List of goalscoring NHL goaltenders facts for kids

In 1979, Billy Smith became the first NHL goaltender in history to be credited with a goal.

In 1987, Ron Hextall became the first goaltender to score via a direct shot on goal, and later became the first with a short-handed goal. Hextall is the only goaltender to have scored more than once with a direct shot on goal.

Martin Brodeur is the only goaltender to be credited with three goals, two in the regular season and one in the playoffs. He is also the only goaltender credited with a game-winning goal.

After a seven-year lull, Chris Osgood was the first goaltender to directly shoot a goal since Ron Hextall did so in the 1989 playoffs.

Jose Theodore, then playing for the Montreal Canadiens, scored a goal and shutout in a 3–0 game against the New York Islanders.

Evgeni Nabokov was the first non-North American goaltender to directly shoot a goal.

Mike Smith was the first goaltender in over 11 years, since Nabokov, to directly shoot a goal.

In National Hockey League (NHL) games, fourteen different goaltenders have scored a total of seventeen goals. This is a very rare and exciting event in hockey! A goaltender can score in two main ways: either by shooting the puck directly into the opponent's net, or by being the last player on their team to touch the puck before an opponent accidentally scores an own goal.

Scoring by shooting the puck is super difficult. The goaltender has to aim for a net that is 6 feet (1.8 meters) wide and about 180 feet (55 meters) away, all while avoiding opposing players. When a goal is scored because of an own goal, it's also very unusual, especially for the goaltender to be the last one to touch the puck. Out of the seventeen goals scored by goalies, ten were from direct shots, and seven were from own goals.

Goalies have been involved in offense in a small way since hockey began. Before the NHL started in 1917, some goalies would skate down the ice to join the play, and sometimes even score! However, as goalie training and equipment became more specialized, this became harder. It was eventually made against the rules for goalies to cross the center red line to play the puck. This rule was put in place after Toronto Maple Leafs goalie Gary Smith got hurt trying this in the 1966–67 NHL season.

The first NHL goaltender to be credited with a goal was Billy Smith of the New York Islanders. This happened on November 28, 1979, when an opponent from the Colorado Rockies accidentally scored an own goal. Since Smith was the last Islander to touch the puck, the goal was given to him. Later, Ron Hextall of the Philadelphia Flyers became the first goalie to actually shoot the puck into the net himself. Martin Brodeur holds the record for the most goals by a goaltender, with three goals in total (two in regular season games and one in the playoffs).

The most recent goal scored by a goaltender was by Tristan Jarry of the Pittsburgh Penguins on November 30, 2023, against the Tampa Bay Lightning.

How Goalies Score Goals

Under today's rules, the best chance for a goaltender to score is when the other team's goalie has left their net to add an extra attacker to their team. This leaves the opponent's 6-foot-wide (1.8-meter) net empty. Goalies are not allowed to cross the center red line to play the puck. This means they have to shoot from their own side of the rink.

Coaches usually don't want any player to shoot at an empty net from their own side of the red line. If the shot misses the net, it can lead to an "icing" penalty, which brings the puck back to their defensive zone and prevents them from changing players. Because of this, goalies usually shoot from near their own net. The puck needs to be shot with enough power and accuracy to travel the long distance without being stopped by the other team. All NHL goaltenders who have scored by shooting the puck have done so into an empty net. The goals credited to goalies who didn't shoot the puck were all own goals by the opposing team, whose net was empty.

Trying to score on an empty net is risky for a goalie. If their shot is stopped, they might be out of position, making it easier for the other team to score. Because of this, goalies usually only try to score if their team is already leading by two or more goals. Out of the ten goals scored by goalies directly shooting the puck, only three happened when their team had just a one-goal lead: Chris Osgood, Linus Ullmark, and Tristan Jarry.

The rule about goalies not crossing the center red line was put in place in the 1966–67 season. Before this rule, goalies would sometimes skate all the way down the ice to score, especially in the early days of hockey around 1900. Also, before 1931, teams didn't usually pull their goalie for an extra attacker at the end of a game to try and tie it. This tactic is credited to Art Ross, coach of the Boston Bruins.

History of Goalie Goals

While Billy Smith was the first goalie to be credited with an NHL goal in the 1979–80 season, goalies have been involved in scoring much longer. The first recorded goal by a goalie in competitive play was in 1905. A newspaper report said that in a game between Montreal Westmount and the Quebec Bulldogs, goalies Fred Brophy and Hall of Famer Paddy Moran were the only players left on the ice due to poor officiating. Brophy scored on Moran, making everyone laugh! Brophy did it again a year later in 1906, skating the length of the ice to score.

The first goalie to get an assist in the NHL was Georges Vezina in the 1917–18 season. The puck bounced off his leg pad to a teammate who then skated down the ice to score. In the 1935–36 season, Tiny Thompson was the first goalie to get an assist by making an intentional pass.

In the 1976–77 season, Los Angeles Kings goalie Rogie Vachon was briefly credited with a goal when the opposing New York Islanders scored on themselves during a delayed penalty. However, after reviewing the video, the goal was given to a teammate instead. A similar situation happened in 1987, but again, the goal was later given to a different player after video review.

The first goalie to score a goal by intentionally shooting the puck into the opponent's net was Ron Hextall of the Philadelphia Flyers. On December 8, 1987, he scored on an empty net after the Boston Bruins pulled their goalie for an extra attacker. The most recent goalie to score by shooting the puck was Tristan Jarry on November 30, 2023.

Out of the seventeen goals scored by NHL goaltenders, ten were shot into the net by the goalie. Two goalies have scored a goal and also had a shutout (meaning the other team scored no goals) in the same game: Damian Rhodes in 1999 and Jose Theodore in 2001. Theodore's shot was the only one scored with a backhand shot. Billy Smith was the only goalie to score in a game his team lost.

Chris Mason, Damian Rhodes, and Tristan Jarry are the only goalies to have scored a goal in both the AHL (American Hockey League) and the NHL. The New Jersey Devils franchise has been involved in six of these goals, scoring three and having three scored against them.

While both Ron Hextall and Martin Brodeur have scored more than one goal, Hextall is the only goalie to score twice by directly shooting the puck. Brodeur's second and third goals were own goals by the other team, where Brodeur got credit for touching the puck last. Brodeur's second goal is the only game-winning goal scored by a goaltender. Hextall and Brodeur both scored in a playoff game and a regular season game. Hextall's second goal is the only one scored by a goalie when his team was short handed (playing with fewer players). Evgeni Nabokov and Martin Brodeur are the only goalies who scored on a power play. Martin Brodeur is also the only goalie to score against another goalie (who was trying to get to the bench for an extra attacker).

Mike Smith scored a goal for the Phoenix Coyotes on October 19, 2013, with only 0.1 seconds left in the game! He is the first goalie to score using a special "Turco grip" on his stick. He's also the only goalie to score in both the NHL and the ECHL (another hockey league).

Pekka Rinne of the Nashville Predators scored on an empty net on January 9, 2020. This made the Predators the only team to have two different goalies score goals, as Chris Mason also scored for them in 2006.

Goalie Scorers List

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See also

• List of goalkeepers who have scored in Association football