHL | 41 | 16 | 15 | 5 | 2268 | 133 | 1 | 3.52 | .896 | 10 | 7 | 3 | 633 | 26 | 1 | 2.46 | — | ||
| 1993–94 | San Diego Gulls | IHL | 46 | 22 | 14 | 6 | 2543 | 150 | 1 | 3.54 | .891 | 8 | 4 | 4 | 419 | 28 | 0 | 4.00 | .891 | ||
| 1994–95 | San Diego Gulls | IHL | 58 | 28 | 23 | 5 | 3250 | 183 | 1 | 3.38 | .894 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 272 | 13 | 0 | 2.86 | .925 | ||
| 1995–96 | Orlando Solar Bears | IHL | 51 | 32 | 16 | 2 | 2947 | 176 | 1 | 3.58 | .889 | 23 | 11 | 12 | 1343 | 65 | 2 | 2.90 | .906 | ||
| 1995–96 | Dallas Stars | NHL | 10 | 4 | 5 | 1 | 601 | 30 | 0 | 3.00 | .899 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1996–97 | Orlando Solar Bears | IHL | 61 | 37 | 13 | 3 | 3115 | 132 | 2 | 2.54 | .903 | 10 | 4 | 4 | 512 | 27 | 0 | 3.16 | .904 | ||
| 1997–98 | Orlando Solar Bears | IHL | 26 | 13 | 8 | 1 | 1330 | 66 | 1 | 2.98 | .895 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 76 | 6 | 0 | 4.68 | .860 | ||
| NHL totals | 219 | 73 | 99 | 17 | 11773 | 786 | 7 | 4.01 | .883 | 11 | 2 | 6 | 508 | 37 | 0 | 4.37 | .870 | ||||