Igor Shesterkin made New York Rangers history on October 1, 2026, by becoming the first goaltender in franchise history to score a goal.
With the Rangers leading the Tampa Bay Lightning 4-1 late in the third period and Tampa’s net empty, Shesterkin collected a puck near his own goal, fired it high and straight down the ice, and watched it travel all the way into the vacant Lightning net. The unassisted goal came at 17:26 of the third period and made the final score 5-1. [NHL] [Reuters]
Unlike some goalie goals that are awarded because the goaltender was merely the last player on his team to touch the puck before an opponent accidentally scored into an empty net, Shesterkin actually shot the puck into the net himself. [NHL]
How Did Igor Shesterkin Score?
Tampa Bay had pulled goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy for an extra attacker while trailing late in the third period.
The puck came out of the corner in the Rangers’ defensive zone and rolled toward Shesterkin.
Instead of simply controlling it or passing to a teammate, Shesterkin quickly moved behind the puck and launched it down the ice toward Tampa Bay’s empty net.
The shot had enough distance and accuracy to travel nearly the full length of the rink and cross the goal line untouched. [NHL]
Because Shesterkin himself shot the puck into the opposing net, he received full credit for an unassisted goal.
Why Was Tampa Bay’s Net Empty?
Teams frequently remove their goalie late in games when trailing.
By putting an extra skater on the ice, the losing team gains a six-on-five attacking advantage and increases its chances of scoring.
The obvious tradeoff is that there is nobody guarding the net.
Tampa Bay was already trailing 4-1 and needed several goals quickly, so pulling Vasilevskiy was an aggressive attempt to generate offense.
That decision created the opportunity for Shesterkin to shoot at an empty net from the opposite end of the rink.
Did Shesterkin Know The Puck Went In?
Not immediately.
Shesterkin said after the game that a player near the blue line partially obstructed his view after he shot the puck, so he could not see whether it actually crossed the goal line.
He realized it had gone in when the Madison Square Garden crowd erupted and his teammates began skating toward him to celebrate. [NHL]
Was It Really The First Goalie Goal In Rangers History?
Yes.
No New York Rangers goaltender had ever been credited with an NHL goal before Shesterkin.
The Rangers began play in 1926, so the milestone came during the franchise’s 100th season. [Reuters]
That makes Shesterkin’s goal unique in a franchise history that includes legendary goaltenders such as Henrik Lundqvist, Mike Richter, Eddie Giacomin and Gump Worsley.
How Many NHL Goalies Have Scored?
Shesterkin became the 18th different goaltender in NHL history to receive credit for a goal.
His goal was the 21st goalie goal overall in league history. Nineteen have occurred during the regular season and two in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. [NHL]
Goalie goals remain one of the rarest scoring events in hockey.
How Many Goalies Have Actually Shot The Puck Into The Net?
Not every credited goalie goal is an actual shot by the goaltender.
NHL records show that 12 goaltenders have scored by shooting the puck themselves into an empty net. The remaining credited goalie goals occurred when the goalie was the last player on his team to touch the puck before an opponent accidentally sent it into its own empty net. [NHL]
Shesterkin therefore joined the smaller group of goalies who scored in the most dramatic way: by intentionally shooting the puck into the opposing goal.
Who Was The First NHL Goalie To Score?
Billy Smith of the New York Islanders became the first NHL goalie officially credited with a goal on November 28, 1979.
Smith did not actually shoot the puck into the opposing net.
He was the final Islanders player to touch it before Colorado Rockies defenseman Rob Ramage accidentally sent the puck into his own empty net during a delayed penalty. [NHL]
Who Was The First Goalie To Actually Shoot One In?
Ron Hextall of the Philadelphia Flyers became the first NHL goalie to intentionally shoot the puck into the opposing net.
He accomplished it against the Boston Bruins on December 8, 1987. [NHL]
Hextall later became the first goalie to score in a Stanley Cup Playoff game when he fired another empty-net goal against the Washington Capitals in 1989.
Why Are Goalie Goals So Rare?
Several things have to happen at once.
First, the opposing team normally has to pull its goalie.
