On This Date: Ron Hextall Becomes First Goalie To Score A Goal | Sports Then and Now Sports Then and Now Remembering Sports Greats We Lost in 2016 Snow Sports Injuries and How To Treat Them Mixed Martial Arts Professional Wrestling: Weird Form of Show How Mixed Martial Arts Was Created 5 Things Sports Fans Can Look Forward to in 2017 Best Rose Bowl Games in College Football History Tweet On December 8, 1987, Ron Hextall became the first goalie in NHL history to score a goal. Today is the anniversary of one of those interesting sports footnotes that were truly unique and deserve to be remembered. It was 23 years ago that Philadelphia Flyers goalie Ron Hextall did something that had never previously been accomplished in an NHL game. When you watch the replay, it doesn’t seem all that difficult a feat to accomplish, but before Hextall whipped a shot the length of the ice into an empty net on December 8, 1987, no goalie had ever actually scored in an NHL game. The accomplishment came at the end of a contest against the Boston Bruins.

With Philadelphia leading 4-2, the Bruins pulled their keeper, Rejean Lemelin, to add another offensive player. After Hextall picked up a loose puck near his goal, Hextall whipped it the length of the ice and it easily nestled into the net. Hextall would repeat the accomplishment on April 11, 1989 in a playoff game against the Washington Capitals to become the first goalie to score in a playoff game. Interestingly, Hextall was not the first goalie credited with a goal. Because of hockey’s score keeping rule that credits a goal to the last offensive player to touch the puck, on November 28, 1979, Billy Smith of the New York Islanders was the first NHL goalie to be credited with a goal even though he didn’t actually shoot the puck into the net. Smith was awarded the goal during a game against the Colorado Rockies. The Rockies’ goaltender left the ice for an extra skater after a delayed penalty was called on the Islanders. During the ensuing play, Smith made a save, then a Rockies player passed the puck to a vacant point, and it traveled the length of the ice into the empty net.

There have been a total of 11 goals credited to goalies in NHL history with six of them resulting directly from a goalie shooting the puck into the net. Following the two goals by Hextall, the next to accomplish the feat was Chris Osgood in 1996. Martin Brodeur, Jose Theodore and Evgeni Nabokov are the others with Nabokov being the last to do so in 2002. Below is a look at Hextall’s historic goal. Related Posts Ron Hextall | Ice Hockey Wiki | Fandom powered by Wikia Prior to playing in the NHL, Hextall won the Dudley "Red" Garrett Memorial Award in 1986 as the top rookie of the American Hockey League , while playing for the Hershey Bears . Philadelphia years Edit Hextall played the bulk of his career in two stints with the Philadelphia Flyers ( 1986–87 to 1991–92 , and 1994–95 to 1998–99 ). He helped revolutionize the position of goaltender , leaving the goal mouth regularly to play the puck with their sticks.

Hextall was known for his aggressive play, something which made him a fan-favorite in Philadelphia . He holds the record for most penalty minutes by a goaltender in one season with 113 in 1988–89 . A notable incident illustrating his aggressiveness occurred in Game 6 of that year's Wales Conference Finals series, in which the Flyers faced the Montreal Canadiens . With his team trailing 3-2 in the series and 4-2 on the scoreboard in the game's final minutes, Hextall left the crease and slammed Montreal defenseman Chris Chelios into the boards, apparently in retaliation for Chelios' illegal yet unpenalized hit on Philadelphia's Brian Propp in Game 1 that left the latter with a concussion. After Chelios crumpled to the ice, Hextall continued to pummel him until the referees pulled the Flyer goalie off. For his actions, Hextall received a five-minute major and a match penalty, and was suspended for the first 12 games of the 1989–90 season .

Hextall is one of only two goaltenders, along with Henrik Lundqvist , to record at least 30 wins in his first three NHL seasons, which Hextall did from 1986–1989. Lundqvist is the first goaltender to record at least 30 wins in his first four NHL seasons, acheving that on March 12, 2009. The goals Edit On December 8, 1987 , in a game against the Boston Bruins , Hextall became the first goaltender in NHL history to score a goal by actually shooting the puck into an open net with the opposing goaltender pulled for an extra attacker (an achievement Hextall foreshadowed in 1986). In his post-game interview Hextall quipped, “ Now before you guys get started I want you to know I was aiming for that corner.

” (Because of hockey's score keeping rule that credits a goal to the last offensive player to touch the puck, on November 28, 1979, Billy Smith of the New York Islanders was the first NHL goalie to be credited with a goal; Smith was awarded the goal during a game against the Colorado Rockies . The Rockies' goaltender left the ice for an extra skater after a delayed penalty was called on the Islanders. During the ensuing play, Smith made a save, then a Rockies player passed the puck to a vacant point, and it traveled the length of the ice into the empty net). Hextall replicated the feat in the playoffs on April 11, 1989 against the Washington Capitals , thus becoming the first goalie to score a goal in a playoff game. This was later tied with Martin Brodeur . Ron Hextall was also the winner of the Vezina Trophy (NHL's Best Goaltender) and the Conn Smythe Trophy (NHL Playoff MVP), as well as being named to the NHL All-Rookie Team in 1987 as a rookie for the Philadelphia Flyers , as the Flyers lost to the powerful Edmonton Oilers in seven games during the Stanley Cup Finals .

The Calder Trophy was the only honor that eluded Hextall that year as he finished second behind Luc Robitaille . He was also remembered for a slash on Edmonton's Kent Nilsson in the 1987 Stanley Cup Finals; any Oiler player that approached the Flyers' net would receive welts on their legs from Hextall's stick. Quebec, Long Island, and back to Philadelphia Edit On June 30th 1992, Hextall was traded to the Quebec Nordiques along with Peter Forsberg , Chris Simon , Mike Ricci , Kerry Huffman , Steve Duchesne , a 1st round selection (Jocelyn Thibault) in 1993, a 1st round selection (later traded to the Toronto Maple Leafs, later traded to the Washington Capitals - Nolan Baumgartner) in 1994, and $15,000,000 cash for Eric Lindros. He spent the 1992–93 NHL season there, helping the Nordiques to make the playoffs for the first time in several years.

