Rangers goalie Igor Shesterkin scores first career goal

New York Rangers goaltender Igor Shesterkin. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Rangers goalie Igor Shesterkin scores first career goal

By Adam Gretz | Last updated Oct 1, 2026 10:17 PM ET

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New York Rangers goalie Igor Shesterkin has spent the bulk of his career bailing out a flawed team by preventing goals.

He did that again on Thursday in a 5-1 win over the Tampa Bay Lightning.

He also did something he has never done before in the NHL — he actually scored a goal.

Rangers goalie Igor Shesterkin scores first career goal

Shesterkin scored the goal late in the third period, launching the puck the length of the ice into an empty net.

Here is a look at it.

THE FIRST RANGERS GOALTENDER TO SCORE A GOAL:

IGOR SHESTERKIN pic.twitter.com/k7ITHnvtza
— New York Rangers (@NYRangers) October 2, 2026

Shesterkin's goal is the first ever for a Rangers goalie, while it is the 21st goalie goal in the history of the league.

He is the 18th different goaltender to score a goal. (Martin Brodeur scored three goals, while Ron Hextall scored two.)

Shesterkin also stopped 24-of-25 shots for the Rangers, leading them to their first win of the season.

He is one of the NHL's most aggressive goalies with the puck and is never afraid to make plays with it, so it might be a little surprising it has taken him this long to get one. Maybe it should have been inevitable.

Adam Gretz

Adam Gretz is a freelance writer based in Pittsburgh. He covers the NHL, NFL, MLB and NBA. Baseball is his favorite sport -- he is nearly halfway through his goal of seeing a game in every MLB ballpark. Catch him on X @AGretz

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