Ron Hextall facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Ron Hextall
Hextall in 2014
Born	(1964-05-03) May 3, 1964 (age 61) Brandon, Manitoba, Canada
Height	6 ft 3 in (191 cm)
Weight	205 lb (93 kg; 14 st 9 lb)
Position	Goaltender
Caught	Left
Played for	Philadelphia Flyers Quebec Nordiques New York Islanders
National team	Canada
NHL Draft	119th overall, 1982 Philadelphia Flyers
Playing career	1984–1999

Ron Hextall (born May 3, 1964) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey goaltender. He also worked as a manager for hockey teams. He was most recently the general manager of the Pittsburgh Penguins in the National Hockey League (NHL).

Hextall played 13 seasons in the NHL. He played for the Philadelphia Flyers, Quebec Nordiques, and New York Islanders. He spent 11 of those seasons with the Flyers. He later became the assistant general manager for the Los Angeles Kings. The Kings won the Stanley Cup in 2012. After that, he became the general manager for the Philadelphia Flyers in 2014.

Hextall holds many team records for the Flyers. He is also a member of the Flyers Hall of Fame. In his first season (1986–87), he won the Vezina Trophy. This award goes to the league's best goaltender. He also led the Flyers to the Stanley Cup Finals. Even though the Flyers lost, Hextall won the Conn Smythe Trophy. This award is for the most valuable player in the playoffs. He was one of only six players to win it while on the losing team.

Hextall made history as the first NHL goaltender to score a goal. He shot the puck into the opponent's empty net in 1987. The next season, he became the first goalie to score in the playoffs. He was also known for his aggressive style of play. He would often leave his goal area to help his teammates. He set new records for penalty minutes by a goaltender.

Early Life and Family Hockey

Ron Hextall was born on May 3, 1964, in Brandon, Manitoba. He was the youngest of three children. Ron comes from a family of hockey players. His grandfather, Bryan Hextall, played 11 seasons for the New York Rangers. He is in the Hockey Hall of Fame. Ron's father, Bryan Hextall, Jr., played 10 seasons in the NHL. His uncle, Dennis Hextall, played 14 seasons.

Growing up, Ron often saw his father and uncle play against the Philadelphia Flyers. The Flyers were known as the "Broad Street Bullies" because of their tough style. Ron later said he "hated the Flyers" back then.

Because his father played professional hockey, Ron moved around a lot for school. He always focused on hockey, especially being a goaltender. He once said, "Everybody else would be working and I'd be drawing pictures of Tony Esposito and Jimmy Rutherford." Ron enjoyed being around NHL rinks. His father wanted him to try other positions to improve his skating. But Ron loved playing in goal.

Playing Hockey Career

Starting in Junior Hockey

Hextall began his junior hockey career in 1980. He played for the Melville Millionaires in the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League (SJHL). In one game, he faced 105 shots and made 84 saves! Even though his team lost 21–2, people said he played brilliantly. His teammate, Mark Odnokon, praised him for staying in the game until the end. In 2009, Hextall was added to the SJHL Hall of Fame.

In 1981, Hextall joined the Brandon Wheat Kings in the Western Hockey League (WHL). The Wheat Kings were not a strong team, so Hextall had to work hard in every game. A scout for the Flyers, Gerry Melnyk, saw something special in Hextall. He thought Ron's tough style would fit well with the Flyers. In 1982, the Flyers picked Hextall in the sixth round of the NHL Draft.

Hextall played two more seasons with the Wheat Kings. In the 1983–84 season, he set a record for the most penalty minutes by a goaltender. He had 117 penalty minutes that season.

Playing in the Minor Leagues

In 1984, Hextall hoped to play for the Philadelphia Flyers. But he was sent to their minor league team, the Kalamazoo Wings, in the IHL. He later moved to the Flyers' other minor league team, the Hershey Bears, in the American Hockey League (AHL).

In the 1985–86 season, Hextall stayed with the Hershey Bears. He had 30 wins and a low goals against average (GAA). The Bears finished as league leaders. Hextall showed his aggressive side in the playoffs. He got into a fight with three different players during a bench-clearing brawl. The Bears made it to the Calder Cup final but lost. Hextall was named the Dudley "Red" Garrett Memorial Award winner. This award goes to the AHL's best rookie player. Hextall later said his time in the AHL helped him become a top NHL goaltender.

Joining the Philadelphia Flyers

First Amazing Seasons

Hextall was invited to the Flyers' training camp in 1986. He played so well that coach Mike Keenan put him in the first game of the 1986–87 season. Hextall let in a goal on the first shot but then stopped every other shot. The Flyers won 2–1. Hextall continued to play aggressively. He even got into a fight with another goalie, Alain Chevrier.

Hextall's play in his first year in the NHL earned him the Vezina Trophy and the pictured Conn Smythe Trophy.

In his first NHL season, Hextall had 37 wins. He won the Vezina Trophy as the best goaltender. He also led the Flyers to the Stanley Cup Finals. The Flyers played against the powerful Edmonton Oilers. Hextall played incredibly well. Even though the Flyers lost the series, Hextall won the Conn Smythe Trophy. This award is for the most valuable player in the playoffs. He was only the fourth player from a losing team to win it. After the series, Oilers star Wayne Gretzky called Hextall "probably the best goaltender I've ever played against in the NHL."

Hextall was suspended for eight games at the start of the 1987–88 season. This was because he slashed Kent Nilsson in the playoffs. The NHL said there was "no justification for any player to swing his stick in retaliation."