Hextall then moved on to the New York Islanders for the 1993–94 NHL season , where he also appeared in the playoffs. The Flyers reacquired him in 1994 and he helped them reach the finals in 1997, although they were quickly swept aside by the Detroit Red Wings in 4 games. He finished out his career with the Flyers in 1999. Post-retirement Edit In June 2006, the Los Angeles Kings named Ron Hextall as Assistant General Manager. In addition, Hextall will serve as the General Manager of the Manchester Monarchs of the American Hockey League, the Kings’ primary affiliate. On February 6, 2008, Hextall became the 19th member inducted into the Philadelphia Flyers Honored members Flyers Hall of Fame in a ceremony during a game vs the Washington Capitals.

Ron's son, center Brett Hextall (Currently playing his freshman year at the University of North Dakota) was drafted by the Phoenix Coyotes in the sixth round (159th overall) in the 2008 NHL Entry draft With that selection, the Hextalls have a chance to become the first family to have four generations play in the NHL. On May 7, 2014, Hextall was named the new General Manager of the Philadelphia Flyers. Awards Ron Hextall Sher-Wood Game Used Stick - Autographed: GAMEWORNAUCTIONS.NET Thank you for visiting our past auction results. If you have an item identical (or similar) to this auction lot, please contact us to discuss consigning.

Ron Hextall Sher-Wood Game Used Stick - Autographed Lot #284 Click any image for full-size IMAGES Ron Hextall Sher-Wood Game Used Stick - Autographed Lot #284 This Sher-Wood SOP 950 goalie stick was game used by Ron Hextall on May 11, 1997 as the Philadelphia Flyers beat the Buffalo Sabres in game 5 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals to advance to the Eastern Conference Finals against the New York Rangers. Hexy became an instant fan favorite right out of the gate for the Flyers. In his rookie season of 1986-87, Ron had 37 wins. If that weren't enough for the "rookie", he was also voted to the NHL All-Rookie team, was a first team All Star and won the Vezina trophy. Then, to top that off, he led his Flyers to the Stanley Cup finals winning the Conn Smythe trophy as playoff MVP even though his team lost in 7 games to the Edmonton Oilers dynasty. All in all Hexy finished his career a few wins short of 300 and was one of the most popular Flyers ever.

On December 8, 1987, in a game against the Boston Bruins, Hextall became the first goalie in NHL history to score a goal by actually shooting the puck into an open net with the opposing goaltender pulled for an extra attacker. This Sher-Wood goalie stick has the player name and number "Hextall 27" on the side. It is fully taped on the butt and blade. Ron has autographed the stick on the paddle and there is also the notation "game winner stick 5/11/97 Buff 3 - Phil 6". There is a slight crack in the blade. Hextall recalls goal as proud moment for him, Flyers | NHL.com Hextall recalls goal as proud moment for him, Flyers Hextall recalls goal as proud moment for him, Flyers by Davis Harper / NHL.com Ron Hextall won the Vezina Trophy as the NHL's top goaltender in 1986-87, his rookie season.

He led his Philadelphia Flyers to the '87 Stanley Cup Final, where they lost in seven games to the Edmonton Oilers -- but was so good he became one of five members of the losing team to take home the Conn Smythe Trophy as MVP of the playoffs. During the series, Wayne Gretzky called Hextall "probably the best goaltender I've ever played against." He played 13 seasons in the NHL and was enshrined in the Flyers Hall of Fame in 2008. For all his shot-stopping abilities, Hextall also was the most aggressive goaltender the NHL had seen, legendary for his fiery and physical nature on the ice. His prodigious puck-handling and passing abilities made him almost a third defenseman on the ice for the Flyers. Thus, it scarcely came as a surprise when, on Dec. 8, 1987, Hextall became the first NHL goaltender to score a goal by shooting the puck into the net. The goal, scored at 18:48 of the third period, put Philadelphia up 5-2 on the Boston Bruins in front of a capacity Spectrum crowd.

On the 25th anniversary of Hextall's achievement, NHL.com talked with Hextall and the teammates, commentators and opponents who were on hand to witness history. Wayne Fish, Flyers beat reporter, Bucks County (Pa.) Courier Times "So much had happened so early. He had just won the Conn Smythe in June of that year, and Gretzky had called him the greatest goaltender he had faced in the NHL. Those two items stand out above anything else. I think that's why he was sort of a rock star at that time. I did some 25th anniversary stuff for the J.J. Daigneault goal to win Game 6 against Edmonton, and people said the Spectrum was louder than they had ever heard it, including those wins in the '74 and '75 Stanley Cup [Final] games. When they sent it back to Edmonton for Game 7, they said Hextall needed a police escort when he left the building that night, that he felt like a rock star.

So I think that all that stuff had built up and was a precursor for that night [he scored]." Goals credited to NHL goaltenders There have been 12 goals credited to NHL goaltenders; six were shot into empty nets, the other six came when the goalie was the last player to touch the puck before the opposing team accidentally put the puck in its own net.

Goalie NYI 4 @ COL 7 (OG) Ron Hextall, PHI PHI 8 @ WSH 5 (SHG) Chris Osgood, DET NJD 0 @ OTT 6 (OG) Martin Brodeur, NJD PHI 2 @ NJD 4 (OG-GWG) Jose Theodore, MTL SJS 7 @ VAN 4 (PPG) Mika Noronen, BUF BUF 6 @ TOR 4 (OG) Chris Mason, NSH PHX 1 @ NSH 5 (OG) Cam Ward, CAR NJD 2 @ CAR 4 (OG) OG -- Goalie credited with goal after opposing team put puck into its own net PPG -- Power-play goal Mark Howe , Philadelphia Flyers defenseman "I've said on record, his rookie year when he won the Conn Smythe, I said from Day 1 of training camp to Game 7 of the Final, that's as good [a run] of goaltending as I've ever seen. Stuff I've watched before, stuff I've watched after. I mean, he had a very good career, but that year was just absolutely outstanding.

He was the backbone of our hockey club that year, and we wouldn't have been to the Final without him. Everybody who played on that team knows that. We had a lot of contributions from a lot of people, but without a doubt he's the main reason we got to where we did that year." Wayne Fish "He had all his hair, he had his mustache -- he looked like a rock star. He was sort of this swashbuckling type of guy, only 23 or 24 years old, which was, believe it or not, the prime of his career. He was right in the middle of that storm of admiration. He owned the town at that point. I'd say '87 was when he was at his very best." Brian Propp , Philadelphia Flyers left wing "When Ron Hextall came in the League, the way he could handle the puck and the way he could shoot it, sort of changes the game for goaltenders because after that there seemed to be a lot more play with the puck from goaltenders.

