Ron Hextall
Encyclopedia
Ronald Jeffrey Hextall (born May 3, 1964) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey
goaltender
who played 13 National Hockey League
(NHL) seasons for the Philadelphia Flyers
, Quebec Nordiques
, and New York Islanders
. He is currently the Vice President and Assistant General Manager of the Los Angeles Kings
, as well as General Manager of the Kings' American Hockey League
affiliate, the Manchester Monarchs
.
Hextall played 11 of his 13 seasons over two stints with the Flyers. He holds several team records and is a member of the Flyers Hall of Fame. During his rookie season in , he was awarded the Vezina Trophy
as the league's top goaltender and led the Flyers to the Stanley Cup Finals
. Despite the Flyers' loss to the Edmonton Oilers
in seven games, he won the Conn Smythe Trophy
as the playoffs' most valuable player, making him one of only five players to win the trophy in a losing effort. Injuries in the middle of his career contributed to a drop in his playing ability; as a result, he was traded on three occasions in the off-seasons between 1992 and 1994 to the Quebec Nordiques
, the New York Islanders
and then back to the Flyers. Upon his return to Philadelphia, Hextall regained confidence and form, recording Goals Against Average
s (GAA) below 3.00 in each of his five subsequent seasons – the lowest of his career. He retired from the NHL at the end of the season.
Hextall became the first NHL goaltender to score a goal by shooting the puck into the opponent's empty net, against the Boston Bruins
in the season. The following season
, he became the first to score in the playoffs, by shooting the puck into the Washington Capitals
' empty net. His mobile style of play, in which he provided support to his defencemen by coming out of the goal area to play the puck was revolutionary, and inspired future generations of goaltenders, such as Martin Brodeur
. He was also known for being one of the NHL's most aggressive goaltenders: he was suspended for six or more games on three occasions, had more than 100 penalty minutes
in each of his first three seasons, and set new records for the number of penalty minutes recorded by a goaltender in the NHL.
, Manitoba
, the third and youngest child of Bryan and Fay Hextall. His family were closely associated with hockey. His grandfather, Bryan Hextall
, had an 11-year NHL career with the New York Rangers
, and was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame
in 1969. His father, known as Bryan Hextall, Jr., played in the NHL for 10 seasons, most notably for the Pittsburgh Penguins
, and his uncle, Dennis Hextall
, played 14 seasons of NHL hockey, not staying with any one club for longer than five years. During his youth, Hextall saw his father and uncle often roughed up by the Philadelphia Flyers
, whose aggressive style of play for much of the 1970s gave the team the name "Broad Street Bullies". Hextall later reflected that during this period he "hated the Flyers."
Because of his father's career, Hextall's education was far from stable; each year began at Brandon, and once the hockey season commenced in October, he moved to a school nearer to where his father was playing. At school, he achieved B and C grades, putting in the minimum amount of effort, but his mind remained on hockey, and specifically goaltending
. "Everybody else would be working and I'd be drawing pictures of Tony Esposito
and Jimmy Rutherford
," he recalled. Hextall came to mostly enjoy the constant moving, later saying "I got to hang around NHL rinks. What more would I have wanted?"
Although both his father and grandfather played as forwards
, his father was happy for him to play in goal, but insisted that he try other positions to improve his skating: Bryan believed his son would have made a good defenceman. Hextall's mother thought her son's love for hockey exceeded that of her husband's teammates and believed it would drive him to achieve his aim of goaltending in the NHL. Each summer, Hextall received training at the hockey school at which his father taught, but the hockey programs in Pittsburgh and Atlanta were sub-standard, and meant that during his teenage years, he was behind many of his fellow players. He describes himself as "[not] what you would call real polished" in his first year of junior hockey, aged 17.
in the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League
(SJHL). In his solitary season with the club, he played 37 games with a goals against average
(GAA) of 6.57. In one game that season, against the Prince Albert Raiders
, Hextall faced 105 shots, and made 84 saves, a performance described as brilliant by the Regina Leader-Post
. Although the Millionaires lost 21–2, the reporter noted that if it was not for Hextall, the Raiders could have scored "34 or 35". Millionaires teammate Mark Odnokon praised his performance, particularly the way "he lived up to his responsibilities and stayed in there until the end." In 2009, Hextall was inducted as one of the inaugural members of the SJHL Hall of Fame
.
Hextall returned to Brandon for the 1981–82 season, playing for the Brandon Wheat Kings
in the Western Hockey League
(WHL). He played 30 regular season games for the Wheat Kings, during which he recorded a GAA of 5.71. The Wheat Kings reached the playoffs but were swept four games to none (4–0) in the first-round by the Regina Pats
. Hextall played in three of the games, but completed only two and had a GAA of 9.32. His team was regarded as a poor one at the time by critics and Hextall had to battle in each game. Flyers' scout Jerry Melnyk said he could understand why many teams did not rate Hextall: "There were teams who thought he was loony." Melnyk claimed it was these attributes which he was attracted by, and he felt that Hextall could fit in well with the Flyers. Subsequently, the Flyers chose Hextall in the sixth round of the 1982 NHL Draft, 119th overall.
After his selection, Hextall remained with Brandon for two further seasons. He played 44 games in 1982–83, recording a GAA of 5.77 during a season in which the Wheat Kings did not qualify for the playoffs. The following year was his most successful in the WHL: a GAA of 4.29 across his 46 regular season games, which included 29 wins – more than in the previous two seasons combined. He played in ten of the twelve playoff games, recording five wins and five losses, with a GAA of 3.75. During the 1983–84 season, Hextall set a record for the most penalty minutes
accumulated by a goaltender, being assessed for 117 minutes during the regular season.
training camp in 1984 with the expectation of playing in the NHL. However, the Flyers subsequently sent him to their farm team in the International Hockey League (IHL), the Kalamazoo Wings. Although disappointed, Hextall was now playing at a higher level than at WHL and made his debut in professional hockey. He played 19 games for Kalamazoo, recording six wins and a GAA of 4.35. During the season, he moved to the Flyers' other farm team; Hershey Bears
of the American Hockey League
(AHL), where he played 11 times, with four wins, and a GAA of 3.68.
In the following season, Hextall remained with Hershey, appearing in 53 games during the 1985–86 season
. He recorded 30 wins and the lowest GAA average of his career to that point, 3.41. The Bears finished the regular season as league leaders, and won the John D. Chick Trophy
as the South Division Champions. Hextall lived up to his aggressive reputation in the Conference final, played against the St. Catharines Saints
, fighting three different members of the opposition side during a single bench-clearing brawl. The Bears advanced to the Calder Cup
final, having beaten the New Haven Nighthawks
4–1 and the St. Catharines Saints 4–3. In the final, they faced the Adirondack Red Wings
, who won the championship by four games to two. Hextall played 13 games in the playoffs, of which his team won five, and his GAA was 3.23. He was named as the Dudley "Red" Garrett Memorial Award winner, as the AHL's outstanding rookie player. Looking back on his time in the AHL, Hextall reflected that despite his initial disappointment at not being selected to play for the Flyers straight away, "the two years that I spent in the American League got me to the point where I was sure I could be a No. 1 goaltender at the NHL level."
to call Hextall up to the NHL, and to play him in the opening game of the season, against the Edmonton Oilers
. Hextall conceded a goal from the first shot he faced in the game, but allowed no further shots past him, leading his side to a 2–1 victory. Hextall continued to display the aggressive nature with which he had always played, swinging his stick at Brad Smith
and Troy Murray
early in his first NHL season. Despite these swipes, Hextall claimed at the time that, "I used to be worse, I've learned to control my temper." Two months after making these comments, Hextall was involved in a fight with opposing New Jersey Devils
goaltender Alain Chevrier
. Having lost to the Devils, the Flyers wanted revenge for Steve Richmond
's punch on Kjell Samuelson
at the end of the game; Hextall targeted Chevrier in a fight labelled by Chico Resch
as "like a heavyweight against a lightweight." Hextall and seven other players were fined $300 each for their part in the brawl.
In 66 regular season games during his rookie year, Hextall posted a GAA of 3.00, and recorded 37 wins. His was awarded the Vezina Trophy
for the most outstanding goaltender by the NHL general managers, but he was second in the voting to Luc Robitaille
for the Calder Memorial Trophy
, awarded to the "player selected as the most proficient in his first year of competition". Hextall led the Flyers to top their Conference, and win the Prince of Wales Trophy
. The Flyers progressed to face the Edmonton Oilers in the Stanley Cup Finals
, having beaten the New York Rangers
4–2, the New York Islanders
4–3, and the Montreal Canadiens
4–2. Following their series victory over Montreal, Flyers captain Dave Poulin
identified Hextall as the team's leading performer. In the fourth game of the Finals, Hextall received two penalties, first a ten-minute misconduct penalty for "expressing his displeasure at the fourth Oiler goal," and later a five-minute penalty for slashing
Kent Nilsson
. In the latter incident, Hextall had received a slash from Glenn Anderson
for which there was no call from the referees, and Hextall sought revenge by striking the back of Nilsson's knees. After the game Hextall expressed remorse for striking the wrong player but not for his action:
The performance of Hextall in the next game tied the series and forced a seventh game
; at the end, the Flyers team surrounded Hextall in congratulation and the Oilers player Kevin Lowe
said that Hextall "held them in it". Between the sixth and seventh games, the Oilers' forward Wayne Gretzky
described Hextall as "probably the best goaltender I've ever played against in the NHL" Edmonton won the final game of the series to take the Stanley Cup. Robin Finn, writing in The New York Times
, said that the team won the title "without their trademark, those endless waves of madcap scoring", primarily due to the "heroics of Hextall". Flyers team-mate Rick Tocchet
said that when he realised his side were going to lose, his "first thought was to feel sorry for Ronny Hextall, because he did everything he could to get us here and keep us in it." Hextall was awarded the Conn Smythe Trophy
for the most valuable player in the play-offs, becoming only the fourth player from a losing side to be awarded the trophy. During the off-season, Hextall received an eight-game suspension for the start of the 1987–88 season after his slash on Nilsson. Speaking on behalf of the NHL, Brian O'Neill said that: "There is no justification for any player to swing his stick in retaliation and this is especially the case for a goaltender whose stick, because of its weight, can cause serious injury."
The Flyers had a difficult start to the 1987–88 season, partly attributed by Keenan to the absence of Hextall. Hextall returned to the Flyers line-up against the New York Rangers
, and made over 40 saves in a 2–2 tie. Just over a month later, Hextall became the first goaltender to shoot at goal and score in the NHL when he scored an empty net goal
towards the end of a game against the Boston Bruins
. The Flyers led 4–2 which prompted the Bruins to pull their goaltender in favour of an extra attacker
. The puck was dumped into the Philadelphia zone by the Bruins, and Hextall picked it up without any players near him; his shot fired into the air, bounced and rolled into the net. Hextall had targeted becoming the "first NHL goaltender to score a true goal" over a year earlier, and, speaking after the game, commented that: "I knew I could do it. It was a matter of when." Despite his early season suspension, and a shoulder injury late in the season which made him miss five games, Hextall played 62 of the 67 games for which he was available during the regular season. He recorded 30 wins, and a GAA of 3.50, slightly higher than during his rookie year. Hextall struggled in the playoffs: he was replaced in successive games of the series against the Washington Capitals
having conceded four goals in each. In the final two games of the series, which the Capitals won 4–3, Hextall gave up a further 12 goals, and completed the playoffs with a GAA of 4.75.
In each of his first two seasons, Hextall accumulated 104 penalty minutes
during the regular season, the first time that a goaltender had collected over 100. In the 1988–89 season, he broke his own record, being assessed for 113 penalty minutes, the most by an goaltender in an NHL season (as of 2010). Hextall completed the 1988–89 regular season with 30 wins, the third consecutive season in which he had recorded so many, and the first time a goaltender had managed to record 30 wins in each of their first three seasons in the NHL. The Flyers finished fourth in the Patrick Division
, and qualified for the playoffs. They faced the Washington Capitals in the first round, and the teams shared the first four games. The Flyers won the fifth, despite being 5–4 down in the third period. Flyers' defenceman Mark Howe
credited their victory to Hextall. Late in the game, the Capitals pulled their goaltender, and Hextall scored the second goal of his career. The puck was shot into the Flyers' left defensive zone by Scott Stevens
, and Hextall went around the back of his net, controlled the puck and shot at goal. He became the first goaltender to score a goal in the NHL playoffs. The Flyers won 8–5, and went on to win the series 4–2, which Joe Sexton of the New York Times attributed primarily to Hextall's return to form.
