Throwback Thursday: Ron Hextall's Historic Empty-Net Goal

With a two-goal lead in the final minutes of the third period against the Bruins on Dec. 8, 1987, Flyers goaltender Ron Hextall made history. With Boston's net empty, Hextall fired a shot from just outside his crease, becoming the first NHL goalie to score a goal by shooting the puck into the opponent's net.

To be sure, Hextall wasn't the first goaltender to be credited with a goal. Eight years earlier, Billy Smith of the New York Islanders was the first goaltender in NHL history to find his name in the goal column on the scoresheet. During a game against the Rockies, he was the last Islanders player to touch the puck before Colorado defenceman Rob Ramage put the puck into his own net during a delayed penalty sequence. Interestingly, just a week before Hextall's big night, Rangers goaltender Bob Froese was briefly credited with a goal before it was officially awarded to another player following video review.

For Hextall and his teammates, what transpired that game was just something that seemed like it was bound to happen. During his time in the NHL, Hextall was regarded as one of the most proficient puck-handling goaltenders in the league, and perhaps of all time. Leading up to that night in December, the fans and his teammates were getting on his case about when he was going to score.

Reflecting on that time, Hextall, now the general manager of the Flyers, told VICE Sports that he waiting for the perfect moment.

"With a two-goal lead, the right situation just presented itself. The puck came to my left side and I set it up and was fortunate that it hit the net," he said.

After the puck landed near the Bruins' blueline and trickled into the net, Hextall was immediately mobbed by his teammates. He recalls that scoring a goal wasn't high on his list of career aspirations, but it was an immensely significant moment for him and the Flyers. "The thing I remember most is my teammates coming off the bench," he said. "The way the guys were yelling and screaming it was almost like we won a playoff series, so that made it really special for me."

Hextall credits his puck-handling prowess to practicing with a player's stick on outdoor rinks and playing plenty of road hockey as a youngster growing up in Brandon, Manitoba. "I played a lot of road hockey. I think in terms of puck-handling ability, I think I just enjoyed playing around with a stick and it's just something I developed over the years," he figured.

But that wasn't the last time Hextall scored a goal. He made history again in the 1989 playoffs when he became the first goaltender to score a goal in the postseason. In Game 5 of the Patrick Division semifinals against Washington, Hextall made good on another opportunity. With just over a minute remaining in the third period, the Flyers had a two-goal lead but found themselves on the penalty kill. With time winding down, the Capitals took advantage of the situation and pulled their goaltender, but unfortunately for them, Hextall was just waiting to make his move. He flipped the puck up and down the ice, straight into the Capitals' net.

Outside of Hextall's postseason tally, the only other goaltender to score in the playoffs has been Martin Brodeur. In the first game of the 1997 Eastern Conference quarterfinals, the Devils were up by a pair with less than a minute remaining. Once Jocelyn Thibault vacated his net, Brodeur took his shot. Before the faithful New Jersey crowd, he flipped the puck up and it landed right on the Devils logo at centre ice before sliding into Montreal's net. While the future Hall of Famer may have the most goals in NHL history among goaltenders, that playoff marker was his best effort as it was the one and only time he scored a goal after taking a shot.

Since Hextall made history, 29 years ago today, there have been only four other goaltenders who have scored a regular-season goal by taking a shot on their opponent's net, including San Jose's Evgeni Nabokov (2002), the Canadiens' Jose Theodore (2001), and the Red Wings' Chris Osgood in 1996. NHL teams have combined for 61,502 games since the 1987-88 season, which means that if we do some rudimentary calculations, goaltenders score a goal once every 12,300 games. It last happened on Oct. 19, 2013 when the Coyotes' Mike Smith beat the buzzer to score on Detroit with just a second remaining on the clock.

In the time that's passed since Smith's goal, NHL teams have played over 8,000 regular-season games. It stands to reason that we can expect to see another occurrence in the near future, possibly before the Maple Leafs win the Stanley Cup in 2020, but since goaltenders are a fickle bunch, I wouldn't advise making any wagers.

But if you were looking to place a bet on a goaltending event with a significant payout, it would have to be on a Gordie Howe Hat Trick. What are the odds that we'd see a goaltender score a goal, register an assist, and fight all in one game?

"A Gordie Howe Hat Trick? That would be a tough one, that would be a lot in one night," chuckled Hextall, who was no stranger to fighting or picking up helpers in his day.

For now, we'll just take another goal from a netminder, but until then—#tbt to when Ron Hextall became the first goaltender in NHL history to score a true goal.