Meloche's 351 losses are fourth-most in NHL history and his 2,755 goals allowed are third. But those numbers are more of a reflection on the teams he played for than the caliber of his play.

The Chicago Black Hawks (then two words) selected the Montreal native in the fifth round (No. 70) of the 1970 NHL Draft, and he went 2-0-0 in two late-season appearances in 1970-71. But Chicago, among the NHL elite in the early 1970s, wanted a veteran to back up Tony Esposito and targeted Gerry Desjardins of the California Golden Seals. Meloche was part of the package that went the other way when the trade was made Oct. 18, 1971.

Meloche's debut with the Golden Seals 10 days later was sensational: He made 34 saves in a 2-0 victory against the powerhouse Boston Bruins at Boston Garden. He finished 16-25 with 13 ties, a 3.33 goals-against average and four shutouts, tremendous numbers for a non-Stanley Cup Playoff team that struggled to keep the puck out of its net.

The incoming World Hockey Association raided the Golden Seals in the offseason of 1972, and for the next four seasons, Meloche was under siege behind a porous defense, never winning more than 12 games. The team moved to Cleveland for the 1976-77 season but continued to lose, and after two seasons was merged with the Minnesota North Stars.

Things got better for Meloche in Minnesota. He finished above .500 for the first time in his NHL career in 1979-80, going 27-20 with five ties and an NHL career-best 3.06 GAA. One year later, he and the North Stars were in the Stanley Cup Final, where they lost to the New York Islanders in five games.

Meloche played four more seasons for the North Stars and three with the struggling Pittsburgh Penguins before retiring after the 1987-88 season at 270-351 and 131 ties, a 3.65 GAA, 20 shutouts and .885 save percentage. In the playoffs, he was 21-19 with a 3.49 GAA and .888 save percentage.

After retiring, Meloche stayed with the Penguins as a scout and goaltending consultant. He was part of Pittsburgh's Stanley Cup-winning teams in 1991, 1992 and 2009. His son, Eric Meloche, was a forward who played 74 NHL games with the Penguins and Philadelphia Flyers.