When he first came into the League in 1985, he was sort of a pioneer for being a seventh defenseman." Ron Hextall , Philadelphia Flyers goaltender "From a young age I really loved the game, and it was one of those things that when I was 2 or 3 years old, I'd throw a sock up the stairs and when it came down I'd try to stop it. I spent a lot of time on outdoor rinks by myself. I spent endless hours on my driveway, shooting a ball, playing with a ball. When you work at something, you develop some type of ability. I think it's all of those skills over the years that as I said, instead of playing hide and go seek I'd be out playing road hockey or just shooting the ball behind the house. I spent a lot of time with a stick in my hand, not working on my skills but just playing. That was my No. 1 form of entertainment as a kid." Bobby "Chief" Taylor, Philadelphia Flyers color commentator and former NHL goaltender "Handling the puck -- Jacques Plante really started the thing with handling the puck. But no one really thought about stopping it, passing it, almost becoming a third defenseman -- until Hexy.

That was the amazing thing, to see his ability to do that." Lyndon Byers , Boston Bruins right wing "Nobody handled the puck better than Ron Hextall . That guy was sick. We already knew he could clear the glass at the other end, we already knew he was the best puck-handling goalie. Not for nothing, he revolutionized goaltenders and how they handled the puck. He was basically a defenseman back there. He could really handle the biscuit." Mark Howe "He added such a dimension with his puck-moving ability. The thing was, he wanted the puck. As a defenseman, you wanted the puck, too, but you soon learned that Hexy wants the puck; it's going there anyway, so it's his. And we used it to our advantage on the penalty kill." Dave Poulin, Philadelphia Flyers center "I was a penalty-killer and I knew when a puck was dropped in -- so if he was standing in net and the puck came around from his left, and he was going out and his glove side was on the boards -- he could stop virtually any wrap at all that way.

So when we were shorthanded we would know, and we had a distinct plan that I would go to the penalty-box side of the ice and then straight across the middle if I saw that happening, and he would clear the puck to the middle. We ended up scoring a number of shorthanded breakaways that way." Bobby Taylor "The next progression, in the line of being able to handle the puck and passing it up and shooting it up to your defense, would be to try and shoot and score. That would be the next progression, and so that's why if it was going to get done, it was going to get done by him." Rick Tocchet , Philadelphia Flyers right wing "We knew Ron Hextall would score a goal in the NHL because he was such a good shooter. I know whether it was warm-ups or practice, he would shoot pucks top shelf with his goalie stick. He used to rifle it with his goalie stick.

I would skate around with him and watch him shoot pucks and think to myself, 'Man, this guy can shoot better than I can!'" RELIVING HISTORY MORE NHL INSIDER STORIES › Dave Poulin "[After practice during the 1987 Canada Cup training camp] we ended up playing a game of H-O-R-S-E. It was Gretzky, myself, [Gretzky's] younger brother Brent, who was maybe 15 at the time, and Hexy. And Hexy had his goalie stick and his goalie gloves. Gretz always got to go first, since his name was on the bottom [of the Shooter Tutor used in lieu of a goaltender], as he put it. He had his patented move like he did in games, where he would come out from behind the net, backhand, short side, [top] shelf. And you had to replicate it; it was a game of H-O-R-S-E. So, of course Hexy does it. And as the game goes on, what's proven is how accurate he is with a wrist shot.

And I didn't have a great wrist shot, Gretz didn't have a great wrist shot, and Hexy would stand at the faceoff dots, at the blue line, and just be zinging it into the top corner of the net. I believe the winning shot was from center ice and was in one of the top corners of the net. It's how accurate he was that was uncanny -- the velocity and the accuracy. "We had watched him so much in practice, the way he handled it and the way he shot it, that it [scoring] was inevitable as a matter of time." Ron Hextall "To be honest with you, it wasn't high on my priority list. It wasn't one of those things where I went into every game or every year thinking, 'I want to score a goal.' But I can tell you, from the fans in Philly there, they used to chant whenever the net was empty, they always wanted me to shoot. My teammates bugged me about it too." "Getting back to Propper there, he was always encouraging me.

Every time we had an open net, he'd say 'Why didn't you shoot, why didn't you shoot?' But it just wasn't the right situation." Wayne Fish "He had tried before, [but] he had missed. I think he had hit the post in the preseason, or in the preseason before that. That night he scored the goal it was perfect conditions: They were up 4-2, the puck came to him and there was no one around him." Ron Hextall "The last thing I wanted to do was shoot the puck down the ice for an icing and have a faceoff and have the other team tie the game up. It was, again, one of those things that I'm certainly not going to take away from our team by trying to score a goal every time there's an empty net for selfish reasons." Derek Sanderson , Boston Bruins color commentator "The Bruins were caught in the middle of a line change, so they didn't have the bodies they normally would up the middle – their defensemen came off. So he saw the opening and took it. With a goaltender like that, you don't change the lines when you dump it in.

The Bruins were trying to regroup with their A players, so they pulled the [defensemen] off and there was nobody there to knock it down." Lyndon Byers "I was the guy going to try to keep him from shooting it. I knew I wasn't going to get there, and it's pretty funny. I remember thinking, 'He's gonna score!' Everybody knew he could probably put it over the glass at the far end, and he had a good head start, so more than anything it was one of those, 'Oh, God! I can't believe I'm here right now!'" Mark Howe "The Bruins were coming down our defensive left side, which was coming at me, and they dumped it in towards Hexy. As I said before, if it's going in there I know he's going to handle it, so my only job was to make that right winger take a little bit of a detour. So instead of letting him go straight in, I kind of got in between him and the puck.

I couldn't interfere but he had to take a detour, go around me, so that gave Hexy a split-second more time to get the puck off." "I was the guy going to try to keep him from shooting it. I knew I wasn't going to get there, and it's pretty funny. I remember thinking, 'He's gonna score!' Everybody knew he could probably put it over the glass at the far end, and he had a good head start, so more than anything it was one of those, 'Oh, God! I can't believe I'm here right now!'" -- Lyndon Byers, former Boston Bruin Ron Hextall "It just happened that night.

It was an empty net, and I think [Boston defenseman Gord] Kluzak had dumped it in to my left side, which was kind of right in my wheelhouse, and I was fortunate enough that I took the shot and it hit the net." Dave Poulin "Some factors came into play late in the game that people don't realize: How heavy the ice is, how much more difficult it is late in the game than it is at the start of the period when you could just shoot it down." Mark Howe "The puck was actually going a little bit wide, but it had a little spin on it, and there was so much snow on the ice it creates a little more drag, so I bet you it curved about a foot and went about 6-8 inches inside the right post." Mark Howe "I was so focused on what was going on with the puck that actually the puck went in the net, then I saw our forward start jumping up and down, so it was after the goal was scored, maybe a split second that it finally hit me that, 'Wow!