Against the Penguins in the Patrick Division Final, Hextall's performances were mixed: he under-performed early in the series, and in game five was swapped out of the net and then reinstated twice during a 10–7 defeat for the Flyers. Hextall faced 17 shots in the game, conceding nine of the Penguins goals. After the game, he denied being out of control, despite having assaulted one of the officials and chasing Rob Brown around the ice. He said, "I like to think I'm strong mentally. Hey, if I was as out of control as people say I am, I wouldn't be in the National Hockey League." The Penguins coach, Gene Ubriaco
, agreed with Hextall's assessment, and believed the goaltender lost control intentionally: "He uses a loss of control to his advantage, in a way. He's the extreme example of controlled violence. And they [the Flyers] live and die with it." The Flyers won the next game to force a decider, but Hextall was ruled out of the contest with a first degree sprain
of the medial collateral ligament
(MCL) in his right knee. Hextall's injury kept him out of the first three games of the series against the Canadiens, during which the Canadiens took a 2–1 lead. He returned for the fourth game, but could not prevent his side losing 3–0. The Flyers won the following game to extend the series to six games, but lost the next game 4–2, and were eliminated. Hextall displayed his violent side during the final minutes of game six, skating out of his crease to attack Chris Chelios
. Hextall claimed that the attack was in retaliation for Chelios' hit on Flyer Brian Propp
in game one, when Chelios caught Flyer Propp with a "flying elbow" to the side of the head, rendering him unconscious. Hextall was given a 12-game suspension for his actions, at the beginning of the 1989–90 season. Following the announcement of the suspension, Hextall stated his disappointment, and added that his intention was to fight rather than hurt Chelios.
, to renegotiate his contract. The Flyers refused to deal with the agent, and at a tearful press conference, Hextall declared his contract invalid and announced that he would not take part in the team's training camp. After negotiations about which neither side revealed details, Hextall returned to practice with the team on October 20, 42 days later. Hextall suffered a slight groin pull during his first game back, and in his second, he hurt his left hamstring
. Just under a month later, while playing for the Hershey Bears
in an attempt to establish his fitness, he was carried off the ice after once more hurting his groin. In total that season, Hextall appeared nine times; once for the Bears in the AHL, and eight times for the Flyers. In the NHL, he recorded a GAA of 4.15, the highest he averaged during any single season of the NHL.
Hextall continued to be plagued by groin injuries during the next two seasons, twice straining his left groin muscle in the 1990–91 season. The Flyers' orthopaedist, Dr. Arthur Bartolozzi, suggested a possible reason for his series of injuries:
In 1990–91, Hextall appeared in 36 NHL games, less than half of those played by the Flyers that season. He recorded 13 wins, with a GAA of 3.13. For the second successive year, the Flyers failed to qualify for the playoffs. Early the following season, Hextall received the third significant suspension of his career, missing six games for slashing
Detroit
forward Jim Cummins during a pre-season game. Suspension, further injuries, and a lack of form meant Hextall appeared 45 times for the Flyers. He recorded 16 wins during the season, resulting in his lowest win percentage in the NHL, 35.56%.
to the Philadelphia Flyers. Lindros, who had been picked first overall by the Quebec Nordiques
in the 1991 entry draft
, had refused to play for Quebec during the 1991–92 season, forcing the club's owner Marcel Aubut
to trade him. While negotiating to get the best possible deal, Aubut traded Lindros to both the Flyers and the Rangers, meaning an arbitrator had to rule which club should receive him. During the ten days between the trades being made and the arbitrator's ruling, there was a lot of speculation about which Flyers' and Rangers' players were involved in the potential trades. Hextall was among the players mentioned, something which he was unhappy about. Speaking through his agent, Hextall admitted to being "scared to death" about the possibility of moving with his family to the French-speaking area. On July 30, the arbitrator ruled in favour of the Philadelphia Flyers, and Hextall was traded to Quebec, along with five other players, two first round selections (in 1993 and 1994), and $15,000,000 cash for Lindros.
In the New York Times preview of the Adams Division
for the 1992–93 season, Hextall is described as "inconsistent and injury-prone", while the players gained in the Lindros trade are collected dubbed as "good players but no superstars." Hextall regained some of the confidence he displayed during his first years in Philadelphia, and although a strained thigh muscle kept him out towards the end of the regular season, he helped the Nordiques to reach the playoffs for the first time since 1987. Quebec were eliminated 4–2 by the Montreal Canadiens
in the first round, during which Hextall was praised as being "at the top of his game".
in return for Mark Fitzpatrick
during the off-season, a move made because the Nordiques could only protect one goalie for the expansion draft and instead of losing him choose to trade him to Long Island. The two teams also traded first round draft picks. The move was a surprise for Hextall, who had settled in well in Quebec with his family. Don Maloney
, the Islanders' General Manager, described the trade as "too good to pass up". The trade was praised by the New York Times as possibly "the best in the league over the off season". Hextall had a poor beginning to his career as an Islander, conceding 23 goals in 14 periods at the start of the season, resulting in his replacement prior to the third period against the New Jersey Devils
in mid-October. During that game, in which the Islanders were playing at home, Hextall was jeered by the crowd, something to which he had become accustomed during his time with Philadelphia. In contrast to the fan's derision, Hextall's team-mates backed him, taking some of the blame themselves, and expressing their belief in their new colleague. Steve Thomas
suggested that Hextall was "one of the best goalies in the league, easily in the top five or 10," while coach Al Arbour
dismissed dropping Hextall, saying that "We're not playing well in front of the goaltender and he can only be as good as the guys in front of him." Any thoughts that Arbour might have had of replacing Hextall as the team's number-one goaltender were limited by the play of his back-up, Tom Draper
, who recorded a GAA of 4.23 in the seven NHL games he played that season. This, coupled with the lack of experienced goaltenders at the club's IHL affiliate, the Salt Lake Golden Eagles
, resulted in Hextall starting 20 games in a row until Jamie McLennan
was called up from the Golden Eagles.
The break, and challenge, that Hextall was afforded by McLennan's call-up helped him to recover his form, and in February, he made consecutive shutouts against the Ottawa Senators
and Washington Capitals
. He recorded another shutout in his next home game, against the Flyers, and was shortly thereafter named as the NHL's player of the week. During the regular season with the Islanders, Hextall recorded a career-best five shutouts, and a GAA of 3.08, the best since his rookie year. Maloney described Hextall's time with the team as having "a slow start and a disastrous finish". The Islanders reached the playoffs, but were swept 4–0 by their rivals, the New York Rangers
. Hextall played three of the four games, conceding 16 goals for a GAA of 6.08, the worst average of his NHL career by some distance. After the season had concluded, Maloney said that he believed that only two Islanders players had distinguished themselves during the 1993–94 season, with one of those being Jamie McLennan. He also praised Hextall's play during his long sequence of starts, but five months later, Maloney traded Hextall back to Philadelphia. He described the move as being two-pronged: it would appease the fans and prevent the derisory calls when the team were struggling, and it would give McLennan a chance to establish himself as the number-one goaltender. Hextall, along with a sixth round draft pick was traded to the Flyers in return for goaltender Tommy Söderström
.
in the first round, the Flyers faced the New York Rangers in the second. Following the Rangers sweep of the Islanders the previous season, the Rangers' fans chanted "We Want Hex-tall!" during their game-six victory in the first round. The Flyers' coach, Terry Murray
dismissed the chants, stating that "emotionally he's really under control." The New York Times supported this belief, claiming that "this isn't the same Ron Hextall they remember so fondly". The Flyers won the first two games of the series, and at Madison Square Garden
, Hextall had a quiet game in which he even acted as a calming influence to team-mates Kevin Haller
and Dmitri Yushkevich
, a turnaround from the aggressiveness he had displayed earlier in his career. The Flyers swept the Rangers 4–0 and advanced to the Conference Final against the New Jersey Devils
, to whom they lost 4–2. Hextall's statistics in the playoffs were his best since his rookie year: he recorded ten wins with a GAA of 2.81.
For the first time in three seasons, Hextall was not traded during the off-season, and remained with the Flyers for the 1995–96 season. During the regular season, Hextall improved on his figures from the previous year, passing 30 wins for the first time since 1988–89. His GAA of 2.17 was both the best in the NHL that year, and the best of Hextall's career. In the playoffs, Hextall played in all twelve of the Flyers' games, a 4–2 first round victory over the Tampa Bay Lightning
followed by a 4–2 defeat to the Florida Panthers
. His GAA of 2.13 was his lowest recorded in any post-season. He continued to perform well over the next two seasons, passing 30 wins again in 1996–97, and adding another nine shutout
s to the four he had made in 1995–96. Over his first five seasons in the NHL, Hextall only made one shutout, while in his final six seasons, he achieved the feat on nineteen occasions. The Flyers progressed to the 1997 Stanley Cup Finals
, though Hextall only appeared in eight playoff games, finishing seven of them. Throughout the season and the playoffs, the uncertainty in goal resulted in Hextall and Garth Snow
swapping places regularly. Snow started nine of the ten games during the first two rounds, but Hextall replaced him in game two of the Conference Final, and remained the starting goaltender for the remainder of the series. A loss against the Detroit Red Wings
in the first game of the Stanley Cup finals resulted in coach Murray switching back to Snow for the second game. Hextall returned for games three and four, but the Flyers were swept 4–0 by the Red Wings.
In his final two playing seasons, both spent at the Flyers, Hextall made fewer appearances; he played 46 games in , and 23 the following year. He maintained a sub-three GAA in each year, repeating the achievement in each of his final five seasons in the NHL having failed to do so in the previous eight seasons. At the end of , Hextall was waived
by the Flyers, and after going unclaimed in the expansion draft
, he announced his retirement on September 7, 1999.
. During a practice session, he chopped Sylvain Turgeon
's arm with his stick during a scrimmage, claiming that the defenceman was too close to the goal. Turgeon missed the tournament with a fractured arm; Hextall was back-up to Grant Fuhr
and did not play a single game. He later represented Canada in the 1992 World Championships
, playing five games to record one win and a GAA of 2.86 as Canada were eliminated in the quarter-finals.
Hextall brought a new style of goaltending to the NHL, providing support to his two defencemen due to his willingness to come out of the net and play the puck. He was known for his excellent puck-handling ability. In Hextall's time, goaltenders would limit themselves to stopping the puck behind the net, make short push passes, or at most clear the puck out of the zone with "clumsy" backhands. He distinguished himself by using his stick as a defenceman would; for example, he was capable of starting a counterattack, easily lifting the puck or bouncing it off the glass. Hextall's puck-handling ability meant that it was inadvisable to try a dump and chase strategy of sending the puck in a corner, regaining it, and establishing an attack in the offensive zone, because Hextall would invariable get to the puck first and clear it out of his zone towards a waiting player in the neutral zone. He was described by former NHL player Peter McNab as the "original outlet pass goalie".
While playing junior hockey, Hextall's coaches advised him that he would not reach the NHL if he continued to move the puck. Not everyone agreed; NHL goaltender Darren Pang described feeling as if "he had just witnessed Superman flying out of a phone booth" when he saw Hextall's puckhandling ability in a minor league game. Former NHL goaltender Johnny Bower
, when scouting for the Toronto Maple Leafs
in Brandon, remarked that Hextall would at times let in soft goals, and doubted if he would reach the NHL; Hextall retained a tendency to let in occasional weak goals throughout his career. Hextall claims his adventurous style stemmed from his youth, when he played on outdoor ice rinks with a skater's stick
, rather than the heftier goaltender's stick. Martin Brodeur
modelled his own play on that of Hextall, saying "I love the fact that he was playing the puck. He was one of the first goalies that came out and played the puck. He was a little rough for my liking, but it was entertaining. The playing of the puck was the big thing." Hextall's mobility provided extra passing opportunities for his defencemen: when killing a penalty they would frequently pass the puck back to him, relieving some of the pressure on his team. He is described on the Hockey Hall of Fame
's Legends of Hockey website as being "perhaps the game's most mobile goalie of all time."
