After playing two seasons in the U.S. Hockey League (1947–48) and the American Hockey League (1948–49), Sawchuk began his National Hockey League (NHL) career with the Detroit Red Wings in 1949. With them during his first stay, his goals-against average was less than two. He was traded to the Boston Bruins in 1955 and played with them for two seasons before he was traded back to the Red Wings in 1957. He played with them through the 1963–64 season and later played with the Toronto Maple Leafs (1964–67), the Los Angeles Kings (1967–68), the Red Wings again (1968–69), and the New York Rangers (1969–70), by which time he was a relief goalie. His career record of 103 shutouts persisted into the mid-1980s.

In the 1952 Stanley Cup play-offs and series, Sawchuk allowed only five goals in eight games and had four shutouts. He won the NHL Vezina Trophy for goaltending four times: three times alone (1952, 1953, 1955) and once shared with John Bower (1965). Sawchuk died as a result of injuries that he incurred during horseplay with a teammate.