It was Hexy that scored.'" Dave Poulin "I just remember [Boston defenseman] Ray Bourque coming out, either off the bench or off the boards, towards where the puck was coming, and it was well over his head, at his own blue line. It cleared everything." Rick Tocchet "Dave Poulin is right: He did it all the time on a penalty kill. Some goalies would maybe just leave it for a defenseman, shoot it at the corners, but he had no problems going up the middle, high. To win a Stanley Cup, to be successful, you had to take chances. He was willing to take chances. And he was willing to take the retribution for it." Mark Howe "When anybody reaches a milestone like that, your teammates are always there for you. You can see, Ronnie was jumping up and down, so excited, people in the Spectrum were going crazy. Everybody liked Ronnie a lot; most everybody in that locker room liked each other a lot.

It's not the individual; it's the celebration of a team thing." Osgood followed in Hextall's path Eight years after Ron Hextall became the first NHL goalie to shoot and score a goal in a regular-season game, Chris Osgood matched the feat for the Detroit Red Wings on March 6, 1996. It's only fitting that Osgood, a native of Peace River, Alberta, grew up idolizing Hextall when Hextall played his junior hockey with the Brandon Wheat Kings of the Western Hockey League. "He played junior out west, not near me but in the league I grew up watching," Osgood told NHL.com. "I always noticed how he played the puck, so I'd always try to copy him or do better the same things he did. "He was really the first guy to ever be able to play the puck that way, icing it, making passes. He was far and away the best at it over everybody else, so all the goalies in my generation would try to top him.

Coaches would tell me, 'Shoot the puck around the glass like Hextall does.'" Osgood's goal, which gave the Red Wings a 4-2 lead against the Hartford Whalers, came when he grabbed a dump-in, took one step and lofted the puck down the ice and into the empty net -- the trajectory mirrored Hextall's shot. Scoring at the NHL level was something Osgood said he always tried but "never thought I would do in the NHL." While Osgood matched Hextall’s accomplishment -- a feat only five goaltenders can claim -- he clarified Hextall's impact as a trailblazer for the goaltending position. "He was just far and away the best puck player of any goalie, ever," Osgood said. "How hard he shot it, his lead passes, how accurate he was with the passes. He could clear the ice constantly. He changed the position, of the way the goalie could play. "They should call [the trapezoid] the Hextall Line. He was the one who started it.

All these young guys came out and played the puck better than anyone before them, and Hextall really started that." -- Davis Harper Ron Hextall "I've said this many times over the years that what made that goal special for me was our team's reaction. Our guys, they came off the bench and were whooping and hollering, almost like we had won a playoff series. I kind of felt like it wasn't that big a deal, and they sort of made it a big deal, and made it kind of a team thing and quite honestly it made it a lot of fun. I was kind of surprised by how much it meant to my teammates, which I was certainly thrilled by." Bobby Taylor "I saw him the next day and we just kind of burst out laughing. We just looked at one another and started to laugh. I'm pretty sure he told me that when he saw them coming up the side and saw the middle opened up, that's when he decided to take that shot. It was kind of funny because we were laughing, laughing in disbelief and how great an accomplishment it was at the same time.

For a goaltender, it's pretty cool that he did it." Dave Poulin "The next day or two, the different TV stations had local sports personalities that came out and tried to duplicate it. They had the camera and everything out on the ice, they would have goalie gloves and a goalie stick, and that's it – not a mask, not pads – and they were trying to shoot the puck down the ice to show how difficult it was. And this was on good ice, not at the end of a game or the end of practice. So they were trying to show what a feat it was." Ron Hextall "He remembers everything, doesn't he? Yeah, they got me a car. There was this limited edition Flyers car at the time, so I showed up at the next game and they presented it to me on the ice, so that was pretty cool, as well. It's actually black with orange pinstripes. It's a 1988 Mercury Cougar.

My wife rode it around for a little while, she got tired of people pulling up beside her and honking at her and waving at her, so it ended up going in the garage after that." Wayne Fish "What did it mean in the grand scheme of things? It sort of revolutionized the game, his stick-handling and the way he handled the puck. [It] paved the way for guys like [Martin] Brodeur, maybe a Jimmy Howard . I think what Hextall did was, when he scored those two empty-net goals [he also scored in a playoff game, April 11, 1989, against the Washington Capitals], there was a 12-year-old who said, 'I want to be more like Ron Hextall .' Look at the 1960s – those goaltenders never touched the puck. Hextall really took a more proactive approach than anyone had ever seen. It added to the Flyers' folklore, the idea that they think of themselves as innovators and pioneers." Mark Howe "The best thing about Hexy was, he scored his goals and stuff, but he was just a real team guy and a great competitor.

How fiery he was, and how competitive he was, that's what made him so good. Even today, when I scout today, you have guys who are technically sound, guys who are this or that, but when a guy is very competitive, guys like [Dominik] Hasek, they're acrobatic, they're this or that, but the reason they're so good is that they're competitive. And there's no way guys were more competitive than Hexy.

He brought it every day." Ron Hextall reflects on goal he scored 27 years ago FacebookEmail Twitter Google+ LinkedIn Pinterest Ron Hextall reflects on goal he scored 27 years ago Ron Hextall was leaning against the wall of the Columbus Blue Jackets' practice rink watching Flyers goalie Steve Mason practice when he was asked if he remembered what happened 27 years ago Post to Facebook Ron Hextall reflects on goal he scored 27 years ago Ron Hextall was leaning against the wall of the Columbus Blue Jackets' practice rink watching Flyers goalie Steve Mason practice when he was asked if he remembered what happened 27 years ago Check out this story on USATODAY.com: CancelSend A link has been sent to your friend's email address. Posted! A link has been posted to your Facebook feed. 1 To find out more about Facebook commenting please read the Conversation Guidelines and FAQs Ron Hextall reflects on goal he scored 27 years ago Dave Isaac, USA TODAY Sports 5:08 p.m. ET Dec. 8, 2014 Philadelphia Flyers general manager Ron Hextall says it never was his goal as a goalie to score.