Frank Orr, a columnist in the Toronto Star
, suggested that Hextall's aggressive nature, which resulted in three suspensions of six or more games during his NHL career, was an intentional part of his game designed to protect him. He theorized that because Hextall's style of play frequently took him out of his goal crease, the threat of physical violence lessened the chances of him being challenged by an attacker when out of position. In the 1993 playoff series between the Montreal Canadiens and Hextall's Nordiques, the Canadiens' coach Jacques Demers designed a plan to disrupt Hextall's play after Montreal had lost its two first games to Quebec. He noted that Hextall would be off his game if he were disturbed or bumped. Montreal then won four straight games to win the series in six games. Demers felt that Hextall's emotional play lessened his effectiveness; while acknowledging him as a "great competitor", he felt that "he didn't reach the level of a Grant Fuhr
or a Martin Brodeur
[because] he lost his cool if you got in his face."
Rogie Vachon, who served as the General Manager of the Los Angeles Kings
during the early part of the Hextall's playing career, praised his goaltending ability, but felt that his aggressive conduct "shouldn't be in hockey and I think it tarnishes his image, too. He can play. He doesn't need that (stuff)." His view was shared by many, leading Hextall to be tagged as one of the most "revered and reviled" players in the league. Former NHL goaltender John Davidson commented that Hextall "thrived" on being a villain; he further described him as a "great character", and noted that "when he came to town, fans would want to race to the arena to boo him."
three times, and reached the Eastern Conference Finals on two occasions. In June 2006, Hextall moved to the Los Angeles Kings
to take on the role of Vice President and Assistant General Manager. In addition, Hextall also serves as the General Manager of the Manchester Monarchs
of the AHL, the Kings’ primary affiliate.
as a sixth-round pick (159th overall) in the 2008 NHL Entry Draft
. He was signed to an entry-level contract with the team in April 2011, and if he plays in the NHL will become the second fourth-generation player in NHL history, after Blake Geoffrion
.
Ice hockey
Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
goaltender
Goaltender
In ice hockey, the goaltender is the player who defends his team's goal net by stopping shots of the puck from entering his team's net, thus preventing the opposing team from scoring...
who played 13 National Hockey League
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States...
(NHL) seasons for the Philadelphia Flyers
Philadelphia Flyers
The Philadelphia Flyers are a professional ice hockey team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
, Quebec Nordiques
Quebec Nordiques
The Quebec Nordiques were a professional ice hockey team based in Quebec City, Quebec, Canada. The Nordiques played in the World Hockey Association and the National Hockey League...
, and New York Islanders
New York Islanders
The New York Islanders are a professional ice hockey team based in Uniondale, New York. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
. He is currently the Vice President and Assistant General Manager of the Los Angeles Kings
Los Angeles Kings
The Los Angeles Kings are a professional ice hockey team based in Los Angeles, California. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League...
, as well as General Manager of the Kings' American Hockey League
American Hockey League
The American Hockey League is a 30-team professional ice hockey league based in the United States and Canada that serves as the primary developmental circuit for the National Hockey League...
affiliate, the Manchester Monarchs
Manchester Monarchs
The Manchester Monarchs are a professional ice hockey team in the American Hockey League . They play in Manchester, New Hampshire at the Verizon Wireless Arena. They have been the AHL affiliate of the Los Angeles Kings since 2001.-History:...
.
Hextall played 11 of his 13 seasons over two stints with the Flyers. He holds several team records and is a member of the Flyers Hall of Fame. During his rookie season in , he was awarded the Vezina Trophy
Vezina Trophy
The Vezina Trophy is awarded annually to the National Hockey League's goaltender who is "adjudged to be the best at this position". At the end of each season, the 30 General Managers of the teams in the National Hockey League vote to determine the goaltender who was the most valuable to his team...
as the league's top goaltender and led the Flyers to the Stanley Cup Finals
1987 Stanley Cup Finals
The 1987 Stanley Cup Final was played between the Edmonton Oilers and the Philadelphia Flyers. The Oilers would win the series 4–3, for their third Stanley Cup victory.-Paths to the Final:...
. Despite the Flyers' loss to the Edmonton Oilers
Edmonton Oilers
The Edmonton Oilers are a professional ice hockey team based in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division in the Western Conference of the National Hockey League ....
in seven games, he won the Conn Smythe Trophy
Conn Smythe Trophy
The Conn Smythe Trophy is awarded annually to the player judged most valuable to his team during the National Hockey League's Stanley Cup playoffs. The Conn Smythe Trophy has been awarded 46 times to 40 players since the 1964–65 NHL season...
as the playoffs' most valuable player, making him one of only five players to win the trophy in a losing effort. Injuries in the middle of his career contributed to a drop in his playing ability; as a result, he was traded on three occasions in the off-seasons between 1992 and 1994 to the Quebec Nordiques
Quebec Nordiques
The Quebec Nordiques were a professional ice hockey team based in Quebec City, Quebec, Canada. The Nordiques played in the World Hockey Association and the National Hockey League...
, the New York Islanders
New York Islanders
The New York Islanders are a professional ice hockey team based in Uniondale, New York. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
and then back to the Flyers. Upon his return to Philadelphia, Hextall regained confidence and form, recording Goals Against Average
Goals against average
Goals Against Average is a statistic used in ice hockey, water polo, lacrosse, and soccer that is the mean of goals allowed per game by a goaltender....
s (GAA) below 3.00 in each of his five subsequent seasons – the lowest of his career. He retired from the NHL at the end of the season.
Hextall became the first NHL goaltender to score a goal by shooting the puck into the opponent's empty net, against the Boston Bruins
Boston Bruins
The Boston Bruins are a professional ice hockey team based in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The team has been in existence since 1924, and is the league's third-oldest team and its oldest in the...
in the season. The following season
1988-89 NHL season
-NHL awards:-All-Star teams:-Scoring Leaders:Note: GP = Games played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points, PIM = Penalties in minutes, PPG = Powerplay Goals, SHG = Shorthanded Goals, GWG = Game Winning Goals-Leading goaltenders:...
, he became the first to score in the playoffs, by shooting the puck into the Washington Capitals
Washington Capitals
The Washington Capitals are a professional ice hockey team based in Washington, D.C. They are members of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . Since their founding in 1974, "The Caps" have won one conference championship to reach the 1998 Stanley Cup...
' empty net. His mobile style of play, in which he provided support to his defencemen by coming out of the goal area to play the puck was revolutionary, and inspired future generations of goaltenders, such as Martin Brodeur
Martin Brodeur
Martin Pierre Brodeur is a French-Canadian ice hockey goaltender who has played his entire National Hockey League career with the New Jersey Devils. In his 19-year tenure with the Devils, he has won three Stanley Cup championships and has been in the playoffs every year but two...
. He was also known for being one of the NHL's most aggressive goaltenders: he was suspended for six or more games on three occasions, had more than 100 penalty minutes
Penalty (ice hockey)
A penalty in ice hockey is a punishment for inappropriate behavior. Most penalties are enforced by detaining the offending player within a penalty box for a set number of minutes, during which, the player can not participate in play. The offending team usually may not replace the player on the ice,...
in each of his first three seasons, and set new records for the number of penalty minutes recorded by a goaltender in the NHL.
Early life
Ron Hextall was born on May 3, 1964 in BrandonBrandon, Manitoba
Brandon is the second largest city in Manitoba, Canada, and is located in the southwestern area of the province. Brandon is the largest city in the Westman region of Manitoba. The city is located along the Assiniboine River. Spruce Woods Provincial Park and CFB Shilo are a relatively short distance...
, Manitoba
Manitoba
Manitoba is a Canadian prairie province with an area of . The province has over 110,000 lakes and has a largely continental climate because of its flat topography. Agriculture, mostly concentrated in the fertile southern and western parts of the province, is vital to the province's economy; other...
, the third and youngest child of Bryan and Fay Hextall. His family were closely associated with hockey. His grandfather, Bryan Hextall
Bryan Hextall
Bryan Aldwyn Hextall was a Canadian professional ice hockey forward who played for the New York Rangers in the National Hockey League . Considered one of the top wingers of the 1940s, he led the NHL in goal scoring twice and in points once...
, had an 11-year NHL career with the New York Rangers
New York Rangers
The New York Rangers are a professional ice hockey team based in the borough of Manhattan in New York, New York, USA. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . Playing their home games at Madison Square Garden, the Rangers are one of the...
, and was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame
Hockey Hall of Fame
The Hockey Hall of Fame is located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Dedicated to the history of ice hockey, it is both a museum and a hall of fame. It holds exhibits about players, teams, National Hockey League records, memorabilia and NHL trophies, including the Stanley Cup...
in 1969. His father, known as Bryan Hextall, Jr., played in the NHL for 10 seasons, most notably for the Pittsburgh Penguins
Pittsburgh Penguins
The Pittsburgh Penguins are a professional ice hockey team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The franchise was founded in 1967 as one of the first expansion teams during the league's original...
, and his uncle, Dennis Hextall
Dennis Hextall
Dennis Hextall is a former professional hockey forward who spent most of his career with the Minnesota North Stars and Detroit Red Wings...
, played 14 seasons of NHL hockey, not staying with any one club for longer than five years. During his youth, Hextall saw his father and uncle often roughed up by the Philadelphia Flyers
Philadelphia Flyers
The Philadelphia Flyers are a professional ice hockey team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
, whose aggressive style of play for much of the 1970s gave the team the name "Broad Street Bullies". Hextall later reflected that during this period he "hated the Flyers."
Because of his father's career, Hextall's education was far from stable; each year began at Brandon, and once the hockey season commenced in October, he moved to a school nearer to where his father was playing. At school, he achieved B and C grades, putting in the minimum amount of effort, but his mind remained on hockey, and specifically goaltending
Goaltender
In ice hockey, the goaltender is the player who defends his team's goal net by stopping shots of the puck from entering his team's net, thus preventing the opposing team from scoring...
. "Everybody else would be working and I'd be drawing pictures of Tony Esposito
Tony Esposito
For the Italian musician, please see Tony Esposito .Anthony James "Tony O" Esposito is a retired Canadian-American professional ice hockey goaltender, who played in the National Hockey League, most notably for the Chicago Black Hawks. He was one of the pioneers of the now popular butterfly style....
and Jimmy Rutherford
Jim Rutherford
James Earl Rutherford is a former professional ice hockey goaltender who played in the National Hockey League for the Detroit Red Wings, Toronto Maple Leafs, Pittsburgh Penguins, and Los Angeles Kings in the 1970s and 1980s...
," he recalled. Hextall came to mostly enjoy the constant moving, later saying "I got to hang around NHL rinks. What more would I have wanted?"
Although both his father and grandfather played as forwards
Forward (ice hockey)
In ice hockey, a forward is a player position on the ice whose primary responsibility is to score goals. Generally, the forwards try to stay in three different lanes, also known as thirds, of the ice going from goal to goal. It is not mandatory however, to stay in a lane. Staying in a lane aids in...
, his father was happy for him to play in goal, but insisted that he try other positions to improve his skating: Bryan believed his son would have made a good defenceman. Hextall's mother thought her son's love for hockey exceeded that of her husband's teammates and believed it would drive him to achieve his aim of goaltending in the NHL. Each summer, Hextall received training at the hockey school at which his father taught, but the hockey programs in Pittsburgh and Atlanta were sub-standard, and meant that during his teenage years, he was behind many of his fellow players. He describes himself as "[not] what you would call real polished" in his first year of junior hockey, aged 17.
