Jeff Reese

Lore & Background

Jeff Reese began his professional career after four seasons with the London Knights, drafted by the Toronto Maple Leafs in 1984. He made his NHL debut in his second pro season, appearing in five games, and gradually increased his role over subsequent years, sharing duties with Allan Bester and Mark Laforest before backing up rookie Peter Ing. In January 1992, he was part of a ten-player trade that sent him to the Calgary Flames in exchange for Doug Gilmour and others. With the Flames, he served as backup to Mike Vernon and posted a 14-4-1 record in 1992–93; on February 10, 1993, he recorded three assists in a 13-1 victory, entering the NHL record book. After the emergence of Trevor Kidd, he was traded to the Hartford Whalers, where he backed up Sean Burke and split time with Frank Pietrangelo. He then moved to the Tampa Bay Lightning, replacing Jean-Claude Bergeron as backup to Daren Puppa, and posted a 7-7-1 record in 19 games. He was traded to the New Jersey Devils for Corey Schwab, but lost the backup job to Mike Dunham and spent most of the 1996–97 season with the Detroit Vipers of the IHL, winning the Turner Cup and being named to the All-IHL Second Team in 1997 and 1998. He returned to the Toronto Maple Leafs as a free agent in 1998, playing his final two NHL games, and was traded back to Tampa Bay to be exposed in the 1999 NHL Expansion Draft, but was not selected and retired.

Reader's Guide

Jeff Reese's significance lies in his long career as a reliable backup goaltender across five NHL teams, demonstrating adaptability in various organizational contexts. His most notable on-ice achievement was recording three assists in a single game, a rare feat for a goaltender that earned him a place in the NHL record book. After retiring, he transitioned into coaching, serving as goaltending coach for the Tampa Bay Lightning from 2001 to 2009, during which he won the Stanley Cup in 2004. He later held the same role with the Philadelphia Flyers from 2009 to March 2015, and joined the Dallas Stars in June 2015, where he continues as goaltending coach. His coaching career has extended his impact on the sport beyond his playing days, contributing to the development of goaltenders at the NHL level.

Did You Know?

• Jeff Reese recorded three assists in a 13-1 Flames victory on February 10, 1993, entering the NHL record book.
• He was part of a ten-player trade in January 1992 that sent him from Toronto to Calgary for Doug Gilmour and others.
• Reese won the Turner Cup with the Detroit Vipers in 1997 and was named to the All-IHL Second Team in both 1997 and 1998.
• He was traded back to Tampa Bay in 1999 specifically to be exposed in the NHL Expansion Draft, but was not selected by the Atlanta Thrashers.