Ron Hextall

Infobox Ice Hockey Player


image_size =
position = Goaltender
played_for = "WHL"
Brandon Wheat Kings
"IHL"
Kalamazoo Wings
"AHL"
Hershey Bears
"NHL"
Philadelphia Flyers
Quebec Nordiques
New York Islanders
caught = Left
height_ft = 6
height_in = 3
weight_lb = 200
nationality = CAN
birth_date = Birth date and age|1964|5|3|mf=y
birth_place = Brandon, MB
draft = 119th overall
draft_year = 1982
draft_team = Philadelphia Flyers
career_start = 1984
career_end = 1999

Ron Hextall (born May 3, 1964 in Brandon, Manitoba) is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender most often associated with the Philadelphia Flyers of the National Hockey League. He is the grandson of Hall-of-Famer Bryan Hextall, the son of former NHL player Bryan Hextall Jr. and nephew of former NHL player Dennis Hextall.

Playing career

Hershey Bears

Prior to playing in the NHL, Hextall won the Dudley "Red" Garrett Memorial Award in 1986 as the top rookie of the American Hockey League, while playing for the Hershey Bears.

Philadelphia years

Hextall played the bulk of his career in two stints with the Philadelphia Flyers (1986-87 to 1991-92, and 1994-95 to 1998-99). He and Jacques Plante are considered responsible for revolutionizing the position of goaltender, leaving the goal mouth regularly to play the puck with their sticks.

Hextall was known for his aggressive play, something which made him a fan-favorite in Philadelphia. He holds the record for most penalty minutes by a goaltender in one season with 113 in 1988-89. A notable incident illustrating his aggressiveness occurred in Game 6 of that year's Wales Conference Finals series, in which the Flyers faced the Montreal Canadiens. With his team trailing 3-2 in the series and 4-2 on the scoreboard in the game's final minutes, Hextall left the crease and slammed Montreal defenseman Chris Chelios into the boards, apparently in retaliation for Chelios' illegal yet unpenalized hit on Philadelphia's Brian Propp in Game 1 that left the latter with a concussion. After Chelios crumpled to the ice, Hextall continued to pummel him until the referees pulled the Flyer goalie off. For his actions, Hextall received a five-minute major and a match penalty, and was suspended for the first 12 games of the 1989-90 season.

Hextall is one of only two goaltenders, along with Henrik Lundqvist, to record at least 30 wins in his first three NHL seasons, [cite news| url=http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/hockey/rangers/2008/03/09/2008-03-09_goalie_coach_benoit_allaire_has_knack_fo.html | title=Goalie coach Benoit Allaire has knack for keeping Henrik Lundqvist up | publisher="Daily News" | last=Dellapina | first=John | date=2008-03-09 | accessdate=2008-03-10] which Hextall did from 1986-1989.

The goal

On December 8, 1987, in a game against the Boston Bruins, Hextall became the first goalie in NHL history to score a goal by actually shooting the puck into an open net with the opposing goaltender pulled for an extra attacker. In his post-game interview Hextall quipped, (Because of hockey's score keeping rule that credits a goal to the last offensive player to touch the puck, on November 28, 1979, Billy Smith of the New York Islanders was the first NHL goalie to be credited with a goal; Smith was awarded the goal during a game against the Colorado Rockies. The Rockies' goaltender left the ice for an extra skater after a delayed penalty was called on the Islanders. During the ensuing play, Smith made a save, then a Rockies player passed the puck to a vacant point, and it traveled the length of the ice into the empty net.) Hextall replicated the feat in the playoffs on April 11, 1989 against the Washington Capitals, thus becoming the first goalie to score a goal in a playoff game.

Ron Hextall was also the winner of the Vezina Trophy (NHL's Best Goaltender) and the Conn Smythe Trophy (NHL Playoff MVP), as well as being named to the NHL All-Rookie Team in 1987 as a rookie for the Philadelphia Flyers, as the Flyers lost to the powerful Edmonton Oilers in seven games during the Stanley Cup Finals. By losing in game seven to both the Oilers and the Capitals in the first round of the playoffs the following year, Hextall earned a reputation for losing in the most important games. The Calder Trophy was the only honor that eluded Hextall that year as he finished second behind Luc Robitaille. He was also remembered for a slash on Edmonton's Kent Nilsson in the 1987 Stanley Cup Finals; any Oiler player that approached the Flyers' net would receive welts on their legs from Hextall's stick.

Quebec, Long Island, and back to Philadelphia

Hextall was traded to the Quebec Nordiques in a trade involving Eric Lindros among several others. He spent the 1992-93 NHL season there, helping the Nordiques to make the playoffs for the first time in several years. Hextall then moved on to the New York Islanders for the 1993-94 NHL season, where he also appeared in the playoffs. The Flyers reacquired him in 1994 and he helped them reach the finals in 1997, although they were quickly swept aside by the Detroit Red Wings in 4 games. He finished out his career with the Flyers in 1999.

Post-retirement

In June 2006, the Los Angeles Kings named Ron Hextall as Assistant General Manager. In addition, Hextall will serve as the General Manager of the Manchester Monarchs of the American Hockey League, the Kings’ primary affiliate.

On February 6, 2008, Hextall became the 19th member inducted into the Flyers Hall of Fame in a ceremony during the first intermission.

Ron's son, center Brett Hextall was drafted by the Phoenix Coyotes in the 2008 NHL Entry Draft. With that selection, the Hextalls have a chance to become the first family to have four generations play in the NHL. [http://www.nhl.com/nhl/app?articleid=366670&page=NewsPage&service=page The new generation of Hextall]

Awards

*Dudley "Red" Garrett Memorial Award — 1986
*Named to AHL First All-Star Team — 1986
*NHL Rookie of the Month of November — 1986
*Vezina Trophy — 1987
*Conn Smythe Trophy - 1987
*NHL All-Rookie Team — 1987
*NHL First All-Star Team — 1987
* Inducted into Flyers Hall of Fame - February 6, 2008

Media rankings

*Named NHL Rookie of the Year by The Sporting News in 1987
*Named to The Sporting News All-Star second team in 1987
*Rated #14 in Hockey Stars Presents "The Top 50 Netminders in Pro Hockey", November 1993
*Rated #29 in Hockey Stars Presents "The Top 50 Netminders in Pro Hockey", November 1994
*Rated #29 in Hockey Stars Presents "The Top 50 Netminders in Pro Hockey", November 1995

Career statistics

Regular season

ee also

*Notable families in the NHL
*NHL Goaltenders
*List of retired NHL players
*List of NHL seasons

References

*
*

External links

* [http://archives.cbc.ca/sports/hockey/clips/15205/ CBC Digital Archives – Hextall boils over]

Persondata
NAME= Hextall, Ron
ALTERNATIVE NAMES=
SHORT DESCRIPTION=
DATE OF BIRTH= 1964-5-3
PLACE OF BIRTH= Brandon, MB, CAN
DATE OF DEATH=
PLACE OF DEATH=