Junior hockey
Hextall began his junior hockey career with the Melville MillionairesMelville Millionaires
The Melville Millionaires are a Junior "A" ice hockey team based out of Melville, Saskatchewan. They play out of the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League. They play their home games in the Melville Stadium which has a seating capacity of 2,100. The Melville Millionaires and the Yorkton Terriers are...
in the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League
Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League
The Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League is a Junior A ice hockey league under Hockey Canada, a part of the Canadian Junior Hockey League. Open to North American-born players 20 years of age or younger, the SJHL's 12 teams play in two divisions: the Bauer and Sherwood conferences...
(SJHL). In his solitary season with the club, he played 37 games with a goals against average
Goals against average
Goals Against Average is a statistic used in ice hockey, water polo, lacrosse, and soccer that is the mean of goals allowed per game by a goaltender....
(GAA) of 6.57. In one game that season, against the Prince Albert Raiders
Prince Albert Raiders
The Prince Albert Raiders are a major junior ice hockey team in the Western Hockey League. The Raiders play in the East Division of the Eastern Conference. They are based in the Saskatchewan city of Prince Albert...
, Hextall faced 105 shots, and made 84 saves, a performance described as brilliant by the Regina Leader-Post
Regina Leader-Post
The Regina Leader-Post is the daily newspaper of Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada, and now a member of the Postmedia Network.The newspaper was first published as The Leader in 1883, by Nicholas Flood Davin...
. Although the Millionaires lost 21–2, the reporter noted that if it was not for Hextall, the Raiders could have scored "34 or 35". Millionaires teammate Mark Odnokon praised his performance, particularly the way "he lived up to his responsibilities and stayed in there until the end." In 2009, Hextall was inducted as one of the inaugural members of the SJHL Hall of Fame
Hall of Fame
A hall of fame, wall of fame, walk of fame, walk of stars or avenue of stars is a type of attraction established for any field of endeavor to honor individuals of noteworthy achievement in that field...
.
Hextall returned to Brandon for the 1981–82 season, playing for the Brandon Wheat Kings
Brandon Wheat Kings
The Brandon Wheat Kings are a Canadian junior ice hockey team based in Brandon, Manitoba. They compete in the Western Hockey League, and joined the league in the 1967–68 season. Prior to that they played in the Manitoba Junior Hockey League and were known as the Brandon Elks for a short time in the...
in the Western Hockey League
Western Hockey League
The Western Hockey League is a major junior ice hockey league based in Western Canada and the Northwestern United States. The WHL is one of three leagues that constitute the Canadian Hockey League as the highest level of junior hockey in Canada...
(WHL). He played 30 regular season games for the Wheat Kings, during which he recorded a GAA of 5.71. The Wheat Kings reached the playoffs but were swept four games to none (4–0) in the first-round by the Regina Pats
Regina Pats
The Regina Pats are a junior ice hockey team that plays in the Western Hockey League. The Pats are based out of Regina, Saskatchewan and the Brandt Centre is their home arena.-History:...
. Hextall played in three of the games, but completed only two and had a GAA of 9.32. His team was regarded as a poor one at the time by critics and Hextall had to battle in each game. Flyers' scout Jerry Melnyk said he could understand why many teams did not rate Hextall: "There were teams who thought he was loony." Melnyk claimed it was these attributes which he was attracted by, and he felt that Hextall could fit in well with the Flyers. Subsequently, the Flyers chose Hextall in the sixth round of the 1982 NHL Draft, 119th overall.
After his selection, Hextall remained with Brandon for two further seasons. He played 44 games in 1982–83, recording a GAA of 5.77 during a season in which the Wheat Kings did not qualify for the playoffs. The following year was his most successful in the WHL: a GAA of 4.29 across his 46 regular season games, which included 29 wins – more than in the previous two seasons combined. He played in ten of the twelve playoff games, recording five wins and five losses, with a GAA of 3.75. During the 1983–84 season, Hextall set a record for the most penalty minutes
Penalty (ice hockey)
A penalty in ice hockey is a punishment for inappropriate behavior. Most penalties are enforced by detaining the offending player within a penalty box for a set number of minutes, during which, the player can not participate in play. The offending team usually may not replace the player on the ice,...
accumulated by a goaltender, being assessed for 117 minutes during the regular season.
Professional hockey
Hextall arrived at the Philadelphia FlyersPhiladelphia Flyers
The Philadelphia Flyers are a professional ice hockey team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
training camp in 1984 with the expectation of playing in the NHL. However, the Flyers subsequently sent him to their farm team in the International Hockey League (IHL), the Kalamazoo Wings. Although disappointed, Hextall was now playing at a higher level than at WHL and made his debut in professional hockey. He played 19 games for Kalamazoo, recording six wins and a GAA of 4.35. During the season, he moved to the Flyers' other farm team; Hershey Bears
Hershey Bears
The Hershey Bears Hockey Club is a professional ice hockey team playing in the American Hockey League, and is currently the top affiliate of the NHL Washington Capitals. The hockey club is based in the unincorporated town of Hershey, Pennsylvania, located within Derry Township some 14 miles east of...
of the American Hockey League
American Hockey League
The American Hockey League is a 30-team professional ice hockey league based in the United States and Canada that serves as the primary developmental circuit for the National Hockey League...
(AHL), where he played 11 times, with four wins, and a GAA of 3.68.
In the following season, Hextall remained with Hershey, appearing in 53 games during the 1985–86 season
1985–86 AHL season
The 1985–86 AHL season was the 50th season of the American Hockey League. Thirteen teams played 80 games each in the schedule. The Hershey Bears finished first overall in the regular season...
. He recorded 30 wins and the lowest GAA average of his career to that point, 3.41. The Bears finished the regular season as league leaders, and won the John D. Chick Trophy
John D. Chick Trophy
The John D. Chick Trophy is presented annually to the AHL's team that has the best record in the West Division.The award is named after John Chick, who served as vice president and treasurer of the American Hockey League....
as the South Division Champions. Hextall lived up to his aggressive reputation in the Conference final, played against the St. Catharines Saints
St. Catharines Saints
The St. Catharines Saints was a minor league ice hockey team in St. Catharines, Ontario. It played in the American Hockey League from 1982–1986 as the farm team of the Toronto Maple Leafs....
, fighting three different members of the opposition side during a single bench-clearing brawl. The Bears advanced to the Calder Cup
Calder Cup
The Calder Cup is awarded annually to the playoff champion of the American Hockey League. The trophy is the world's second oldest continuous professional ice hockey championship, having first been awarded in 1937 following the 1936-37 AHL season, and continuously being awarded every year.The cup...
final, having beaten the New Haven Nighthawks
New Haven Nighthawks
The New Haven Nighthawks are a former ice hockey team that played in the American Hockey League from 1972 to 1992. They had affiliations with the Minnesota North Stars , New York Islanders , New York Rangers , and Los Angeles Kings...
4–1 and the St. Catharines Saints 4–3. In the final, they faced the Adirondack Red Wings
Adirondack Red Wings
The Adirondack Red Wings were a minor professional ice hockey team in the American Hockey League. They played in Glens Falls, New York, USA at the Glens Falls Civic Center. The team was affiliated with the Detroit Red Wings of the National Hockey League...
, who won the championship by four games to two. Hextall played 13 games in the playoffs, of which his team won five, and his GAA was 3.23. He was named as the Dudley "Red" Garrett Memorial Award winner, as the AHL's outstanding rookie player. Looking back on his time in the AHL, Hextall reflected that despite his initial disappointment at not being selected to play for the Flyers straight away, "the two years that I spent in the American League got me to the point where I was sure I could be a No. 1 goaltender at the NHL level."
First three seasons
After his performances in the AHL, Hextall was invited to the Flyers' training camp as a long-shot. His play in four exhibition games convinced Flyers' coach Mike KeenanMike Keenan
Michael Edward Keenan is a former head coach in the National Hockey League , most recently with the Calgary Flames, and former General Manager of the Florida Panthers. He is currently working as an analyst for the New York Rangers on MSG Network.Keenan was a player for the St...
to call Hextall up to the NHL, and to play him in the opening game of the season, against the Edmonton Oilers
Edmonton Oilers
The Edmonton Oilers are a professional ice hockey team based in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division in the Western Conference of the National Hockey League ....
. Hextall conceded a goal from the first shot he faced in the game, but allowed no further shots past him, leading his side to a 2–1 victory. Hextall continued to display the aggressive nature with which he had always played, swinging his stick at Brad Smith
Brad Smith (ice hockey)
Bradley Allan Smith is a retired professional ice hockey player who played 242 regular-season and playoff games over nine National Hockey League seasons with the Vancouver Canucks, Atlanta Flames, Calgary Flames, Detroit Red Wings, and Toronto Maple Leafs...
and Troy Murray
Troy Murray
Troy Norman Murray is a former professional ice hockey centre who played in the NHL. He is currently the color analyst on WGN-AM broadcasts of Chicago Blackhawks hockey games.-Amateur career:...
early in his first NHL season. Despite these swipes, Hextall claimed at the time that, "I used to be worse, I've learned to control my temper." Two months after making these comments, Hextall was involved in a fight with opposing New Jersey Devils
New Jersey Devils
The New Jersey Devils are a professional ice hockey team based in Newark, New Jersey, United States. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
goaltender Alain Chevrier
Alain Chevrier
Alain Guy Chevrier is a retired Canadian ice hockey goaltender.Chevrier started his National Hockey League career with the New Jersey Devils. He would also play with the Winnipeg Jets, Chicago Blackhawks, Pittsburgh Penguins and Detroit Red Wings...
. Having lost to the Devils, the Flyers wanted revenge for Steve Richmond
Steve Richmond
Steven L. Richmond is a retired professional ice hockey player who played 159 games in the National Hockey League. He played with the New York Rangers, New Jersey Devils, Detroit Red Wings, and Los Angeles Kings...
's punch on Kjell Samuelson
Kjell Samuelson
Kjell Samuelson is a Swedish systems scientist, Sci-Tech consultant, Professor Emeritus at the Stockholm University and Royal Institute of Technology, and a pioneer of Systems Science & Cybernetics, Communications & Informatics Technology and Global Networks.- Biography :Samuelson holds dual...
at the end of the game; Hextall targeted Chevrier in a fight labelled by Chico Resch
Chico Resch
Glenn Allan "Chico" Resch is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender and television sportscaster. Resch played 14 seasons in the National Hockey League from 1973 to 1986, winning one Stanley Cup with the New York Islanders in 1980...
as "like a heavyweight against a lightweight." Hextall and seven other players were fined $300 each for their part in the brawl.
Vezina Trophy
The Vezina Trophy is awarded annually to the National Hockey League's goaltender who is "adjudged to be the best at this position". At the end of each season, the 30 General Managers of the teams in the National Hockey League vote to determine the goaltender who was the most valuable to his team...
for the most outstanding goaltender by the NHL general managers, but he was second in the voting to Luc Robitaille
Luc Robitaille
Luc Robitaille is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey player. During his 19-season National Hockey League career, Robitaille won a Stanley Cup in 2001–02 with the Detroit Red Wings, and played for the Pittsburgh Penguins and New York Rangers, but is most known for his fourteen seasons,...
for the Calder Memorial Trophy
Calder Memorial Trophy
The Calder Memorial Trophy is an annual award given "to the player selected as the most proficient in his first year of competition in the National Hockey League." The Rookie of the Year trophy has been awarded 79 times since its creation for the 1936–37 NHL season...
, awarded to the "player selected as the most proficient in his first year of competition". Hextall led the Flyers to top their Conference, and win the Prince of Wales Trophy
Prince of Wales Trophy
The Prince of Wales Trophy, also known as the Wales Trophy, is an award presented by the National Hockey League to the Eastern Conference playoff champions, prior to the final series of games for the Stanley Cup...
. The Flyers progressed to face the Edmonton Oilers in the Stanley Cup Finals
Stanley Cup Finals
The Stanley Cup Finals is the championship series to determine the winner of the Stanley Cup, emblematic of the professional club championship of ice hockey. Although the Cup itself has existed since 1893, an annual championship series between professional teams was not established until 1913...
