Cheevers played his first NHL games in 1961-62 as a member of the Toronto Maple Leafs. He appeared in just two games for the NHL club during a nomadic season that saw him play for the Sault Ste. Marie Thunderbirds of the EPHL along with the Pittsburgh Hornets and Rochester Americans of the American Hockey League.
He got his first start with the Boston Bruins in 1965-66, playing seven games. The numbers were dismal on the weak Bruins with no wins and a 6.00 GAA. By 1967-68, the Bruins were fast improving with Bobby Orr and Phil Esposito in the lineup. Cheevers was now the team’s starting goaltender and would be for the next five years. The Bruins won the Stanley Cup in 1969-70 and 1971-72.
Gerry Cheevers Collection
Despite the success, Gerry was one of the many to jump to the fledgling World Hockey Association, signing with the Cleveland Crusaders for the 1972-73 season. Cheevers played played three and half seasons with Cleveland before returning to the Bruins midway through the 1975-76 season. He stands tied for the second most WHA career shutouts with 14.
Cheevers retired as a player from the Bruins after the 1979-80 season. His career numbers were impressive with a .639 regular season winning percentage in the NHL, along with 26 shutouts. Still, Cheevers was denied a Vezina Trophy or First Team All-Star selection. He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1985.
Gerry was a champion long before his two Stanley Cups with the Bruins. In 1960-61, his fifth in the Ontario Hockey Association with the Toronto St. Michael’s Majors, Cheevers and Dave Dryden teamed up in net to lead the team to a Memorial Cup victory. Success came again in 1964-65, this time in the AHL.
Cheevers played every one of the Rochester Americans 72 regular season games during the 1964-65 AHL season. His 48 wins that season still stand as an AHL record. He was awarded the Harry Holmes Memorial Award as the goaltender with the lowest goals against average (2.68). The Amerks took out the Hershey Bears 4-1 in the finals to win their first Calder Cup. In 1987, Cheevers, along with Don Cherry and Gerry Ehman, was part of the first inductee class of the Rochester Americans Hall of Fame.
Gerry Cheevers Stats
| Season | Team | Lge | GP | A | PIM | Min | GA | EN | SO | GAA |
| 1959-60 | Toronto St. Michael’s | OHA | 36 | 0 | 0 | 111 | 0 | 5 | 3.08 | |
| 1960-61 | Toronto St. Michael’s | OHA | 30 | 1 | 0 | 94 | 0 | 2 | 3.13 | |
| 1961-62 | SSM Thunderbirds | EPHL | 29 | 0 | 0 | |||||
| 1961-62 | Pittsburgh Hornets | AHL | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||||
| 1961-62 | Rochester Americans | AHL | 24 | 0 | 0 | 84 | 3 | 1 | 3.50 | |
| 1961-62 | Toronto Maple Leafs | NHL | 2 | 0 | 0 | 120 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 3.00 |
| 1962-63 | Rochester Americans | AHL | 19 | 0 | 2 | 75 | 0 | 1 | 3.95 | |
| 1962-63 | Sudbury Wolves | EPHL | 51 | 1 | 10 | |||||
| 1963-64 | Rochester Americans | AHL | 66 | 1 | 6 | 187 | 1 | 3 | 2.84 | |
| 1964-65 | Rochester Americans | AHL | 72 | 1 | 26 | 4359 | 195 | 3 | 5 | 2.68 |
| 1965-66 | Oklahoma City Blazers | CPHL | 29 | 0 | 8 | 73 | 0 | 3 | 2.49 | |
| 1965-66 | Boston Bruins | NHL | 7 | 0 | 0 | 340 | 34 | 0 | 0 | 6.00 |
| 1966-67 | Oklahoma City Blazers | CPHL | 25 | 0 | 4 | 71 | 0 | 1 | 2.80 | |
| 1966-67 | Boston Bruins | NHL | 22 | 0 | 12 | 1298 | 72 | 0 | 1 | 3.33 |
| 1967-68 | Boston Bruins | NHL | 47 | 2 | 8 | 2646 | 125 | 3 | 3 | 2.83 |
| 1968-69 | Boston Bruins | NHL | 52 | 0 | 14 | 3112 | 145 | 1 | 3 | 2.80 |
| 1969-70 | Boston Bruins | NHL | 41 | 0 | 4 | 2384 | 108 | 0 | 4 | 2.72 |
| 1970-71 | Boston Bruins | NHL | 40 | 0 | 4 | 2400 | 109 | 0 | 3 | 2.73 |
| 1971-72 | Boston Bruins | NHL | 41 | 2 | 25 | 2420 | 101 | 0 | 2 | 2.50 |
| 1972-73 | Cleveland Crusaders | WHA | 52 | 1 | 30 | 3144 | 149 | 2 | 5 | 2.83 |
| 1973-74 | Cleveland Crusaders | WHA | 59 | 0 | 30 | 3562 | 180 | 4 | 4 | 3.03 |
| 1974-75 | Cleveland Crusaders | WHA | 52 | 1 | 59 | 3076 | 167 | 2 | 4 | 3.26 |
| 1975-76 | Cleveland Crusaders | WHA | 28 | 0 | 15 | 1570 | 95 | 1 | 1 | 3.58 |
| 1975-76 | Boston Bruins | NHL | 15 | 0 | 2 | 900 | 41 | 1 | 1 | 2.73 |
| 1976-77 | Boston Bruins | NHL | 45 | 4 | 46 | 2700 | 137 | 0 | 3 | 3.04 |
| 1977-78 | Boston Bruins | NHL | 21 | 1 | 14 | 1086 | 48 | 1 | 1 | 2.65 |
| 1978-79 | Boston Bruins | NHL | 43 | 2 | 23 | 2509 | 132 | 1 | 1 | 3.16 |
| 1979-80 | Boston Bruins | NHL | 42 | 0 | 62 | 2479 | 116 | 3 | 4 | 2.81 |