Chico Resch

Chico Resch
Born	Glenn Allan Resch (1948-07-10) July 10, 1948 Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, Canada
Occupation(s)	Ice hockey goaltender, sportscaster
Years active	1973–1987 (player), post-1987 (broadcaster)
Known for	NHL goaltender, Stanley Cup champion (1980), New Jersey Devils color commentator

Glenn Allan "Chico" Resch (born July 10, 1948) is a former professional ice hockey goaltender with dual Canadian-American nationality, who also built a career as a television sportscaster. His NHL career spanned from 1973 through 1987, during which he secured a Stanley Cup championship with the New York Islanders in the 1979–80 season. Following his playing days, Resch became the color commentator for New Jersey Devils broadcasts on MSG Network and MSG Plus.

Junior and minor pro hockey

Resch’s early years saw him guarding the net for the University of Minnesota Duluth Bulldogs. After completing a degree in education, he embarked on his professional journey with the Muskegon Mohawks in the IHL. His rookie campaign was distinguished by three major accolades: the James Norris Memorial Trophy awarded for allowing the fewest goals, recognition as rookie of the year, and selection to the First All-Star team.

Progressing upward, Resch joined the New Haven Nighthawks in the American Hockey League, but spent most of the 1973–74 season with the Fort Worth Wings in the CHL. There, he earned league MVP honors and was named to the First Team All Star. Resch made his NHL debut with the New York Islanders on February 3, 1974, before returning to Fort Worth to complete that season.

New York Islanders

During the 1974–75 season, Resch’s first full year in the NHL, he appeared in 25 games posting a 2.47 goals against average along with three shutouts. He was instrumental in playoff comebacks where the Islanders overcame 0–3 deficits against both the Pittsburgh Penguins and Philadelphia Flyers, with the rally against Pittsburgh being one of only five instances in North American professional sports where a team recovered from a 3–0 series deficit in a best-of-seven format.

In 1975–76, Resch participated in 44 games, lowering his goals against average to 2.07 and recording seven shutouts. His performance earned him a spot on the Second All-Star team. Over subsequent seasons, he shared goaltending responsibilities with Billy Smith. The duo led the Islanders to finish first overall in the regular season of 1978–79; Resch again received Second All-Star team honors that year. Despite this success, their playoff run ended with a semifinals loss to the Rangers.

Throughout the Islanders’ championship-winning season of 1979–80, Resch primarily played as backup goaltender. That year featured significant roster adjustments by GM Bill Torrey, including trading veterans Billy Harris and Dave Lewis to acquire Butch Goring—a transaction widely regarded as crucial to securing the Stanley Cup.

Colorado Rockies/New Jersey Devils

On March 10, 1981, Resch was traded alongside Steve Tambellini to the struggling Colorado Rockies in exchange for Mike McEwen and Jari Kaarela. He made a return appearance at Long Island on February 20, 1982, facing his former team when the Islanders defeated Colorado 3–2, marking their record-setting 15th consecutive victory. Resch remained with the franchise through both the 1980–81 and 1981–82 seasons until its relocation to New Jersey, where it became known as the New Jersey Devils. Despite logging significant ice time during his stint with New Jersey, team success remained limited.

Philadelphia Flyers

On March 11, 1986, Resch was traded to the Philadelphia Flyers in exchange for a third-round selection in the 1986 NHL Entry Draft (which was used to draft Marc Laniel). During the 1986–87 season, he acted as the backup goaltender to rookie Ron Hextall but did not appear in the playoffs when the Flyers eliminated his former team, the Islanders, in the second round. A significant incident occurred when Resch was removed from a conference finals game against the Montreal Canadiens following his involvement in a pre-game altercation. Although Philadelphia won that series, they were ultimately defeated by the Edmonton Oilers in a seven-game Stanley Cup Finals. In that season, Resch recorded a 6–5–2 record across 17 games, marking his first winning campaign since departing from the Islanders. When he retired in 1987, he held the distinction of being the last NHL player born during the 1940s still active in the league.

International play

Resch uniquely represented two nations as a goaltender at the Canada Cup: initially Canada in 1976 and later the United States in 1984 after acquiring U.S. citizenship through marriage and residency. He turned down Don Cherry’s invitation to play for Canada at the 1981 World Ice Hockey Championships, opting instead to compete for the United States at the 1982 tournament held in Finland.