, having beaten the New York Rangers
New York Rangers
The New York Rangers are a professional ice hockey team based in the borough of Manhattan in New York, New York, USA. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . Playing their home games at Madison Square Garden, the Rangers are one of the...
4–2, the New York Islanders
New York Islanders
The New York Islanders are a professional ice hockey team based in Uniondale, New York. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
4–3, and the Montreal Canadiens
Montreal Canadiens
The Montreal Canadiens are a professional ice hockey team based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The club is officially known as ...
4–2. Following their series victory over Montreal, Flyers captain Dave Poulin
Dave Poulin
David James Poulin is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey centre who played 13 seasons in the National Hockey League with the Philadelphia Flyers, Boston Bruins and Washington Capitals.-Playing career:...
identified Hextall as the team's leading performer. In the fourth game of the Finals, Hextall received two penalties, first a ten-minute misconduct penalty for "expressing his displeasure at the fourth Oiler goal," and later a five-minute penalty for slashing
Slashing (ice hockey)
Slashing in ice hockey is a penalty called when an offending player swings their hockey stick at an opposing player, regardless of contact. Such a penalty may range from a minor penalty to a match penalty, depending on the seriousness of the injury to the opposing player.-External links:*...
Kent Nilsson
Kent Nilsson
Kent Åke "Kenta" Nilsson is a retired professional ice hockey centre.During his NHL career he was called "Mr. Magic" and "The Magic Man"...
. In the latter incident, Hextall had received a slash from Glenn Anderson
Glenn Anderson
Glenn Christopher Anderson is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey right winger in the National Hockey League who played for the Edmonton Oilers, Toronto Maple Leafs, New York Rangers, and St. Louis Blues...
for which there was no call from the referees, and Hextall sought revenge by striking the back of Nilsson's knees. After the game Hextall expressed remorse for striking the wrong player but not for his action:
"If somebody slaps you in the face, you're going to slap him back, it's not like he gave me a touch to jar the puck. What's he going to do next, break my arm? I'm sorry it was Nilsson and not Anderson I hit, but I just reacted. At the time, it seemed the right thing to do."
The performance of Hextall in the next game tied the series and forced a seventh game
Game seven
A game seven is the final game of a best of seven series. This game can occur in the postseasons for Major League Baseball , the National Basketball Association , and the National Hockey League .The game is traditionally played at the site of team holding the home...
; at the end, the Flyers team surrounded Hextall in congratulation and the Oilers player Kevin Lowe
Kevin Lowe
Kevin Hugh Lowe is a retired defenceman and coach in the National Hockey League and the current President of Hockey Operations for the Edmonton Oilers. As a defenceman, he played for the Edmonton Oilers and the New York Rangers....
said that Hextall "held them in it". Between the sixth and seventh games, the Oilers' forward Wayne Gretzky
Wayne Gretzky
Wayne Douglas Gretzky, CC is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player and former head coach. Nicknamed "The Great One", he is generally regarded as the best player in the history of the National Hockey League , and has been called "the greatest hockey player ever" by many sportswriters,...
described Hextall as "probably the best goaltender I've ever played against in the NHL" Edmonton won the final game of the series to take the Stanley Cup. Robin Finn, writing in The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
, said that the team won the title "without their trademark, those endless waves of madcap scoring", primarily due to the "heroics of Hextall". Flyers team-mate Rick Tocchet
Rick Tocchet
Richard Tocchet is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey right winger who played 18 seasons in the National Hockey League for the Philadelphia Flyers, Pittsburgh Penguins, Los Angeles Kings, Boston Bruins, Washington Capitals and Phoenix Coyotes. He was most recently the head coach of the...
said that when he realised his side were going to lose, his "first thought was to feel sorry for Ronny Hextall, because he did everything he could to get us here and keep us in it." Hextall was awarded the Conn Smythe Trophy
Conn Smythe Trophy
The Conn Smythe Trophy is awarded annually to the player judged most valuable to his team during the National Hockey League's Stanley Cup playoffs. The Conn Smythe Trophy has been awarded 46 times to 40 players since the 1964–65 NHL season...
for the most valuable player in the play-offs, becoming only the fourth player from a losing side to be awarded the trophy. During the off-season, Hextall received an eight-game suspension for the start of the 1987–88 season after his slash on Nilsson. Speaking on behalf of the NHL, Brian O'Neill said that: "There is no justification for any player to swing his stick in retaliation and this is especially the case for a goaltender whose stick, because of its weight, can cause serious injury."
The Flyers had a difficult start to the 1987–88 season, partly attributed by Keenan to the absence of Hextall. Hextall returned to the Flyers line-up against the New York Rangers
New York Rangers
The New York Rangers are a professional ice hockey team based in the borough of Manhattan in New York, New York, USA. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . Playing their home games at Madison Square Garden, the Rangers are one of the...
, and made over 40 saves in a 2–2 tie. Just over a month later, Hextall became the first goaltender to shoot at goal and score in the NHL when he scored an empty net goal
Empty net goal
An empty net goal, or colloquially an empty netter , occurs in ice hockey when a team scores a goal into a net with no goaltender present...
towards the end of a game against the Boston Bruins
Boston Bruins
The Boston Bruins are a professional ice hockey team based in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The team has been in existence since 1924, and is the league's third-oldest team and its oldest in the...
. The Flyers led 4–2 which prompted the Bruins to pull their goaltender in favour of an extra attacker
Extra attacker
An extra attacker in ice hockey is a forward or, less commonly, a defenceman who has been substituted in place of the goaltender. The purpose of this substitution is to gain an offensive advantage to score a goal...
. The puck was dumped into the Philadelphia zone by the Bruins, and Hextall picked it up without any players near him; his shot fired into the air, bounced and rolled into the net. Hextall had targeted becoming the "first NHL goaltender to score a true goal" over a year earlier, and, speaking after the game, commented that: "I knew I could do it. It was a matter of when." Despite his early season suspension, and a shoulder injury late in the season which made him miss five games, Hextall played 62 of the 67 games for which he was available during the regular season. He recorded 30 wins, and a GAA of 3.50, slightly higher than during his rookie year. Hextall struggled in the playoffs: he was replaced in successive games of the series against the Washington Capitals
Washington Capitals
The Washington Capitals are a professional ice hockey team based in Washington, D.C. They are members of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . Since their founding in 1974, "The Caps" have won one conference championship to reach the 1998 Stanley Cup...
having conceded four goals in each. In the final two games of the series, which the Capitals won 4–3, Hextall gave up a further 12 goals, and completed the playoffs with a GAA of 4.75.
In each of his first two seasons, Hextall accumulated 104 penalty minutes
Penalty (ice hockey)
A penalty in ice hockey is a punishment for inappropriate behavior. Most penalties are enforced by detaining the offending player within a penalty box for a set number of minutes, during which, the player can not participate in play. The offending team usually may not replace the player on the ice,...
during the regular season, the first time that a goaltender had collected over 100. In the 1988–89 season, he broke his own record, being assessed for 113 penalty minutes, the most by an goaltender in an NHL season (as of 2010). Hextall completed the 1988–89 regular season with 30 wins, the third consecutive season in which he had recorded so many, and the first time a goaltender had managed to record 30 wins in each of their first three seasons in the NHL. The Flyers finished fourth in the Patrick Division
Patrick Division
The Patrick Division of the National Hockey League was formed in 1974 as part of the Clarence Campbell Conference. The division moved to the Prince of Wales Conference in 1981. The division existed for 19 seasons until 1993. It was named in honor of Lester Patrick...
, and qualified for the playoffs. They faced the Washington Capitals in the first round, and the teams shared the first four games. The Flyers won the fifth, despite being 5–4 down in the third period. Flyers' defenceman Mark Howe
Mark Howe
Mark Steven Howe is an American former professional ice hockey defenseman who played 16 seasons in the National Hockey League and 6 seasons in the World Hockey Association . He is the son of Colleen and Gordie Howe, and early in his career was a teammate of his father...
credited their victory to Hextall. Late in the game, the Capitals pulled their goaltender, and Hextall scored the second goal of his career. The puck was shot into the Flyers' left defensive zone by Scott Stevens
Scott Stevens
Ronald Scott Stevens is a retired professional ice hockey defenceman. Stevens played 22 seasons in the National Hockey League for the Washington Capitals, St. Louis Blues, and the New Jersey Devils...
, and Hextall went around the back of his net, controlled the puck and shot at goal. He became the first goaltender to score a goal in the NHL playoffs. The Flyers won 8–5, and went on to win the series 4–2, which Joe Sexton of the New York Times attributed primarily to Hextall's return to form.
Against the Penguins in the Patrick Division Final, Hextall's performances were mixed: he under-performed early in the series, and in game five was swapped out of the net and then reinstated twice during a 10–7 defeat for the Flyers. Hextall faced 17 shots in the game, conceding nine of the Penguins goals. After the game, he denied being out of control, despite having assaulted one of the officials and chasing Rob Brown around the ice. He said, "I like to think I'm strong mentally. Hey, if I was as out of control as people say I am, I wouldn't be in the National Hockey League." The Penguins coach, Gene Ubriaco
Gene Ubriaco
Eugene Stephen Ubriaco is a retired professional ice hockey forward who played three NHL seasons with the Pittsburgh Penguins, Oakland Seals, and Chicago Black Hawks.-NHL career:...
, agreed with Hextall's assessment, and believed the goaltender lost control intentionally: "He uses a loss of control to his advantage, in a way. He's the extreme example of controlled violence. And they [the Flyers] live and die with it." The Flyers won the next game to force a decider, but Hextall was ruled out of the contest with a first degree sprain
Sprain
A sprain is an injury in a joint, caused by the ligament being stretched beyond its capacity. A muscular tear caused in the same manner is referred to as a strain. In cases where either ligament or muscle tissue is torn, immobilization and surgical repair may be necessary...
of the medial collateral ligament
Medial collateral ligament
The medial collateral ligament of the knee is one of the four major ligaments of the knee. It is on the medial side of the knee joint in humans and other primates. It is also known as the tibial collateral ligament, or abbreviated as the MCL.- Structure :It is a broad, flat, membranous band,...
(MCL) in his right knee. Hextall's injury kept him out of the first three games of the series against the Canadiens, during which the Canadiens took a 2–1 lead. He returned for the fourth game, but could not prevent his side losing 3–0. The Flyers won the following game to extend the series to six games, but lost the next game 4–2, and were eliminated. Hextall displayed his violent side during the final minutes of game six, skating out of his crease to attack Chris Chelios
Chris Chelios
Christos Kostas Tselios is a retired American professional ice hockey defenseman. He is currently the Executive Advisor to Ken Holland, the general manager of the Detroit Red Wings, a role that Steve Yzerman held before leaving to become general manager of the Tampa Bay Lightning.Chelios played...
. Hextall claimed that the attack was in retaliation for Chelios' hit on Flyer Brian Propp
Brian Propp
Brian Phillip Propp is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey left winger who played 15 seasons in the NHL from 1979 until 1994...
in game one, when Chelios caught Flyer Propp with a "flying elbow" to the side of the head, rendering him unconscious. Hextall was given a 12-game suspension for his actions, at the beginning of the 1989–90 season. Following the announcement of the suspension, Hextall stated his disappointment, and added that his intention was to fight rather than hurt Chelios.
Contract rebel and injury troubles
Prior to the 1989–90 season, Hextall became unhappy that his eight-year, $4 million contract was only earning him $325,000 a year, and hired a confrontational agent, Ritch WinterRitch Winter
Ritch Winter is an ice hockey sports agent. Founder and CEO of The Sports Corporation, based in Edmonton, Winter represents over 70 National Hockey League players, including Marian Hossa, and Dominik Hasek.- Biography :Winter received a law degree from the University of Calgary in 1983...
