It was 20 years ago -- on Dec. 8, 1987 -- that Philadelphia goaltender Ron Hextall became the first netminder to score an NHL goal.
In the game’s waning moments and with the Boston net empty in favor of an extra skater, Hextall went behind his own net to stop a dump-in from Bruins defenseman Gord Kluzak. Displaying the stick savvy that was his trademark, Hextall pivoted and wristed the puck 20 feet into the air. It dropped a foot from Boston’s blueline and carried into the net just inside the right post.
Islanders Hall of Famer Billy Smith had been credited with a goal nine years earlier, when he was the last New York player to touch the puck before Colorado defenseman Rob Ramage accidentally cleared it into his own net. But Hextall was the first goalie to find the net on his own.
As a Flyers prospect in the mid-1980s, Hextall demonstrated his skills as a third defenseman at Hershey of the AHL. He fearlessly came out of the net to play the puck, and he could artfully move it to a teammate or muscle it out of the zone. Hextall would get burned on occasion, but he was playing a style that many of his peers would adopt after his arrival in the NHL. It’s that style that prompted NHL officials to limit goalie movement after the lockout, in an effort to increase scoring.
Hextall’s feat is honored in “Sixty Moments that Changed the Game,” a publication recently released by The Hockey News. It’s chock full of NHL history and the game’s memorable moments. The articles will bring back memories to older hockey fans, and they offer a historic glimpse of the game to younger fans.
With Hextall leading the way, four goaltenders have scored goals since he found the net. Three others -- Damian Rhodes, Mika Noronen and Chris Mason -- have been credited with goals.
Goaltenders Scoring Regular-Season Goals, Since 12/8/87
Scorer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Date. . . . . . . Opp
Chris Osgood, Det. . . . . . .3/6/1996. . . . . Hart
Martin Brodeur, NJ. . . . . .2/15/2000. . . . .Phi
Jose Theodore, Mon. . . . .1/2/2001. . . . . NYI
Evgeni Nabokov, SJ. . . . . .3/10/2002. . . . .Van
Influenced by Hextall, goalies have increasingly been part of the scoring action. He retired eight years ago with 32 assists and 33 points in regular-season action. Since Hextall’s rookie year in 1986-87, six goalies have recorded as many as 30 points. Among this group, only Hextall has a goal.
Highest Career Point Totals by Goaltenders, 1986-87 and Since
Scorer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Pts
Patrick Roy. . . . . . . . . . . . 42
Mike Vernon. . . . . . . . . . . 38
Tom Barrasso. . . . . . . . . . .36
Ed Belfour. . . . . . . . . . . . .34
Ron Hextall. . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Curtis Joseph. . . . . . . . . . .31
Hextall also has a playoff goal to his credit. As a Flyer, he scored on an empty net against Washington on April 11, 1989, securing the first playoff score by a goalie in the Patrick Division semifinals.