(Photo: Bill Streicher, USA TODAY Sports) 3 CONNECT TWEET LINKEDIN 1 COMMENTEMAILMORE COLUMBUS, Ohio – Ron Hextall was leaning against the wall of the Columbus Blue Jackets' practice rink watching Flyers goalie Steve Mason practice when he was asked if he remembered what happened 27 years ago Monday. Hextall, the goalie turned general manager, shook his head no. Much like Mason, Hextall was very good handling the puck in his playing days. Twenty-seven years back, the jersey number Hextall wore, he was the first goalie in NHL history to shoot and score a goal. It came as the final nail in the coffin of a 5-2 win over the Boston Bruins on Dec. 8, 1987. "I never at one point in my career thought, 'I've got to score a goal.' It wasn't a goal of mine or anything like that," Hextall said. "When it happened, the way my teammates reacted to it made it pretty special for me." 6 NHL players who are exceeding expectations Defenseman Kjell Samuelsson, now working in player development for the Flyers, was the first to mob Hextall after the goal.

Dave Poulin, Brian Propp, Craig Berube, they were all in there, too. "I remember getting beat up that game a couple times. Forget about his goal," Berube, now head coach, said with a laugh. "I got pounded by Lyndon Byers at home in the Spectrum that night. That's what I remember." Berube had three goals that season. Hextall was only two behind. "I think everybody anticipated it or thought about it at some point," Berube said. "Somebody pulling the goalie for the extra attacker and him shooting it down the ice. I just always remember Propp and Poulin penalty killing and Hexy getting the puck and firing it into center ice, them grabbing it and score 2-on-1. It was so unusual that a goalie could shoot a puck like that down the ice." Before that win against the Bruins, Hextall had never scored a goal at any level as a goaltender. Back then, goalies playing the puck wasn't part of the game like it has become in 2014. "You might as well try to hit the net," Hextall said. "Obviously it makes sense, but it wasn't something I strived to do.

I think the fans and the media talked about it and thought about it more than I did." New York Islanders goalie Billy Smith was the first netminder to be credited with a goal, back on Nov. 28, 1979 against the Colorado Rockies, but he hadn't actually shot the puck. Smith happened to be the last person to touch the puck before an own-goal by rookie Rob Ramage. Smith probably didn't get a plaque from the team like Hextall did. It was a big deal even if Hextall didn't think much of it. He did it again April 11, 1989 against the Washington Capitals, becoming the first goalie to score in the playoffs. "Every time I got the puck in Philly," Hextall said, "fans would be chanting to shoot it." Dave Isaac writes for the (Cherry Hill, N.J.) Courier-Post Ron Hextall Vic Game Used Stick - Autographed: GAMEWORNAUCTIONS.NET Thank you for visiting our past auction results. If you have an item identical (or similar) to this auction lot, please contact us to discuss consigning.

Ron Hextall Vic Game Used Stick - Autographed Lot #230 Click any image for full-size IMAGES Ron Hextall Vic Game Used Stick - Autographed Lot #230 This White Vic goalie stick was game used by Ron Hextall. Hexy became an instant fan favorite right out of the gate for the Flyers. In his rookie season of 1986-87, Ron had 37 wins. If that weren't enough for the "rookie", he was also voted to the NHL All-Rookie team, was a first team All Star and won the Vezina trophy. Then, to top that off, he led his Flyers to the Stanley Cup finals winning the Conn Smythe trophy as playoff MVP even though his team lost in 7 games to the Edmonton Oilers dynasty. All in all Hexy finished his career a few wins short of 300 and was one of the most popular Flyers ever. On December 8, 1987, in a game against the Boston Bruins, Hextall became the first goalie in NHL history to score a goal by actually shooting the puck into an open net with the opposing goaltender pulled for an extra attacker.

This White Vic goalie stick has the player name "R. Hextall" on the side. It is fully taped on the butt and blade. Ron has autographed the stick on the paddle "To Randy Best Wishes Ron Hextall". This style white Vic was used very early in Ron's Flyers career. Ron Hextall reflects on first goal, scored 27 years ago Ron Hextall reflects on first goal, scored 27 years ago Hextall was the first goalie to score a goal in NHL history. Post to Facebook Ron Hextall reflects on first goal, scored 27 years ago Hextall was the first goalie to score a goal in NHL history. Check out this story on courierpostonline.com: CancelSend A link has been sent to your friend's email address. Posted! A link has been posted to your Facebook feed. Join the Conversation Flyer Files Dave Isaac , @davegisaac 2:02 p.m. ET Dec. 8, 2014 COLUMBUS – Ron Hextall was leaning against the wall of the Columbus Blue Jackets' practice rink watching Flyers goalie Steve Mason practice when he was asked if he remembered what happened 27 years ago Monday.

Hextall, the goalie turned general manager, shook his head no. Much like Mason, Hextall was very good handling the puck in his playing days. Twenty-seven years back, the jersey number Hextall wore, he was the first goalie in NHL history to shoot and score a goal. It came as the final nail in the coffin of a 5-2 win over the Boston Bruins on Dec. 8, 1987. "I never at one point in my career thought, 'I've got to score a goal.' It wasn't a goal of mine or anything like that," Hextall said. "When it happened, the way my teammates reacted to it made it pretty special for me." Defenseman Kjell Samuelsson, now working in player development for the Flyers, was the first to mob Hextall after the goal. Dave Poulin, Brian Propp, Craig Berube, they were all in there, too. " I remember getting beat up that game a couple times. Forget about his goal," Berube, now head coach, said with a laugh. "I got pounded by Lyndon Byers at home in the Spectrum that night. That's what I remember." Posted!

A link has been posted to your Facebook feed. Philadelphia Flyers goalie Ron Hextall takes a break during a team practice in this 1995 photo. AP Photo/George Widman Philadelphia Flyers' goalie Ron Hextall (27) stops a close-in shot by Carolina Hurricanes' Gary Roberts (10) during the first period at the Greensboro Coliseum, Friday Nov. 20, 1998. AP Photo/Tom Copeland New Jersey Devils' Brendan Morrison, left, pokes at Philadelphia Flyers goaltender Ron Hextall, center, while the puck scoots away from him, as Flyers' Luke Richardson (22) defends during the first period Saturday, Nov. 14, 1998, in Philadelphia. AP Photo/William Thomas Cain Flyers goalie Ron Hextall makes a save during the first period Thursday, Dec. 14, 1995, in Philadelphia. AP Photo/Chris Gardner The game-winning goal by New Jersey Devils Claude Lemieux sails past Philadelphia Flyers goalie Ron Hextall at the end of the third period in game 5 of the NHL Easter Conference Finals, Sunday, June 11, 1995, in Philadelphia.