, to renegotiate his contract. The Flyers refused to deal with the agent, and at a tearful press conference, Hextall declared his contract invalid and announced that he would not take part in the team's training camp. After negotiations about which neither side revealed details, Hextall returned to practice with the team on October 20, 42 days later. Hextall suffered a slight groin pull during his first game back, and in his second, he hurt his left hamstring
Hamstring
In human anatomy, the hamstring refers to any one of the three posterior thigh muscles, or to the tendons that make up the borders of the space behind the knee. In modern anatomical contexts, however, they usually refer to the posterior thigh muscles, or the tendons of the semitendinosus, the...
. Just under a month later, while playing for the Hershey Bears
Hershey Bears
The Hershey Bears Hockey Club is a professional ice hockey team playing in the American Hockey League, and is currently the top affiliate of the NHL Washington Capitals. The hockey club is based in the unincorporated town of Hershey, Pennsylvania, located within Derry Township some 14 miles east of...
in an attempt to establish his fitness, he was carried off the ice after once more hurting his groin. In total that season, Hextall appeared nine times; once for the Bears in the AHL, and eight times for the Flyers. In the NHL, he recorded a GAA of 4.15, the highest he averaged during any single season of the NHL.
Hextall continued to be plagued by groin injuries during the next two seasons, twice straining his left groin muscle in the 1990–91 season. The Flyers' orthopaedist, Dr. Arthur Bartolozzi, suggested a possible reason for his series of injuries:
"He is in motion anticipating the shot before the guy even hits the puck. So he's already on the ice or doing a split or anticipating the shot well before it's made. That's probably what makes him a great goaltender. But it's also what may predispose him to injury."
In 1990–91, Hextall appeared in 36 NHL games, less than half of those played by the Flyers that season. He recorded 13 wins, with a GAA of 3.13. For the second successive year, the Flyers failed to qualify for the playoffs. Early the following season, Hextall received the third significant suspension of his career, missing six games for slashing
Slashing (ice hockey)
Slashing in ice hockey is a penalty called when an offending player swings their hockey stick at an opposing player, regardless of contact. Such a penalty may range from a minor penalty to a match penalty, depending on the seriousness of the injury to the opposing player.-External links:*...
Detroit
Detroit Red Wings
The Detroit Red Wings are a professional ice hockey team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League , and are one of the Original Six teams of the NHL, along with the Toronto Maple Leafs, Montreal Canadiens, New York...
forward Jim Cummins during a pre-season game. Suspension, further injuries, and a lack of form meant Hextall appeared 45 times for the Flyers. He recorded 16 wins during the season, resulting in his lowest win percentage in the NHL, 35.56%.
Quebec Nordiques
In the 1992 off-season, Hextall was part of the trade which brought Eric LindrosEric Lindros
Eric Bryan Lindros is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey player. Lindros played junior hockey in the OHL for the Oshawa Generals prior to being selected first overall in the 1991 NHL Entry Draft by the Quebec Nordiques...
to the Philadelphia Flyers. Lindros, who had been picked first overall by the Quebec Nordiques
Quebec Nordiques
The Quebec Nordiques were a professional ice hockey team based in Quebec City, Quebec, Canada. The Nordiques played in the World Hockey Association and the National Hockey League...
in the 1991 entry draft
1991 NHL Entry Draft
The 1991 NHL Entry Draft was held on June 22 at the Memorial Auditorium in Buffalo, New York. A total of 264 players were drafted. The draft was famous for the controversy surrounding star first overall draft pick, touted by some observers to be The Next One, Eric Lindros, who was drafted by the...
, had refused to play for Quebec during the 1991–92 season, forcing the club's owner Marcel Aubut
Marcel Aubut
Marcel Aubut, is a Canadian lawyer, president of the Canadian Olympic Committee and former president and Chief Executive Officer of the Quebec Nordiques of the National Hockey League .-Personal life:...
to trade him. While negotiating to get the best possible deal, Aubut traded Lindros to both the Flyers and the Rangers, meaning an arbitrator had to rule which club should receive him. During the ten days between the trades being made and the arbitrator's ruling, there was a lot of speculation about which Flyers' and Rangers' players were involved in the potential trades. Hextall was among the players mentioned, something which he was unhappy about. Speaking through his agent, Hextall admitted to being "scared to death" about the possibility of moving with his family to the French-speaking area. On July 30, the arbitrator ruled in favour of the Philadelphia Flyers, and Hextall was traded to Quebec, along with five other players, two first round selections (in 1993 and 1994), and $15,000,000 cash for Lindros.
In the New York Times preview of the Adams Division
Adams Division
The NHL's Adams Division was formed in 1974 as part of the Prince of Wales Conference. The division existed for 19 seasons until 1993. It was named in honor of Charles Francis Adams, the founder of the Boston Bruins...
for the 1992–93 season, Hextall is described as "inconsistent and injury-prone", while the players gained in the Lindros trade are collected dubbed as "good players but no superstars." Hextall regained some of the confidence he displayed during his first years in Philadelphia, and although a strained thigh muscle kept him out towards the end of the regular season, he helped the Nordiques to reach the playoffs for the first time since 1987. Quebec were eliminated 4–2 by the Montreal Canadiens
Montreal Canadiens
The Montreal Canadiens are a professional ice hockey team based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The club is officially known as ...
in the first round, during which Hextall was praised as being "at the top of his game".
New York Islanders
After only one season at the Nordiques, Hextall was traded to the New York IslandersNew York Islanders
The New York Islanders are a professional ice hockey team based in Uniondale, New York. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
in return for Mark Fitzpatrick
Mark Fitzpatrick
Mark Fitzpatrick is a Canadian former professional ice hockey goaltender. He moved to Kitimat, British Columbia, where he started minor hockey, when he was ten years old...
during the off-season, a move made because the Nordiques could only protect one goalie for the expansion draft and instead of losing him choose to trade him to Long Island. The two teams also traded first round draft picks. The move was a surprise for Hextall, who had settled in well in Quebec with his family. Don Maloney
Don Maloney
Donald Michael "Slip" Maloney is a former NHL player, and is currently the general manager of the Phoenix Coyotes. He played for the New York Rangers for parts of eleven seasons. His best season came in the 1982–83 season, in which he tallied 29 goals and 69 points in 78 games...
, the Islanders' General Manager, described the trade as "too good to pass up". The trade was praised by the New York Times as possibly "the best in the league over the off season". Hextall had a poor beginning to his career as an Islander, conceding 23 goals in 14 periods at the start of the season, resulting in his replacement prior to the third period against the New Jersey Devils
New Jersey Devils
The New Jersey Devils are a professional ice hockey team based in Newark, New Jersey, United States. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
in mid-October. During that game, in which the Islanders were playing at home, Hextall was jeered by the crowd, something to which he had become accustomed during his time with Philadelphia. In contrast to the fan's derision, Hextall's team-mates backed him, taking some of the blame themselves, and expressing their belief in their new colleague. Steve Thomas
Steve Thomas (ice hockey)
Stephen Antony "Stumpy” Thomas is a retired English-born Canadian ice hockey right winger who played 20 seasons in the National Hockey League for the Toronto Maple Leafs, Chicago Blackhawks, New York Islanders, New Jersey Devils, Mighty Ducks of Anaheim and Detroit Red Wings...
suggested that Hextall was "one of the best goalies in the league, easily in the top five or 10," while coach Al Arbour
Al Arbour
Alger Joseph "Radar" Arbour is a retired Canadian ice hockey player and a coach and executive in the National Hockey League .-Playing career:...
dismissed dropping Hextall, saying that "We're not playing well in front of the goaltender and he can only be as good as the guys in front of him." Any thoughts that Arbour might have had of replacing Hextall as the team's number-one goaltender were limited by the play of his back-up, Tom Draper
Tom Draper
Thomas Edward Draper is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender. He was chosen in the eighth round, 165th overall,and the 8th pick by the Winnipeg Jets in the 1985 NHL Entry Draft. On February 28, 1991 the Jets traded Tom to the St. Louis Blues for future considerations...
, who recorded a GAA of 4.23 in the seven NHL games he played that season. This, coupled with the lack of experienced goaltenders at the club's IHL affiliate, the Salt Lake Golden Eagles
Salt Lake Golden Eagles
The Salt Lake Golden Eagles were a minor professional hockey team based in Salt Lake City, Utah from 1969 to 1994.They played in the Western Hockey League from 1969 to 1974, the Central Hockey League from 1974 to 1984 and the International Hockey League from 1984 to 1994...
, resulted in Hextall starting 20 games in a row until Jamie McLennan
Jamie McLennan
Jamie McLennan is a former professional ice hockey goaltender. He retired from playing in 2008 after spending a season with the Nippon Paper Cranes of Asia League Ice Hockey.-Playing career:...
was called up from the Golden Eagles.
The break, and challenge, that Hextall was afforded by McLennan's call-up helped him to recover his form, and in February, he made consecutive shutouts against the Ottawa Senators
Ottawa Senators
The Ottawa Senators are a professional ice hockey team based in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
and Washington Capitals
Washington Capitals
The Washington Capitals are a professional ice hockey team based in Washington, D.C. They are members of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . Since their founding in 1974, "The Caps" have won one conference championship to reach the 1998 Stanley Cup...
. He recorded another shutout in his next home game, against the Flyers, and was shortly thereafter named as the NHL's player of the week. During the regular season with the Islanders, Hextall recorded a career-best five shutouts, and a GAA of 3.08, the best since his rookie year. Maloney described Hextall's time with the team as having "a slow start and a disastrous finish". The Islanders reached the playoffs, but were swept 4–0 by their rivals, the New York Rangers
New York Rangers
The New York Rangers are a professional ice hockey team based in the borough of Manhattan in New York, New York, USA. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . Playing their home games at Madison Square Garden, the Rangers are one of the...
. Hextall played three of the four games, conceding 16 goals for a GAA of 6.08, the worst average of his NHL career by some distance. After the season had concluded, Maloney said that he believed that only two Islanders players had distinguished themselves during the 1993–94 season, with one of those being Jamie McLennan. He also praised Hextall's play during his long sequence of starts, but five months later, Maloney traded Hextall back to Philadelphia. He described the move as being two-pronged: it would appease the fans and prevent the derisory calls when the team were struggling, and it would give McLennan a chance to establish himself as the number-one goaltender. Hextall, along with a sixth round draft pick was traded to the Flyers in return for goaltender Tommy Söderström
Tommy Söderström
Tommy Söderström is a Swedish former professional ice hockey goaltender. He played in 156 National Hockey League games with the Philadelphia Flyers and New York Islanders over parts of five seasons.-External links:...
.
Return to Philadelphia
In his first season back in Philadelphia, Hextall played 31 games, recording his lowest GAA in a season to that point, 2.89. The Flyers reached the playoffs for the first time in six years. After defeating the Buffalo SabresBuffalo Sabres
The Buffalo Sabres are a professional ice hockey team based in Buffalo, New York. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League .-Founding and early success: 1970-71—1980-81:...
in the first round, the Flyers faced the New York Rangers in the second. Following the Rangers sweep of the Islanders the previous season, the Rangers' fans chanted "We Want Hex-tall!" during their game-six victory in the first round. The Flyers' coach, Terry Murray
Terry Murray
Terry Rodney Murray is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey player, and current head coach of the NHL's Los Angeles Kings...
dismissed the chants, stating that "emotionally he's really under control." The New York Times supported this belief, claiming that "this isn't the same Ron Hextall they remember so fondly". The Flyers won the first two games of the series, and at Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden, often abbreviated as MSG and known colloquially as The Garden, is a multi-purpose indoor arena in the New York City borough of Manhattan and located at 8th Avenue, between 31st and 33rd Streets, situated on top of Pennsylvania Station.Opened on February 11, 1968, it is the...
, Hextall had a quiet game in which he even acted as a calming influence to team-mates Kevin Haller
Kevin Haller
Kevin Haller is a Canadian former professional ice hockey defenceman who played 13 seasons in the National Hockey League .-Playing career:...
and Dmitri Yushkevich
Dmitri Yushkevich
Dmitri Sergeyevich Yushkevich is a retired Russian professional ice hockey defenceman. He ended his career in Kärpät of the SM-liiga.-Playing career:...