Second, the puck has to reach the goaltender with enough time and space for him to attempt a shot.
Third, the goalie has to launch the puck nearly 200 feet while avoiding opposing skaters and keeping it on target.
Finally, attempting the shot carries risk. If the goalie mishandles the puck or shoots it directly to an opponent, he can create a scoring chance at the other end.
That combination explains why even excellent puck-handling goalies may play entire careers without scoring.
Why Was Shesterkin Willing To Try It?
Shesterkin has long been regarded as one of the NHL goalies most willing to attempt long-range shots.
He is an unusually confident puck handler and has made repeated attempts at empty nets during his Rangers career.
Rangers center Mika Zibanejad said after the goal that he had watched Shesterkin come close many times before. [NHL]
NHL.com had even identified Shesterkin years earlier as one of the league’s goaltenders most likely to eventually score because of his willingness and ability to play the puck. [NHL]
Had Shesterkin Tried To Score Before?
Yes.
Shesterkin has attempted long shots at empty nets multiple times during his NHL career.
Zibanejad estimated that there had been roughly a dozen occasions when players on the Rangers bench thought one of Shesterkin’s attempts might finally go in. [NHL]
The Tampa Bay shot was the one that finally reached the net.
Had Shesterkin Ever Scored Before The NHL?
Yes.
Shesterkin said he had scored once previously as a junior player when he was approximately 19 years old. [NHL]
His goal against Tampa Bay was his first at the NHL level.
Why Was The Goal Unassisted?
Shesterkin was the Ranger who gained possession of the puck and shot it directly into the opposing goal.
No teammate touched it immediately before the shot in a way that qualified for an assist.
The official scoring therefore listed it as an unassisted goal at 17:26 of the third period. [NHL]
Can A Goalie Legally Shoot The Puck Across The Ice?
Yes.
A goaltender is allowed to play the puck with his stick like any other player, subject to the NHL’s normal goaltender puck-handling restrictions.
If a goalie gains possession in a legal area and shoots the puck down the ice into the opposing net, the goal counts exactly like one scored by a skater.
The goaltender receives one goal in the official statistics.
What Is The Goalie Trapezoid?
The trapezoid is the marked area behind each NHL net where goaltenders are permitted to play the puck.
A goalie who plays the puck behind the goal line outside that designated area can receive a delay-of-game penalty.
The rule exists to limit how much a strong puck-handling goalie can interfere with an opposing team’s forecheck.
Shesterkin’s scoring play did not violate the trapezoid rule because he handled and shot the puck legally.
Can A Goalie Score From Inside His Own Crease?
Yes.
There is no requirement that a goalie leave the crease to score.
If the puck reaches him and he can legally shoot it from his defensive zone all the way into the opposing net, the goal counts.
Can A Goalie Score When The Other Goalie Is Still In Net?
Technically, yes.
Nothing in the rules requires the opposing net to be empty.
In practice, nearly all intentional goalie goals occur against an empty net because scoring from the opposite end against another NHL goaltender would be extraordinarily difficult.
Can Goalies Get Assists?
Yes, and goalie assists are far more common than goalie goals.
A goaltender can receive an assist when he plays the puck to a teammate who participates in a scoring sequence.
Shesterkin has recorded assists during his NHL career because his puck-handling ability frequently helps the Rangers start transition plays.
Did Shesterkin Also Play Well In Goal?
Yes.
The historic goal came at the end of an excellent all-around performance.
Shesterkin stopped 24 of Tampa Bay’s 25 shots as New York won 5-1. [NHL]
The only Lightning goal came from reigning MVP Nikita Kucherov.
Shesterkin therefore finished the night with both a .960 save percentage and a goal.
Was It Shesterkin’s 100th Win At Madison Square Garden?
Yes.
The same game also produced another milestone.
Shesterkin earned his 100th career victory at Madison Square Garden in his 177th home appearance. [NHL]
He became the fourth-fastest Rangers goalie to reach 100 home wins, behind Mike Richter, Eddie Giacomin and Henrik Lundqvist.
Why Was The Goal Especially Meaningful For The Rangers?
