From his years as a young goalie in the Kenora minor hockey system to his more recent involvement as a goalie coach and consultant with NHL teams, Rick has been involved in the game of hockey for over fifty years. One of the top goalies in the Manitoba Junior Hockey League with the Kenora Muskies from 1969-72, his abilities caught the eye of Oshawa Generals coach Gus Bodnar.

After three years in the OHA, the Philadelphia Flyers selected Rick as their third choice in the fourth round of the 1975 amateur draft, going 72nd overall. Assigned to the Flint Generals in the International Hockey League, Rick led the league in goals against average in his second season.

Making his NHL debut with the Flyers in February of 1978, he played in 7 NHL games that season. The majority of his ice time that year was spent with the club's AHL affiliate, the Maine Mariners, who won the 1977-78 Calder Cup as AHL champions. The 1979-80 season saw him named to the AHL First All-Star team and as co-winner of the Harry (Hap) Holmes Memorial Trophy for outstanding goaltending in the AHL.

Moving into the Philadelphia Flyers line-up full-time for the 1980-81 season he appeared in 27 games posting a 2.49 goals against average and earning runner up honours for the Vezina Trophy with teammate Pete Peters. Making it to the quarter finals that year, Rick appeared in nine games for the Flyers, recording his first NHL playoff shutout against Calgary.

Traded to the Toronto Maple Leafs in 1983, goal tending great Jacques Plante, a former instructor of Rick's in the AHL, noted how fortunate Toronto was to have him in their line up. Sharing goal tending duties with Mike Palmateer, Rick finished up his 8 year NHL career with the club in 1985.

Following a season in the IHL with the Fort Wayne Komets where he was a co-winner of the James Norris Memorial Trophy and a second-team IHL All-Star, he retired from the professional ranks and turned his attention to the building side of the game.

Since the late 1980s he has served as a goaltending coach with such NHL teams as the Winnipeg Jets, Toronto Maple Leafs and with the 1999 Stanley Cup-winning Dallas Stars. He has also provided instruction to thousands of up and coming goalies at the Rick St. Croix School of Goaltending, and passed along his passion for the game to his two sons, Chris and Michael who were both drafted by NHL teams and spent time in the professional ranks.

Inducted into the Northwestern Ontario Sports Hall of Fame, September 27, 1997