, a turnaround from the aggressiveness he had displayed earlier in his career. The Flyers swept the Rangers 4–0 and advanced to the Conference Final against the New Jersey Devils
New Jersey Devils
The New Jersey Devils are a professional ice hockey team based in Newark, New Jersey, United States. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
, to whom they lost 4–2. Hextall's statistics in the playoffs were his best since his rookie year: he recorded ten wins with a GAA of 2.81.
For the first time in three seasons, Hextall was not traded during the off-season, and remained with the Flyers for the 1995–96 season. During the regular season, Hextall improved on his figures from the previous year, passing 30 wins for the first time since 1988–89. His GAA of 2.17 was both the best in the NHL that year, and the best of Hextall's career. In the playoffs, Hextall played in all twelve of the Flyers' games, a 4–2 first round victory over the Tampa Bay Lightning
Tampa Bay Lightning
The Tampa Bay Lightning are a professional ice hockey team based in Tampa, Florida. They are members of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . They have one Stanley Cup championship in their history, in 2003–04. They are often referred to as the...
followed by a 4–2 defeat to the Florida Panthers
Florida Panthers
The Florida Panthers are a professional ice hockey team based in Sunrise, Florida, in the Miami metropolitan area. They are members of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . They play their games at the BankAtlantic Center in Sunrise and are the...
. His GAA of 2.13 was his lowest recorded in any post-season. He continued to perform well over the next two seasons, passing 30 wins again in 1996–97, and adding another nine shutout
Shutout
In team sports, a shutout refers to a game in which one team prevents the opposing team from scoring. While possible in most major sports, they are highly improbable in some sports, such as basketball....
s to the four he had made in 1995–96. Over his first five seasons in the NHL, Hextall only made one shutout, while in his final six seasons, he achieved the feat on nineteen occasions. The Flyers progressed to the 1997 Stanley Cup Finals
1997 Stanley Cup Finals
The 1997 Stanley Cup Final NHL championship series was contested by the Detroit Red Wings and the Philadelphia Flyers. Detroit was in the Final for the second time in three years while the Flyers were making their first appearance since the 1987 Final...
, though Hextall only appeared in eight playoff games, finishing seven of them. Throughout the season and the playoffs, the uncertainty in goal resulted in Hextall and Garth Snow
Garth Snow
Garth E. Snow is an American retired professional ice hockey goaltender and is currently the general manager for the New York Islanders of the National Hockey League.-Playing career:...
swapping places regularly. Snow started nine of the ten games during the first two rounds, but Hextall replaced him in game two of the Conference Final, and remained the starting goaltender for the remainder of the series. A loss against the Detroit Red Wings
Detroit Red Wings
The Detroit Red Wings are a professional ice hockey team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League , and are one of the Original Six teams of the NHL, along with the Toronto Maple Leafs, Montreal Canadiens, New York...
in the first game of the Stanley Cup finals resulted in coach Murray switching back to Snow for the second game. Hextall returned for games three and four, but the Flyers were swept 4–0 by the Red Wings.
In his final two playing seasons, both spent at the Flyers, Hextall made fewer appearances; he played 46 games in , and 23 the following year. He maintained a sub-three GAA in each year, repeating the achievement in each of his final five seasons in the NHL having failed to do so in the previous eight seasons. At the end of , Hextall was waived
Waivers (NHL)
Waivers is a National Hockey League labor management procedure by which an NHL team makes a professional ice hockey player’s contract and rights available to all other NHL teams. The term refers to the term that other NHL teams 'waive' any claim to a player designated for assignment, re-entry from...
by the Flyers, and after going unclaimed in the expansion draft
1999 NHL Expansion Draft
The 1999 NHL Expansion Draft was held on June 25, 1999, in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. The draft took place to fill the roster of the league's expansion team for the 1999–2000 season, the Atlanta Thrashers.-Rules:...
, he announced his retirement on September 7, 1999.
International career
Hextall's first international recognition came when he was named as part of Team Canada's squad for the 1987 Canada Cup1987 Canada Cup
The 1987 Canada Cup was a professional international ice hockey tournament held from August 28 to September 15, 1987. The finals took place in Montreal on September 11 and Hamilton, Ontario, on September 13 and September 15, and were won by Team Canada....
. During a practice session, he chopped Sylvain Turgeon
Sylvain Turgeon
Sylvain Turgeon is a retired NHL player and the older brother of retired NHL player Pierre Turgeon.-Playing career:He was drafted by the Hartford Whalers in the 1983 NHL Entry Draft as the second pick overall...
's arm with his stick during a scrimmage, claiming that the defenceman was too close to the goal. Turgeon missed the tournament with a fractured arm; Hextall was back-up to Grant Fuhr
Grant Fuhr
Grant Scott Fuhr is a Canadian former ice hockey goaltender in the National Hockey League and currently the goaltending coach for the Phoenix Coyotes. In 2003, he was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame...
and did not play a single game. He later represented Canada in the 1992 World Championships
1992 Men's World Ice Hockey Championships
- Group 2 :- Consolation Round 11-12 Place :Poland was relegated to Group B.- Quarterfinals :- Semifinals :- Match for third place :- Final :-World Championship Group B :Played in Klagenfurt April 2-12...
, playing five games to record one win and a GAA of 2.86 as Canada were eliminated in the quarter-finals.
Playing style
While playing junior hockey, Hextall's coaches advised him that he would not reach the NHL if he continued to move the puck. Not everyone agreed; NHL goaltender Darren Pang described feeling as if "he had just witnessed Superman flying out of a phone booth" when he saw Hextall's puckhandling ability in a minor league game. Former NHL goaltender Johnny Bower
Johnny Bower
John William Bower , nicknamed "The China Wall", is a Hockey Hall of Fame goalie.-Playing career:...
, when scouting for the Toronto Maple Leafs
Toronto Maple Leafs
The Toronto Maple Leafs are a professional ice hockey team based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
in Brandon, remarked that Hextall would at times let in soft goals, and doubted if he would reach the NHL; Hextall retained a tendency to let in occasional weak goals throughout his career. Hextall claims his adventurous style stemmed from his youth, when he played on outdoor ice rinks with a skater's stick
Ice hockey stick
An ice hockey stick is a piece of equipment used in ice hockey to shoot, pass, and carry the puck. Ice hockey sticks are approximately 150–200 cm long, composed of a long, slender shaft with a flat extension at one end called the blade. The blade is the part of the stick used to contact the...
, rather than the heftier goaltender's stick. Martin Brodeur
Martin Brodeur
Martin Pierre Brodeur is a French-Canadian ice hockey goaltender who has played his entire National Hockey League career with the New Jersey Devils. In his 19-year tenure with the Devils, he has won three Stanley Cup championships and has been in the playoffs every year but two...
modelled his own play on that of Hextall, saying "I love the fact that he was playing the puck. He was one of the first goalies that came out and played the puck. He was a little rough for my liking, but it was entertaining. The playing of the puck was the big thing." Hextall's mobility provided extra passing opportunities for his defencemen: when killing a penalty they would frequently pass the puck back to him, relieving some of the pressure on his team. He is described on the Hockey Hall of Fame
Hockey Hall of Fame
The Hockey Hall of Fame is located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Dedicated to the history of ice hockey, it is both a museum and a hall of fame. It holds exhibits about players, teams, National Hockey League records, memorabilia and NHL trophies, including the Stanley Cup...
's Legends of Hockey website as being "perhaps the game's most mobile goalie of all time."
Frank Orr, a columnist in the Toronto Star
Toronto Star
The Toronto Star is Canada's highest-circulation newspaper, based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Its print edition is distributed almost entirely within the province of Ontario...
, suggested that Hextall's aggressive nature, which resulted in three suspensions of six or more games during his NHL career, was an intentional part of his game designed to protect him. He theorized that because Hextall's style of play frequently took him out of his goal crease, the threat of physical violence lessened the chances of him being challenged by an attacker when out of position. In the 1993 playoff series between the Montreal Canadiens and Hextall's Nordiques, the Canadiens' coach Jacques Demers designed a plan to disrupt Hextall's play after Montreal had lost its two first games to Quebec. He noted that Hextall would be off his game if he were disturbed or bumped. Montreal then won four straight games to win the series in six games. Demers felt that Hextall's emotional play lessened his effectiveness; while acknowledging him as a "great competitor", he felt that "he didn't reach the level of a Grant Fuhr
Grant Fuhr
Grant Scott Fuhr is a Canadian former ice hockey goaltender in the National Hockey League and currently the goaltending coach for the Phoenix Coyotes. In 2003, he was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame...
or a Martin Brodeur
Martin Brodeur
Martin Pierre Brodeur is a French-Canadian ice hockey goaltender who has played his entire National Hockey League career with the New Jersey Devils. In his 19-year tenure with the Devils, he has won three Stanley Cup championships and has been in the playoffs every year but two...
[because] he lost his cool if you got in his face."
Rogie Vachon, who served as the General Manager of the Los Angeles Kings
Los Angeles Kings
The Los Angeles Kings are a professional ice hockey team based in Los Angeles, California. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League...
during the early part of the Hextall's playing career, praised his goaltending ability, but felt that his aggressive conduct "shouldn't be in hockey and I think it tarnishes his image, too. He can play. He doesn't need that (stuff)." His view was shared by many, leading Hextall to be tagged as one of the most "revered and reviled" players in the league. Former NHL goaltender John Davidson commented that Hextall "thrived" on being a villain; he further described him as a "great character", and noted that "when he came to town, fans would want to race to the arena to boo him."
Post-retirement
Upon his retirement from playing in 1999, Hextall immediately joined the Philadelphia Flyers' set-up as a Professional Scout. He was promoted to Director of Professional Player Personnel three years later, and was considered by the Manitoba Sports Hall of Fame to be a key factor in the success experienced by the Flyers during the early 2000s, when they won the Atlantic DivisionAtlantic Division (NHL)
The NHL's Atlantic Division was formed in 1993 as part of the Eastern Conference in a league realignment, the predecessor of which was the Patrick Division. It is the only division in the NHL where all of its current members have won the Stanley Cup at least twice, though only three teams have won...
three times, and reached the Eastern Conference Finals on two occasions. In June 2006, Hextall moved to the Los Angeles Kings
Los Angeles Kings
The Los Angeles Kings are a professional ice hockey team based in Los Angeles, California. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League...
to take on the role of Vice President and Assistant General Manager. In addition, Hextall also serves as the General Manager of the Manchester Monarchs
Manchester Monarchs
The Manchester Monarchs are a professional ice hockey team in the American Hockey League . They play in Manchester, New Hampshire at the Verizon Wireless Arena. They have been the AHL affiliate of the Los Angeles Kings since 2001.-History:...
of the AHL, the Kings’ primary affiliate.
Personal life
Hextall married Diane Ogibowski, a former figure skater, and the pair have four children; Kristin, Brett, Rebecca and Jeffrey. Brett Hextall was drafted by the Phoenix CoyotesPhoenix Coyotes
The Phoenix Coyotes are a professional ice hockey team based in Glendale, Arizona. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . They play their home games at Jobing.com Arena....
as a sixth-round pick (159th overall) in the 2008 NHL Entry Draft
2008 NHL Entry Draft
The 2008 NHL Entry Draft was the 46th NHL Entry Draft. It was hosted by the Ottawa Senators at Scotiabank Place in the city of Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, on June 20–21, 2008...
. He was signed to an entry-level contract with the team in April 2011, and if he plays in the NHL will become the second fourth-generation player in NHL history, after Blake Geoffrion
Blake Geoffrion
Blake Geoffrion is an American professional ice hockey player who is currently playing for the Nashville Predators of the National Hockey League...
.