It came during the Rangers’ home opener after an extremely difficult 2025-26 season at Madison Square Garden.
New York had been shut out in its first three home games the previous season and went 0-6-1 through its first seven home contests. [NHL]
The 5-1 win over Tampa Bay therefore represented a much different start.
Shesterkin’s goal turned what was already a convincing victory into a memorable celebration.
Who Else Scored For The Rangers?
Mika Zibanejad opened the scoring on the power play.
Pavel Dorofeyev scored his first goal as a Ranger, Eeli Tolvanen also scored his first for New York and Gabe Perreault added another before Shesterkin finished the scoring. [NHL]
Adam Fox recorded two assists.
How Rare Is A Goalie Goal Compared With Other NHL Feats?
Extremely rare.
The NHL has played well over 100 years of games, yet only 18 different goalies have ever received credit for a goal. [NHL]
That makes a goalie goal considerably rarer than a hat trick, shutout or even many other unusual scoring achievements.
Who Was The Most Recent Goalie To Score Before Shesterkin?
The most recent goalie credited with a goal before Shesterkin was New York Islanders goaltender Ilya Sorokin.
Sorokin did not actually shoot the puck into the opposing net. He was the last Islander to touch it before an opponent accidentally scored into his own empty net.
Shesterkin had jokingly argued that Sorokin’s goal should not count in quite the same way because Sorokin did not actually shoot the puck into the net. [NHL]
After scoring his own, Shesterkin joked: “This one counts.”
What Is The Difference Between Shesterkin’s Goal And Sorokin’s?
Both count as official NHL goals.
The difference is how they happened.
Sorokin received credit because he was the final player on his team to touch the puck before the opposing team accidentally sent it into its own empty net.
Shesterkin intentionally shot the puck the length of the ice and put it into the net himself.
NHL statistics treat both as goals, but Shesterkin’s required an actual shot on target.
Has Any Goalie Scored More Than Once?
Yes.
Martin Brodeur holds the NHL record with three credited goalie goals.
Ron Hextall scored twice and remains the only goalie to intentionally shoot the puck into the net twice in NHL play, including once during the Stanley Cup Playoffs. [NHL]
Most goalies who have scored have done it only once.
Will Shesterkin Try To Score Again?
He says he will.
After finally getting his first NHL goal, Shesterkin said he intends to keep looking for opportunities to score another. [NHL]
Given his history of attempting empty-net shots, that was probably not a joke.
Why Is Shesterkin So Good At Handling The Puck?
Shesterkin is comfortable controlling, passing and shooting the puck rather than simply leaving it for his defensemen.
That ability can help New York beat an opposing forecheck by allowing the goalie to begin breakouts himself.
Coach Mike Sullivan specifically cited Shesterkin’s puck-handling ability when discussing why he was not surprised the goalie eventually scored. [NHL]
Why Didn’t More Rangers Goalies Score Before Shesterkin?
Because scoring from goal is extraordinarily difficult even for elite puck handlers.
Henrik Lundqvist, Mike Richter and other Rangers legends had long and successful careers but never recorded a goal.
A goalie needs the right game situation, enough time to control the puck, an empty opposing net and an exceptionally accurate long-distance shot.
Shesterkin finally put all of those pieces together.
What Is The Bottom Line?
Igor Shesterkin’s goal was not a statistical technicality or an accidental credit.
Tampa Bay pulled its goalie while trailing 4-1. The puck came to Shesterkin in the Rangers’ defensive zone, and he deliberately fired it almost the entire length of the rink.
The puck went directly into the empty net at 17:26 of the third period.
That made Shesterkin the first goalie in the New York Rangers’ century-long history to score, the 18th different NHL goaltender ever credited with a goal and one of the relatively small number who actually shot the puck into the opposing net themselves. [NHL]
It also completed an unusual stat line: 24 saves, one goal and a 5-1 Rangers victory.
Watch Igor Shesterkin’s Goalie Goal
The NHL has official video of Shesterkin launching the puck the length of the ice for the first goalie goal in Rangers history. [NHL Video]