Broadcasting career

While still an active player, Resch began working in broadcasting, frequently appearing as an analyst on the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation's Hockey Night in Canada playoff coverage when his team was not participating in the Stanley Cup postseason.

Following his retirement, he served as a color commentator for the Minnesota North Stars during the 1987–88 and 1988–89 seasons. After undertaking management and coaching roles—mainly with the Ottawa Senators—Resch spent fifteen years as a commentator for New Jersey Devils games on Fox Sports New York (later MSG Plus), partnering with announcer "Doc". When Emrick transitioned to NBC, Resch teamed up with Steve Cangialosi for three seasons.

In 2014, Resch stepped away from Devils television broadcasts and moved to Minnesota at his wife’s request; his final broadcast was on April 13 of that year. He returned to Devils coverage on October 5, 2017, taking on radio color commentary duties alongside play-by-play announcer Matt Loughlin.

Personal life

During NHL seasons, Resch lives in Lyndhurst, New Jersey, while spending off-seasons between Brainerd, Minnesota and Emily, Minnesota. Throughout his time with the Devils, his residences included Little Ferry and Ridgewood, New Jersey. The couple selected Lyndhurst for its small-town atmosphere, access to public transit, and convenient proximity to both Manhattan and Newark, where Devils games are held. His daughter Holly, who is an artist, contributed illustrations for one of Resch’s books titled Tales from the Devils Ice. Outside of hockey season, Resch actively supports and coaches with Hockey Ministries International, focusing on teaching hockey skills alongside ethical lessons at Christian Hockey Camps.

The nickname "Chico" was given to Resch by Islanders teammate Doug Rombough, inspired by a character from a 1970s sitcom. Fans frequently chanted "Let's go, Chico!" at Devils games during his tenure. In the early 2000s, this nickname was also associated with Phoenix Coyotes goaltender Robert Esche, due to similarities between Esche’s stick lettering and "RESCH".

Awards and honors

Award	Year
All-WCHA Second Team	1970–71
Stanley Cup champion	1979–80
Bill Masterton Trophy	1981–82

Resch appeared in the NHL All-Star game during the years 1976, 1977, and 1984; notably, he secured the victory as the goaltender for the Wales Conference in 1984. Additionally, he earned a spot on the Postseason Second All-Star team in both 1976 and 1979.

Regular season and playoffs

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				Regular season										Playoffs
Season	Team	League		GP	W	L	T	MIN	GA	SO	GAA	SV%		GP	W	L	MIN	GA	SO	GAA	SV%
1966–67	Regina Pats	SJHL		5	—	—	—	300	17	0	3.40	—		6	2	4	360	26	0	4.33	—
1967–68	Minnesota-Duluth Bulldogs	WCHA		—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—		—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
1968–69	Minnesota-Duluth Bulldogs	WCHA		24	5	19	0	1,424	117	0	4.93	—		—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
1969–70	Minnesota-Duluth Bulldogs	WCHA		25	12	12	1	1,500	97	1	3.88	—		—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
1970–71	Minnesota-Duluth Bulldogs	WCHA		26	11	14	1	1,518	107	0	4.23	—		—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
1971–72	Muskegon Mohawks	IHL		59	—	—	—	3,488	180	4	3.09	—		11	—	—	617	29	0	2.82	—
1972–73	New Haven Nighthawks	AHL		43	—	—	—	2,408	166	0	4.13	—		—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
1973–74	New York Islanders	NHL		2	1	1	0	120	6	0	3.00	.895		—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
1973–74	Fort Worth Wings	CHL		55	24	20	11	3,300	175	2	3.18	—		5	1	4	300	21	0	3.60	—
1974–75	New York Islanders	NHL		25	12	7	5	1,432	59	3	2.47	.915		12	8	4	692	25	1	2.17	.931
NHL totals				571	231	224	82	32,279	1,761	26	3.27	.891		41	17	17	2,044	85	2	2.50	.914

International

Year	Team	Tournament		GP	W	L	T	MIN	GA	SO	GAA
1976	Canada	CC		Did not participate	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
1982	United States	WC		4	0	4	0	239	21	0	5.27
1984	United States	CC		2	0	1	1	108	9	0	5.00
Overall senior record				6	0	5	1	347	30	0	5.19