Rusty Kennedy AP Philadelphia Flyers goalie Ron Hextall is congratulated by his teammates after the Flyers' 4-2 win Sunday, May 25, 1997, in Philadelphia. The Flyers move on to the Stanley Cup finals with the win. AP Photo/ George Widman) New York Rangers Wayne Gretzky, left, greets Philadelphia Flyers' goalie Ron Hextall after the Flyers' 4-2 win Sunday, May 25, 1997, in Philadelphia. AP Photo/ Rusty Kenndy Philadelphia Flyers goalie Ron Hextall can't stop the shot by Detroit Red Wings' Martin Lapointe for Detroit's third goal of game three in the Stanley Cup final Thursday, June 5, 1997, in Detroit. AP Photo/Tom Pidgeon Philadelphia Flyers goalie Ron Hextall lets a shot by Nicklas Lidstrom get past him for a goal in the first period of game four of the Stanley Cup finals Saturday, June 7, 1997, in Detroit.

AP Photo/Carlos Osorio Fullscreen The puck clanks off the helmet of Philadelphia Flyers goalie Sean Burke in the second period against the Buffalo Sabres in Game 3 in the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs Monday, April 27, 1998, at Marine Midland Arena in Buffalo, N.Y. Burke allowed five goals and was replaced by Ron Hextall in the third period. AP Photo/Don Heupel Ron Hextall, left, and Dave Schultz, right, of the Philadelphia Flyers Alumni team walk to the rink during opening ceremonies for the Winter Classic Alumni hockey game with the New York Rangers Alumni team , Saturday, Dec. 31, 2011 in Philadelphia. AP Photo/Tom Mihalek Like this topic?

You may also like these photo galleries: Replay Nine goalies are credited with 11 goals in NHL history | NHL.com Nine goalies are credited with 11 goals in NHL history Nine goalies are credited with 11 goals in NHL history by Dan Rosen / NHL.com On December 8th, 1987, former Philadelphia Flyers goaltender Ron Hextall was the first goalie in NHL history to score a goal from an actual shot on goal. Nine different goalies have combined to score 11 NHL goals. Ron Hextall and Martin Brodeur are the only two who have accomplished the rare feat twice. They also are the only two goalies to score in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. VIDEO: Goalie goal footage Here is a rundown, in chronological order, of the goals scored by NHL goalies: Billy Smith , Nov. 28, 1979 -- The former New York Islanders goalie was the first to be credited with an NHL goal when he scored against the Colorado Rockies. Colorado pulled its goalie after a delayed penalty was called against the Islanders, but Rockies forward Rob Ramage made an errant pass down the length of the ice after a Smith save, and the puck wound up in the Colorado net.

Since Smith was the last Islander to touch the puck, he was given credit for the historic goal. Ron Hextall , Dec. 8, 1987 -- The former Philadelphia Flyers goalie made history when he became the first NHL goalie to score a goal by actually shooting the puck into the net. The goal came with 1:12 left in a 5-2 win over the Boston Bruins at the Spectrum in Philadelphia. Hextall lifted the puck down the ice. It landed at Boston’s blue line and eventually slid all the way into the open net vacated by Bruins goalie Reggie Lemelin for an extra-attacker. ”I still don’t realize it,” Hextall told reporters the night of his historic goal. “I’ll have to see it on film.” Ron Hextall , April 11, 1989 -- Hextall replicated his feat two years later by becoming the first NHL goalie to score a goal in a Stanley Cup Playoff game. This one came with 1:02 left against the Washington Capitals , when he flipped the puck the entire length of the ice after gathering it from behind the net.

Rod Langway was the closest Washington player to the puck, but he still trailed it by more than 15 feet before it went in. Even better, this was a short-handed goal and it finished the Flyers’ 8-5 victory in Game 5 of the first round. “Sports fans anywhere watching this hockey game, you have just witnessed history,” said color commentator Bill Clement in describing the moment on the television broadcast that night. Chris Osgood , March 6, 1996 -- The Detroit Red Wings goalie became the second goalie in NHL history to shoot the puck into an empty net, in a game against the Hartford Whalers. It was the final goal in a 4-2 victory. Osgood was attempting to get the puck out of the zone, but he fired it right on goal with 10.4 seconds remaining. Martin Brodeur , April 17, 1997 -- With his team up by two goals late in a first-round playoff game, the Devils goalie fired the puck the length of the ice and into the net.

It was the second playoff goal ever scored by an NHL goalie, and it came with 44.6 seconds left in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals against Montreal, capping a 5-2 victory. Damian Rhodes , Jan. 2, 1999 -- The former Ottawa Senators goalie became the first in the NHL to score a goal and record a shutout in the same game. With Ottawa leading the New Jersey Devils , 1-0, Rhodes was the last Senator to touch the puck before Devils defenseman Lyle Odelein inadvertently shot it into his own net during a delayed penalty. Brodeur was off the ice due to the delayed penalty, but Odelein’s pass eluded Scott Niedermayer and Dave Andreychuk and went the length of the ice to give Ottawa a 2-0 lead. Rhodes ended up with 30 saves in the 6-0 win. Martin Brodeur , Feb. 15, 2000 -- Brodeur was credited with his second career goal because he was the last player on the ice to touch the puck before Philadelphia Flyers forward Simon Gagne accidentally put it into his own net during a delayed penalty on the Devils.

New Jersey goaltender Martin Brodeur is tied with Ron Hextall for the most career goals by a goalie. Brodeur had trapped the puck behind his net, stopping an attempted wrap-around. Jose Theodore , Jan. 2, 2001 -- On the second anniversary of Rhodes’ goal, the former Montreal Canadians goalie became the second goaltender to score a goal and capture a shutout. Theodore’s backhanded clearing attempt actually wound up in the New York Islanders goal because it was recently vacated by John Vanbiesbrouck . The Canadians won, 3-0, and Theodore made 32 saves. Evgeni Nabokov , March 10, 2002 -- The San Jose Sharks goalie became the first European to score in the NHL, when from the top of his own crease he fired and found an empty against the Vancouver Canucks with 47.2 seconds remaining in the Sharks’ 7-4 win. “I saw the defensemen split so I was just like, ‘I’m going to go for it,’ ” Nabokov told reporters that night, “and it went in.