Awards and honours
| Award | Year(s) |
|---|---|
| AHL | |
| Dudley "Red" Garrett Memorial Award | 1986 |
| AHL American Hockey League The American Hockey League is a 30-team professional ice hockey league based in the United States and Canada that serves as the primary developmental circuit for the National Hockey League... First All-Star Team |
1986 |
| NHL | |
| Vezina Trophy Vezina Trophy The Vezina Trophy is awarded annually to the National Hockey League's goaltender who is "adjudged to be the best at this position". At the end of each season, the 30 General Managers of the teams in the National Hockey League vote to determine the goaltender who was the most valuable to his team... |
1987 |
| Conn Smythe Trophy Conn Smythe Trophy The Conn Smythe Trophy is awarded annually to the player judged most valuable to his team during the National Hockey League's Stanley Cup playoffs. The Conn Smythe Trophy has been awarded 46 times to 40 players since the 1964–65 NHL season... |
1987 |
| NHL All-Rookie Team NHL All-Rookie Team The NHL All-Rookie Team is chosen by the Professional Hockey Writers' Association from the best rookies in the National Hockey League at each position for the season just concluded based on their performance in that year... |
1987 |
| NHL First All-Star Team | 1987 |
| NHL All-Star Game | 1988 39th National Hockey League All-Star Game The 39th National Hockey League All-Star Game was held in the St. Louis Arena in St. Louis, Missouri, home to the St. Louis Blues, on February 9, 1988.-Lemieux makes his mark:... |
| Philadelphia Flyers | |
| Bobby Clarke Trophy | 1987, 1988, 1989 |
| Inducted into Flyers Hall of Fame | 2008 |
NHL
- Most career goals by a goaltender, including playoffs – 2 (tied with Martin BrodeurMartin BrodeurMartin Pierre Brodeur is a French-Canadian ice hockey goaltender who has played his entire National Hockey League career with the New Jersey Devils. In his 19-year tenure with the Devils, he has won three Stanley Cup championships and has been in the playoffs every year but two...
) - Most penalty minutes by a goaltender in a single season – 113 (1987–88)
Philadelphia Flyers
- 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
Regular season
| Season Season (sports) In an organized sports league, a season is the portion of one year in which regulated games of the sport are in session. For example, in Major League Baseball, one season lasts approximately from April 1 through October 1; in Association football, it is generally from August until May In an... |
Team | League | GP | W | L | T | MIN | GA | SO | GAA Goals against average Goals Against Average is a statistic used in ice hockey, water polo, lacrosse, and soccer that is the mean of goals allowed per game by a goaltender.... |
SV% Save percentage Save percentage is an ice hockey and lacrosse statistic that represents the percentage of shots on goal a goaltender stops... |
G Goal (ice hockey) In ice hockey, a goal is scored when the puck completely crosses the goal line between the two goal posts and below the goal crossbar. A goal awards one point to the team attacking the goal scored upon, regardless of which team the player who actually deflected the puck into the goal belongs to... |
A Assist (ice hockey) In ice hockey, an assist is attributed to up to two players of the scoring team who shot, passed or deflected the puck towards the scoring teammate, or touched it in any other way which enabled the goal, meaning that they were "assisting" in the goal. There can be a maximum of two assists per goal... |
PIM Penalty (ice hockey) A penalty in ice hockey is a punishment for inappropriate behavior. Most penalties are enforced by detaining the offending player within a penalty box for a set number of minutes, during which, the player can not participate in play. The offending team usually may not replace the player on the ice,... |
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| 1980–81 | Melville Millionaires Melville Millionaires The Melville Millionaires are a Junior "A" ice hockey team based out of Melville, Saskatchewan. They play out of the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League. They play their home games in the Melville Stadium which has a seating capacity of 2,100. The Melville Millionaires and the Yorkton Terriers are... |
SJHL Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League The Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League is a Junior A ice hockey league under Hockey Canada, a part of the Canadian Junior Hockey League. Open to North American-born players 20 years of age or younger, the SJHL's 12 teams play in two divisions: the Bauer and Sherwood conferences... |
37 | 7 | 24 | 0 | 2001 | 219 | 0 | 6.57 | — | — | — | — |
| 1981–82 | Brandon Wheat Kings Brandon Wheat Kings The Brandon Wheat Kings are a Canadian junior ice hockey team based in Brandon, Manitoba. They compete in the Western Hockey League, and joined the league in the 1967–68 season. Prior to that they played in the Manitoba Junior Hockey League and were known as the Brandon Elks for a short time in the... |
WHL Western Hockey League The Western Hockey League is a major junior ice hockey league based in Western Canada and the Northwestern United States. The WHL is one of three leagues that constitute the Canadian Hockey League as the highest level of junior hockey in Canada... |
30 | 12 | 11 | 0 | 1398 | 133 | 0 | 5.71 | .864 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1982–83 | Brandon Wheat Kings | WHL | 44 | 13 | 30 | 0 | 2589 | 249 | 0 | 5.77 | — | 0 | 4 | 66 |
| 1983–84 | Brandon Wheat Kings | WHL | 46 | 29 | 13 | 2 | 2670 | 190 | 0 | 4.27 | .883 | 0 | 8 | 117 |
| 1984–85 | Kalamazoo Wings | IHL | 19 | 6 | 11 | 1 | 1103 | 80 | 0 | 4.35 | — | 0 | 2 | 18 |
| 1984–85 1984–85 AHL season The 1984–85 AHL season was the 49th season of the American Hockey League. Thirteen teams played 80 games each in the schedule. The Binghamton Whalers finished first overall in the regular season... |
Hershey Bears Hershey Bears The Hershey Bears Hockey Club is a professional ice hockey team playing in the American Hockey League, and is currently the top affiliate of the NHL Washington Capitals. The hockey club is based in the unincorporated town of Hershey, Pennsylvania, located within Derry Township some 14 miles east of... |
AHL American Hockey League The American Hockey League is a 30-team professional ice hockey league based in the United States and Canada that serves as the primary developmental circuit for the National Hockey League... |
11 | 4 | 6 | 0 | 555 | 34 | 0 | 3.68 | .888 | 0 | 2 | 4 |
| 1985–86 1985–86 AHL season The 1985–86 AHL season was the 50th season of the American Hockey League. Thirteen teams played 80 games each in the schedule. The Hershey Bears finished first overall in the regular season... |
Hershey Bears | AHL | 53 | 30 | 19 | 2 | 3061 | 174 | 5 | 3.41 | .894 | 0 | 2 | 54 |
| 1986–87 | Philadelphia Flyers Philadelphia Flyers The Philadelphia Flyers are a professional ice hockey team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League... |
NHL National Hockey League The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States... |
66 | 37 | 21 | 6 | 3799 | 190 | 1 | 3.00 | .902 | 0 | 6 | 104 |
| 1987–88 | Philadelphia Flyers | NHL | 62 | 30 | 22 | 7 | 3560 | 208 | 0 | 3.51 | .885 | 1 | 6 | 104 |
| 1988–89 | Philadelphia Flyers | NHL | 64 | 30 | 28 | 6 | 3756 | 202 | 0 | 3.23 | .891 | 0 | 8 | 113 |
| 1989–90 | Philadelphia Flyers | NHL | 8 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 419 | 29 | 0 | 3.67 | .880 | 0 | 0 | 14 |
| 1989–90 1989–90 AHL season The 1989–90 AHL season was the 54th season of the American Hockey League.Fourteen teams played 80 games each in the schedule. The Sherbrooke Canadiens repeated finishing first overall in the regular season... |
Hershey Bears | AHL | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 49 | 3 | 0 | 3.67 | .880 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| 1990–91 | Philadelphia Flyers | NHL | 36 | 13 | 16 | 5 | 2035 | 106 | 0 | 3.13 | .892 | 0 | 1 | 10 |
| 1991–92 | Philadelphia Flyers | NHL | 45 | 16 | 21 | 6 | 2668 | 151 | 3 | 3.40 | .883 | 0 | 3 | 35 |
| 1992–93 | Quebec Nordiques Quebec Nordiques The Quebec Nordiques were a professional ice hockey team based in Quebec City, Quebec, Canada. The Nordiques played in the World Hockey Association and the National Hockey League... |
NHL | 54 | 29 | 16 | 5 | 2988 | 172 | 0 | 3.45 | .888 | 0 | 2 | 56 |
| 1993–94 | New York Islanders New York Islanders The New York Islanders are a professional ice hockey team based in Uniondale, New York. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League... |
NHL | 65 | 27 | 26 | 6 | 3581 | 184 | 5 | 3.08 | .898 | 0 | 3 | 52 |
| 1994–95 | Philadelphia Flyers | NHL | 31 | 17 | 9 | 4 | 1824 | 88 | 1 | 2.89 | .890 | 0 | 0 | 13 |
| 1995–96 | Philadelphia Flyers | NHL | 53 | 31 | 13 | 7 | 3102 | 112 | 4 | 2.17 | .913 | 0 | 1 | 28 |
| 1996–97 | Philadelphia Flyers | NHL | 55 | 31 | 16 | 5 | 3094 | 132 | 5 | 2.56 | .897 | 0 | 0 | 43 |
| 1997–98 | Philadelphia Flyers | NHL | 46 | 21 | 17 | 7 | 2688 | 97 | 4 | 2.17 | .911 | 0 | 0 | 10 |
| 1998–99 | Philadelphia Flyers | NHL | 23 | 10 | 7 | 4 | 1235 | 52 | 0 | 2.53 | .888 | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| NHL totals | 608 | 296 | 214 | 69 | 34,749 | 1723 | 23 | 2.98 | .895 | 1 | 32 | 714 | ||
Post season
| Season | Team | League | GP | W | L | MIN | GA | SO | GAA | SV% | G | A | PIM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1981–82 | Brandon Wheat Kings | WHL | 3 | 0 | 2 | 103 | 16 | 0 | 9.32 | — | — | — | — |
| 1983–84 | Brandon Wheat Kings | WHL | 10 | 5 | 5 | 592 | 37 | 0 | 3.75 | — | 0 | 1 | 8 |
| 1985–86 | Hershey Bears | AHL | 13 | 5 | 7 | 780 | 42 | 1 | 4.27 | — | 0 | 1 | 37 |
| 1986–87 | Philadelphia Flyers | NHL | 26 | 15 | 11 | 1540 | 71 | 2 | 2.77 | .908 | 0 | 1 | 43 |
| 1987–88 | Philadelphia Flyers | NHL | 7 | 2 | 4 | 379 | 30 | 0 | 4.75 | .847 | 0 | 2 | 30 |
| 1988–89 | Philadelphia Flyers | NHL | 15 | 8 | 7 | 886 | 49 | 0 | 3.32 | .890 | 1 | 0 | 28 |
| 1992–93 | Quebec Nordiques | NHL | 6 | 2 | 4 | 372 | 18 | 0 | 2.90 | .915 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1993–94 | New York Islanders | NHL | 3 | 0 | 3 | 158 | 16 | 0 | 6.08 | .800 | 0 | 0 | 4 |
| 1994–95 | Philadelphia Flyers | NHL | 15 | 10 | 5 | 897 | 42 | 0 | 2.81 | .904 | 0 | 1 | 4 |
| 1995–96 | Philadelphia Flyers | NHL | 12 | 6 | 6 | 761 | 27 | 0 | 2.13 | .915 | 0 | 0 | 6 |
| 1996–97 | Philadelphia Flyers | NHL | 8 | 4 | 3 | 443 | 22 | 0 | 2.97 | .892 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1997–98 | Philadelphia Flyers | NHL | 1 | 0 | 0 | 20 | 1 | 0 | 3.00 | .875 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| NHL totals | 93 | 47 | 43 | 5456 | 276 | 2 | 3.03 | .897 | 1 | 4 | 115 | ||
International
| Year | Team | Event | GP | W | L | T | MIN | GA | SO | GAA | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1992 1992 Men's World Ice Hockey Championships - Group 2 :- Consolation Round 11-12 Place :Poland was relegated to Group B.- Quarterfinals :- Semifinals :- Match for third place :- Final :-World Championship Group B :Played in Klagenfurt April 2-12... |
Canada | WC 1992 Men's World Ice Hockey Championships - Group 2 :- Consolation Round 11-12 Place :Poland was relegated to Group B.- Quarterfinals :- Semifinals :- Match for third place :- Final :-World Championship Group B :Played in Klagenfurt April 2-12... |
5 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 273 | 13 | 0 | 2.86 | |
| Senior int'l totals | 5 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 273 | 13 | 0 | 2.86 | |||