On December 8, 1987, Hextall made history. He became the first goaltender to shoot at goal and score in the NHL. He scored an empty net goal against the Boston Bruins. The Bruins had pulled their goalie for an extra attacker. Hextall picked up the puck and shot it down the ice into the empty net. He had wanted to be the first goalie to score a "true goal" for a long time.

Hextall in 1987, pictured alongside Rick Tocchet

In his first two seasons, Hextall had over 100 penalty minutes. No other goalie had done this before. In the 1988–89 season, he broke his own record with 113 penalty minutes. This is still the most by any goaltender in an NHL season. He also had 30 wins for the third straight season. No other goalie had done that in their first three NHL seasons.

In the 1989 playoffs, Hextall scored his second career goal. This time, it was in a playoff game against the Washington Capitals. He became the first goalie to score a goal in the NHL playoffs. The Flyers won that game. Later in the playoffs, Hextall got into a fight with Chris Chelios. Hextall was suspended for 12 games at the start of the next season. He said he wanted to fight Chelios, not hurt him.

Injuries and Trades

After the 1989–90 season, Hextall had problems with his contract. He missed some training camp time. He then suffered several groin injuries. These injuries kept him from playing many games. In the 1990–91 season, he played only 36 games. The Flyers missed the playoffs for the second year in a row. He continued to have injuries in the 1991–92 season.

In 1992, Hextall was part of a big trade. He was traded to the Quebec Nordiques as part of the deal that brought Eric Lindros to the Flyers. Hextall was worried about moving his family to a French-speaking area. But he played well for the Nordiques. He helped them reach the playoffs for the first time since 1987.

After only one season with the Nordiques, Hextall was traded again. In 1993, he went to the New York Islanders. This move was a surprise for him. Hextall had a tough start with the Islanders. He let in many goals and was sometimes booed by the fans. But his teammates supported him. Coach Al Arbour said Hextall could only be as good as the players in front of him. Hextall eventually found his form. He had two shutouts in a row in February. He was named the NHL's player of the week. He finished the season with a career-best five shutouts.

Returning to Philadelphia

In 1994, Hextall was traded back to the Philadelphia Flyers. In his first season back (1994–95), he had his lowest GAA yet. The Flyers made the playoffs for the first time in six years. They swept the New York Rangers in the second round. Hextall was much calmer than in his earlier career. The Flyers then lost to the New Jersey Devils in the Conference Final. Hextall's playoff stats were his best since his rookie year.

Hextall stayed with the Flyers for the 1995–96 season. He had 31 wins, his best since 1989. His GAA of 2.17 was the best in the NHL that year. It was also the best of his career. He continued to play well for the next two seasons. He had 30 wins again in 1996–97. He also recorded 19 shutouts in his final six seasons. In his first five seasons, he only had one shutout.

The Flyers reached the 1997 Stanley Cup Finals. Hextall shared the goaltending duties with Garth Snow. The Flyers were swept 4–0 by the Detroit Red Wings. In his final two seasons, Hextall played fewer games. He kept his GAA below 3.00 in each of his last five seasons. This was a big improvement from his earlier career. Hextall retired from the NHL on September 6, 1999.

International Hockey

Hextall played for Team Canada in the 1987 Canada Cup. He was a backup goalie and did not play in any games. He later played in the 1992 World Championships. He played five games, but Canada was eliminated in the quarter-finals.

Management Career

Ron Hextall (r) with Flyers' President Paul Holmgren (l) and Chairman Ed Snider (c) on May 7, 2014, as he was named general manager of the team

After retiring as a player in 1999, Hextall became a scout for the Philadelphia Flyers. Three years later, he was promoted to director of professional player personnel. In 2006, Hextall moved to the Los Angeles Kings. He became the vice president and assistant general manager. He also managed the Manchester Monarchs, the Kings' minor league team. On June 11, 2012, Hextall finally won a Stanley Cup as the Kings' assistant general manager.

On July 15, 2013, Hextall returned to the Flyers as assistant general manager. On May 7, 2014, he was named general manager of the Flyers. He held this position for four and a half seasons. The Flyers fired Hextall as general manager on November 26, 2018. He then worked as an advisor for the Kings.

On February 9, 2021, Hextall became the new general manager for the Pittsburgh Penguins. His time with the Penguins was controversial. Some sports journalists called him "one of the worst general managers in franchise history." Many of his player trades and decisions were criticized. The Penguins struggled in the 2022–23 season. They missed the playoffs for the first time in 16 years. This led to calls for Hextall to be fired. On April 14, 2023, the Penguins announced that they had fired Hextall.

Personal Life

Ron Hextall is married to Diane Ogibowski, a former figure skater. They have four children: Kristin, Brett, Rebecca, and Jeffrey.

His son, Brett Hextall, was drafted by the Phoenix Coyotes in 2008. He played four seasons in the minor leagues before retiring. If he had played in the NHL, Brett would have been the second fourth-generation player in NHL history.

Ron's cousin, Leah Hextall, is an announcer for ESPN.

Awards and Honours

Records

NHL Records

• Most penalty minutes by a goaltender in one season – 113 (1988–89)

Philadelphia Flyers Records

• Most career games played by a goaltender – 489
• Most career wins – 240
• Most career playoff wins – 45
• Most career points by a goaltender – 28
• Most career penalty minutes by a goaltender – 476

Career Statistics

Regular Season and Playoffs

International Play