I’m going to lie if I say it wasn’t exciting.” Mika Noronen , Feb. 14, 2004 -- The former Buffalo Sabres goalie was credited with his goal when Toronto’s Robert Reichel accidentally put the puck into his own net, capping the Sabres’ 6-4 victory. Noronen was the last Sabre to touch the puck. Reichel tried a pass from behind Noronen, but the puck went untouched all the way down the ice and into the goal. Buffalo’s Dmitri Kalinin was announced as the goal scorer, but Noronen learned it was his goal 10 minutes after the game was over. “Maybe I’ll get to hear my name next time,” Noronen told the media after hearing the news that the goal belonged to him, not Kalinin. Chris Mason , April 15, 2006 -- The Nashville Predators goalie was credited with the goal in a 5-1 victory over Phoenix when Coyotes forward Geoff Sanderson shot the puck into his own net on a delayed penalty midway through the third period. Mason was the last Nashville player to touch the puck. “Someone else should have received it.

I don’t even like counting one like that as a goal,” Mason told reporters afterward. “I’d much rather shoot one and saucer it down and in. Maybe when I retire I can tell people that’s how it happened.” NHL Video: Ranking Every Goaltender Goal in NHL History | Bleacher Report NHL Video: Ranking Every Goaltender Goal in NHL History Use your ← → (arrow) keys to browse the slideshow Ron Hextall, along with Martin Brodeur, is one of the two goaltenders ever to score two goals. 2.1K 0 Comments It's not every day that an NHL goaltender scores a goal, and that's what makes it so special. On November 28, 1979, New York Islanders netminder Billy Smith made NHL history. After Rob Ramage of the Colorado Rockies misplayed the puck and sent an errant pass into his own net, Smith became the first goalie ever to be credited with scoring a goal. It was eight years later that Ron Hextall of the Philadelphia Flyers became the first ever goalie to physically shoot the puck into the opposing team's net. The odds of such a goal occurring are so slim that when it does, people take notice.

When a goalie shoots the puck, it must possess a certain precision in order to find the opposite net, 200 feet away. This task is particularly difficult considering the puck must miss the goaltender's teammates along with the opposing team's players. In the event of a goalie being credited when his opponent fires it into their own net, the play is usually so fluky and lucky (or unlucky) that it makes highlights. With the other team's extra attacker, pressure is so high on the goalie that it takes a massive blunder from an attacking player to score on his own net from the length of the rink. In all, goalies have scored by physically shooting the puck a total of six times. Another six goaltender goals have been the result of another team's own-goal. Oddly enough, the New Jersey Devils (formerly the Colorado Rockies) organization has been involved in five of the 12 NHL games where a goalie has scored. So where does each goal rank among the best ever? Here is a ranking of every NHL goal ever scored by a goaltender with included video.

Tweet On December 26, 2011, Cam Ward became the first Carolina Hurricanes/Hartford Whalers goaltender to be credited with scoring a goal. In this instance, Ward's blocker save on New Jersey's Patrik Elias made him the last Carolina player to touch the puck before Ilya Kovalchuk's pass missed Adam Henrique and wound up in the Devils' empty net. After the game, it was declared that Brandon Sutter's stick did not touch the puck, so goalie Cam Ward was given the goal. Ward is the most recent netminder to score a goal, and he's the first to do so since 2006. This goal came as a result of a horrible miscue from both Kovalchuk and Henrique, who caused the puck to sail into their own net all the way from the offensive zone with less than 30 seconds remaining in regulation. The Hurricanes went on to win the game by a margin of 4-2, with Ward stopping 23 of 25 New Jersey shots. Tweet First of all, my apologies for the video, but it's the only one I could find which contained footage of Mason's goal.

Skip to 1:30 of the video to see the goal. On April 15, 2006, Chris Mason scored his first career NHL goal after previously scoring a similar tally for the Milwaukee Admirals of the American Hockey League years prior. The Phoenix Coyotes were awaiting a power play after one of Mason's teammates took a penalty; however, the 'Yotes were unable to score on the Predators goalie with the extra attacker. Their own net, on the other hand, wasn't a problem. Similar to Cam Ward's goal, Mason's blocker made him the last Pred to make contact with the puck before the Coyotes' Vernon Fiddler inadvertently shot the puck into his own net from the offensive zone. Mason's goal added a little salt to the Coyotes' wounds, as the Predators ultimately downed them 5-1. This game took place during the era of Wayne Gretzky coaching in Phoenix, and following the game, "The Great One" referred to Mason's performance as the "Grant Fuhr Hat Trick": a breakaway save, a win and a goal. Tweet Taking a look back at the career of legendary New York Islanders goalie Billy Smith, he was known for a lot of things.

Battlin' Billy was known to be a very passionate netminder, he would even go so far as to refuse to shake the hand of his opponents after losing a playoff series. For four consecutive years, he backstopped the Isles to the Stanley Cup, and in 1983, he won both the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP and Vezina Trophy as the NHL's top goalie. He also led the 1970-71 Springfield Kings to a Calder Cup. Smith was also noted for heavily agitating the opposing players by use of his fists or his goalie stick. For years, it seemed Smith could do anything except score a goal, until of course, he did. On November 28, 1979, Billy Smith inked his name in every NHL history book when he became the first-ever goaltender to be credited with a goal in an NHL game. When the now-defunct Colorado Rockies pulled their netminder on a delayed New York penalty, rookie Rob Ramage looked to take full advantage of the situation. However, Ramage made a blind pass to the point which was unable to find a teammate, and subsequently traveled the length of the ice before ending up in the Colorado goal.

The Islanders went on to win 7-4 in a contest that will be remembered forever, in no small part thanks to Billy Smith and his historic goal. Tweet Martin Brodeur's goal against the Philadelphia Flyers was something special. Although the New Jersey Devils goalie didn't physically shoot the puck into the Flyers' net, he became just the second goaltender to ever score two goals in the NHL. This one required a little luck, however. Brodeur stopped an attempted wrap-around behind the net with his stick before the Flyers brought the puck all the way back to their end on a New Jersey delayed penalty. The play eventually ended when Philadelphia's Daymond Langkow shot the puck into his own team's empty net. Brodeur backstopped the Devils to a 4-2 win on this night, and his goal actually ended up being the game-winner. Brodeur is honoured as being the only goaltender to ever score a game-winning goal. Tweet Damian Rhodes' performance on January 2, 1999 may be just about the only reason to remember the former Ottawa Senators goaltender, but hey, the guy scored a goal!

