Few plays in hockey are as unusual as a goaltender finding the back of the net. For most NHL goalies, the job is about stopping goals, not scoring them, which makes every entry in this exclusive club a piece of league history.
The list has grown since Billy Smith became the first goalie credited with a goal. Ron Hextall later became the first to actually shoot the puck into an opponent’s empty net, while Martin Brodeur eventually set the record with three goals.
As of October 2026, 18 NHL goalies have been credited with 21 goals in league history, including Igor Shesterkin, who became the latest to join the group. But how exactly did each of those goals happen?
Which NHL goalies have scored a goal?
Eighteen different NHL goalies have been credited with a goal in league history, accounting for 21 total goalie goals. Of the 21 goals, 19 came during the regular season and two in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
The group includes some of the most recognizable goaltenders of their eras, from Billy Smith and Ron Hextall to Martin Brodeur and Igor Shesterkin. Here is the complete list, in chronological order based on when each goalie first scored:
| Goalie | Team when scoring | Year of first goal |
| Billy Smith | New York Islanders | 1979 |
| Ron Hextall | Philadelphia Flyers | 1987 |
| Chris Osgood | Detroit Red Wings | 1996 |
| Martin Brodeur | New Jersey Devils | 1997 |
| Damian Rhodes | Ottawa Senators | 1999 |
| Jose Theodore | Montreal Canadiens | 2001 |
| Evgeni Nabokov | San Jose Sharks | 2002 |
| Mika Noronen | Buffalo Sabres | 2004 |
| Chris Mason | Nashville Predators | 2006 |
| Cam Ward | Carolina Hurricanes | 2011 |
| Mike Smith | Phoenix Coyotes | 2013 |
| Pekka Rinne | Nashville Predators | 2020 |
| Linus Ullmark | Boston Bruins | 2023 |
| Tristan Jarry | Pittsburgh Penguins | 2023 |
| Filip Gustavsson | Minnesota Wild | 2024 |
| Alex Nedeljkovic | Pittsburgh Penguins | 2025 |
| Ilya Sorokin | New York Islanders | 2025 |
| Igor Shesterkin | New York Rangers | 2026 |
Billy Smith was the first NHL goalie to be credited with a goal
The first name on the list is Billy Smith. On November 28, 1979, the New York Islanders goalie became the first NHL goaltender to receive credit for a goal. The play was unusual. During a delayed penalty, he made a save and was the last Islanders player to touch the puck.
Colorado Rockies defenseman Rob Ramage then accidentally sent a pass into his own empty net after Colorado pulled its goalie. Because Smith was the last player on his team to touch the puck, the goal was credited to him.
His goal remains unique for another reason: it is the only goalie goal in NHL history credited in a game that the scoring goaltender’s team actually lost. The Rockies won 7-4.
Ron Hextall was the first goalie to shoot the puck into the net
Ron Hextall changed the definition of a goalie goal eight years later. On December 8, 1987, he became the first NHL goalie to actually shoot the puck into the opposing net.
Ron Hextall of the Philadelphia Flyers (Source: Rick Stewart /Allsport)
With the Philadelphia Flyers leading the Boston Bruins, Boston pulled Rejean Lemelin for an extra attacker. He collected the puck near his own net and sent it down the ice into the empty goal, making NHL history.
He went on to score again in the 1989 Stanley Cup Playoffs against the Washington Capitals. That made him the first goalie to score in the postseason and the first to record a shorthanded goal.
Martin Brodeur has the most goalie goals in NHL history
No goaltender has scored more NHL goals than Martin Brodeur. The former New Jersey Devils star finished his career with three goals, putting him alone at the top of the all-time list. His success was part of a broader evolution in the position.
He was one of the goalies who became comfortable handling the puck well outside the crease, giving him more opportunities to attempt long-range shots when opponents pulled their goaltender.
Who was the last NHL goalie to score a goal?
Igor Shesterkin was the latest NHL goalie to score a goal, making history for the New York Rangers on October 1, 2026, in a 5-1 win over the Tampa Bay Lightning at Madison Square Garden. He scored with 2:34 remaining in the third period.
Igor Shesterkin #31 of the New York Rangers (Source: Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)
The goal made him the 18th goaltender in NHL history to score and the 21st goalie goal overall. It was also the first goal ever scored by a Rangers goaltender, ending a wait that had lasted throughout the franchise’s history.
The moment came after he collected the puck in his crease following a Tampa Bay dump-in. He fired while dropping to one knee, but briefly lost sight of the puck as it traveled down the ice. He only realized it had gone in when the Madison Square Garden crowd erupted and his teammates rushed toward him to celebrate.
His goal also capped a remarkable night individually. He stopped 24 of Tampa Bay’s 25 shots in the Rangers’ home opener, earning the win while becoming the latest name in one of the NHL’s rarest statistical clubs.
