Bryan Hextall

Lore & Background

Hextall grew up in Poplar Point, Manitoba, and won the Manitoba juvenile championship in 1929–30. He played junior hockey with the Winnipeg Monarchs and Portage Terriers, winning the Manitoba Junior Hockey League scoring title in 1932–33. He began his professional career in 1933–34 with the Vancouver Lions of the North West Hockey League, leading that league in scoring with 27 goals in 1935–36. He then moved to the Philadelphia Ramblers of the International-American Hockey League, again leading the league with 27 goals. The Rangers brought him up for three games in 1937, and he made the team full-time in 1937–38. A left-handed shooter, Hextall played his 'off wing' – right wing – at a time before it was common practice. He scored at least 20 goals seven times in his career, mainly playing on the Rangers' top line with Phil Watson and Lynn Patrick.

Reader's Guide

Hextall led the NHL in goal scoring and was named a first-team All-Star for the first time in 1939–40. During the 1940 Stanley Cup Final against the Toronto Maple Leafs, he scored a hat trick and added an assist in game two, and scored the overtime-winning goal in game six to clinch the Rangers' third Stanley Cup championship. A second All-Star selection followed in 1940–41 as he again led the NHL in goal scoring and finished tied for second in points. He led the league in points in 1941–42, his total of 56 standing seven better than second place, and was named to the first All-Star team for the third consecutive season. Hextall scored career highs in goals (27) and points (59) in 1942–43 and was named a second-team All-Star. He appeared in 340 consecutive games for the Rangers between 1937 and 1944, a streak ended when Canadian war authorities denied him a permit to cross into the United States. He regained amateur status and played senior hockey briefly with the St. Catharines Saints. After World War II, he returned to the Rangers in 1945–46 but was hospitalized with a liver ailment after three games. He overcame doctors' expectations and played all 60 games in 1946–47. After a final NHL season in 1947–48, he split the 1948–49 AHL season between the Cleveland Barons and Washington Lions before retiring. He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1969 and is an honoured member of the Manitoba Hockey Hall of Fame, which named him to its all-century second All-Star team.

Did You Know?

• He led the NHL in goal scoring twice (1939–40, 1940–41) and in points once (1941–42).
• He is the father of sons Bryan Jr. and Dennis, and grandfather of Ron, all of whom had lengthy NHL careers.

A Rookie Who Rewrote the Record Books

Ronald Jeffrey Hextall's 1986-87 debut season with the Philadelphia Flyers remains one of the most remarkable in NHL history. As a first-year goaltender, he captured the Vezina Trophy as the league's top netminder and guided Philadelphia all the way to the Stanley Cup Final. Despite falling to the Edmonton Oilers in a grueling seven-game series, Hextall was named the playoffs' most valuable player, earning the Conn Smythe Trophy. This achievement placed him in an elite group of only six players in NHL history to win the award while his team lost the championship. The following season, he made history again by becoming the first goaltender in NHL history to score a goal, shooting the puck into Boston's empty net. In 1988-89, he repeated the feat in the postseason, becoming the first goalie to tally a playoff goal against Washington's empty net. These milestones cemented his place as a rule-breaking pioneer in a position where scoring was virtually unheard of.

A Revolutionary Style That Changed the Position

Hextall's approach to goaltending was nothing short of transformative. Rather than staying rooted behind the net, he developed a mobile style that saw him venture out of the crease to support his defencemen and play the puck in the defensive zone. This was genuinely revolutionary for his era and directly inspired the next generation of netminders, most notably Martin Brodeur, who would go on to define the position for the 2000s. Beyond his technical innovation, Hextall was also one of the most physically aggressive goaltenders the league had ever seen. He accumulated over 100 penalty minutes in each of his first three seasons and set new NHL records for penalty minutes by a goaltender. His combative nature led to suspensions of six or more games on three separate occasions. Despite this reputation, his contributions earned him a place in the Flyers Hall of Fame, and he holds multiple team records across his 11 seasons with Philadelphia over two stints.

Injury, Displacement, and a Remarkable Comeback

The middle stretch of Hextall's playing career was marked by physical setbacks that eroded his confidence and performance. Injuries during this period led to a noticeable decline in his ability, and the consequences were stark: between the 1992 and 1994 off-seasons, he was traded on three separate occasions, moving to the Quebec Nordiques, then the New York Islanders, and finally back to the Philadelphia Flyers. This turbulent period saw him play for three different organizations in just a few years. However, his return to Philadelphia proved to be the turning point. Upon rejoining the Flyers, Hextall rebuilt his confidence and form, posting goals against averages below 3.00 in each of his five subsequent seasons—the best stretch of his entire career. He ultimately retired at the conclusion of the 1998-99 season, having completed 13 NHL seasons across the Flyers, Nordiques, and Islanders. His journey from a record-breaking rookie to a displaced journeyman to a reinvigorated veteran remains one of the more compelling redemption arcs in goaltending history.

From the Rink to the Front Office

After hanging up his pads, Hextall transitioned into hockey operations, building a career that spanned multiple organizations. He served as assistant general manager for the Los Angeles Kings, a tenure that culminated in a 2012 Stanley Cup championship. He then held the same assistant general manager role for the Philadelphia Flyers for one season before being elevated to the top executive post. On May 7, 2014, he was promoted to general manager of the Flyers, replacing Paul Holmgren, and held that position for four and a half seasons. His most recent executive role was as general manager of the Pittsburgh Penguins. This progression from player to front-office leader reflects a deep institutional knowledge of the game. His family background in hockey—his grandfather Bryan Hextall was a Hall of Famer with the New York Rangers, his father played ten NHL seasons most notably with Pittsburgh, and his uncle Dennis played 14 seasons—gave him an intimate, multi-generational understanding of the sport that few executives can claim.