Already pitching a shutout, Rhodes was credited with his first-ever goal when defenceman Lyle Odelein of the New Jersey Devils sent an errant pass towards Scott Niedermayer. Unable to receive the pass, Niedermayer was forced to look on as the puck wound up in the Devils' net, which was emptied when the Senators took a delayed penalty. In conjunction with his 30-save shutout, Rhodes also made NHL history as he became the first-ever goalie to record both a shutout and a goal in a single game. The Sens ended up handing the Devils a 6-0 loss, thanks to a tremendous two-way effort from Rhodes. Tweet Before the days of Ryan Miller in Buffalo, the Sabres' goaltending duties were typically split between Martin Biron and Mika Noronen, a Finnish goalie who was a former first-round draft selection of the Sabres. While Noronen's numbers weren't stellar, his crowning achievement came on February 14, 2004, in a contest against the Toronto Maple Leafs. Late in the game, the Leafs had pulled their netminder in hopes of tying the game.

As the Leafs trailed 5-4, they had several great opportunities to draw even—all of which were denied by Noronen in great fashion. While it seemed Toronto would send the game to overtime in the final minute, Leafs centre Robert Reichel attempted a pass to the point, where his defencemen were unable to avail the feed. Finally, the puck ended up in the Maple Leafs' net, around 200 feet away. Noronen was credited with the goal by virtue of being the final Buffalo player to make contact with the puck. The Sabres went on to win the game 6-4, and Noronen's goal not only made him the first Sabres goalie to score, but also the first goalie of Finnish descent to do so. Tweet On March 10, 2002, as a member of the San Jose Sharks, Evgeni Nabokov scored on a Vancouver Canucks empty net to become the first non-North American goalie to ever score a goal in an NHL game. With the Canucks' net empty, the Sharks were on the power play with a great chance to extend their lead, which was already 6-4 in the final minute of regulation.

Rather than lead the PP rush, San Jose defenceman Mike Rathje passed the puck off to his team's goaltender, Evgeni Nabokov. Nabokov proceeded to shoot the puck into the Canucks' net, which was especially impressive given the vertical magnitude Nabby put on the puck. Nabokov holds the honour of being the only NHL goalie to ever score a power-play goal, and he's the most recent 'tender to score by physically shooting the puck into an opponent's net rather than be credited for the other team's own-goal. Tweet Just over eight years after Billy Smith scored the first-ever goaltender goal in NHL history, Philadelphia Flyers goalie Ron Hextall made history in his own right. Hextall is remembered not only for being the most controversial NHL goaltender of all time, but also for his puck-handling abilities. Those skills were never put on display more so than they were on December 8, 1987, when Hextall became the first-ever National Hockey League goalie to physically shoot he puck to score. With the Boston Bruins' net vacant, a Bruins player chipped the puck into Philadelphia's zone in hopes of creating a play which would tie the game for Boston.

Hextall, however, had other plans, as he shot the puck from the goal line for his historic first career goal. Hextall and the "Broadstreet Bullies" went on to win the game by a final score of 5-2. Tweet On March 6, 1996, Detroit Red Wings goaltender Chris Osgood became only the second NHL goalie to ever directly shoot the puck into the opposing team's net. Osgood accomplished this feat behind only Ron Hextall, who had done it twice. In a game against the Hartford Whalers, "Ozzie" and the Red Wings held a 3-2 lead over the Whalers in the final minute. That's when Hartford decided to make the risky move of pulling their goaltender. After stopping a long shot by the Whalers, Osgood used a quick release to shoot the puck past all 11 skaters and into the Hartford goal. Osgood's goal was only the fourth goaltender goal in league history, and it propelled the Detroit Red Wings over the Hartford Whalers 4-2.

When Martin Brodeur donned his Montreal Canadiens jersey as a Habs fan growing up in Montreal, he couldn't have predicted that he would one day score his first career goal against his hometown team. However, on April 17, 1997, Brodeur did just that. During Game 1 of the New Jersey Devils' first-round encounter with the Canadiens, the legendary goalie took advantage of an empty Montreal net to become just the second-ever netminder to score a goal in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. During the final moments of the third period, the Habs pulled goaltender Jocelyn Thibault in hopes of forcing overtime, but failed to capitalize. After using his blocker to stop Montreal's Mark Recchi, Brodeur chased down a Montreal chip-in and sent the puck flying the length of the ice with a precision that is really something to behold. The Devils would win this game 5-2 and would go on to eliminate the Canadiens in five games. Brodeur, along with Ron Hextall, holds the honour of scoring one of the two postseason goals ever tallied by a goaltender, adding to his many NHL goaltending records.

Tweet Heading into the 1989 Stanley Cup Playoffs, only two goaltenders had ever been credited with an NHL goal: Billy Smith in 1979, and of course, Ron Hextall in '87. On April 11, 1989, Ron Hextall completed two firsts. Not only was he the first goalie to score on two separate occasions, but he also scored the first-ever Stanley Cup Playoff goal by a goaltender. In Game 5 of the Philadelphia Flyers' first-round series against the Washington Capitals, Scott Stevens dumped the puck in wide of Hextall's net. Never one to miss an opportunity to appear on a highlight reel, Hextall took advantage of the situation, scoring with just over a minute remaining to lift the Flyers to an 8-5 win. The goal capped off a comeback in which the Broadstreet Bullies battled back from a 5-4 deficit in the third period. That year, the Flyers went all the way to the Conference Finals, where they bowed out to the Montreal Canadiens. During that series, Hextall received a 12-game suspension for his assault on Chris Chelios.

Tweet Arguably the greatest goaltender goal to ever be scored in the National Hockey League came on January 2, 2001, when the phenomenal Jose Theodore of the Montreal Canadiens scored on an empty New York Islanders net. With the Isles' goaltender pulled in favour of an extra attacker, Theodore scored possibly the flashiest goal ever scored by an NHL masked man. Although five other goalies had previously scored, Theodore was the first to do so using his backhand. This twist on the classic version of the goaltender goal does a lot to add to both the difficulty and the "wow" factor of Theodore's goal. No doubt, this tally will be one of those goals that seems near impossible to duplicate, as such a feat can only be accomplished by a player who was playing with the level of confidence Jose Theodore had that season. Theodore went on to win the Vezina Trophy as the league's best goaltender and the Hart Memorial Trophy as league MVP. The precision and magnitude required to score from Theodore's position are only heightened because of his backhand, which is more than enough to make it the best goaltender goal in NHL history.

Question: Who was Ron Hextall playing for when, on 8 December 1987, in a game against the Boston Bruins, he became the first goaltender in NHL history to score a goal by actually shooting the puck into an open net?
Answer: Philadelphia Flyers