Ron Hextall

Last updated

BIOGRAPHY

BORN: Brandon, Manitoba, May 3, 1964
HOME: Voorhees, New Jersey
HEIGHT: 6'3"
WEIGHT: 192 lbs
UNIFORM #: 27, 72.
CATCHES: Left
JUNIOR TEAM: Brandon Wheat Kings (WHL)
SALARY (1997-98): $2,300,000 ($2,200,000 1996-97)

STYLE: Flop and cover.
STRENGTHS: Quick on low shots, especially on stick side. Stays on feet very well. Very aggressive.
WEAKNESSES: Injury problems. Poor on angles (due to aggressiveness). Vulnerable to shots to the high corners. Lets in quite a few "soft" goals.

WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING:

"Hextall is probably the best goaltender I've ever played against in the NHL. Just when you think you'll bombard him, he comes up with the big saves. We always seem to get a 2-0 lead, then he tightens up, plays really well and doesn't give us anything." (Wayne Gretzky, May 1987)

"Although [Hextall] returned after eight games last year, his concentration and timing were off. Twenty games into the season, he had a 2-8-2 record and 3.94 goals-against average - not the numbers the Flyers wanted to see from the 1987 Vezina Trophy winner." (The Hockey News 1988-89 Yearbook, p. 68)

"Because he is so active in the net, Hextall always will have his critics, but he is coming off one of his best seasons. Healthy in body and mind, Hextall was on top of his game, and there is no reason to think he suddenly will go into decline this season. By beating Tampa Bay in Game 1 of the conference quarterfinals, Hextall surpassed Bernie Parent as the winningest playoff goalie in club history." (The Sporting News Hockey Yearbook 1996-97, p. 70)

"If Hexy holds his cool and the Flyers are hungry enough, the time is ripe for the team's first Stanley Cup since 1975. If his light goes off and Hextall starts running around like a maniac in goal, watch out." (The Sporting News Hockey Yearbook 1996-97, p. 37)

"Done? Last two years were up with his best. Playoff worthy? Give the guy a chance." (ESPN Hockey 96, p. 69)

"The Flyers' platoon system of Ron Hextall and Garth Snow worked until the final, then it failed miserably. If Hextall continues his inconsistency, it's time to shop around. [GM Bobby] Clarke is well aware that this is one of the team's big weaknesses." (The Hockey News 1997-98 Yearbook, p. 147)

"Goaltending may not have cost the Flyers the Stanley Cup, but it certainly didn't do the team any favors. While Snow and Hextall worked relatively well until the last series, neither proved he is the man to put the Flyers over the top. One must take charge or it may be time to make a change." (The Hockey News 1997-98 Yearbook, p. 147)

"Snow says he's willing to wait for Hextall to pass him the torch, but [GM Bobby] Clarke may give the torch to someone else." (The Hockey News 1997-98 Yearbook, p. 147)

"Why this team [the Flyers] is entering the season with Ron Hextall and Garth Snow in goal is a mystery." (The Sports Forecaster Hockey '97-'98, p. 132)

"The problem has been around for a while and neither Hextall nor Snow is the answer. They're both big, both aggressive and both let in inexcusably soft goals in the final. The Flyers won't get into full flight until they lose these turkeys." (The Sports Forecaster Hockey '97-'98, p. 133)

"He was the weak link in the Flyers last year. Surrenders too many soft goals, evidenced in the final. He's now a target for the fans and that's the last thing you want in Philadelphia! He takes too many stupid penalties and can be easily thrown off his game. He was creamed in a fight with the Leafs' Felix Potvin." (The Sports Forecaster Hockey '97-'98, p. 136)

"Although many believe the Flyers will trade for a goalie, Hextall keeps plugging away. His goals-against average dipped under 2.00 and he played a big part when the Flyers held 24 of 25 opponents to three goals or fewer through November and December." (The Hockey News, January 16, 1998, p. 22)

"We're all a little older and all have some wear and tear on our bodies. But I have a lot of respect for Hexy. I know him well and the thing I really respect is his competitiveness. I know he wants to be in there, no matter if he's having a great game or a bad game, great week or a bad week. He wants the ball. He wants to play and you have to respect that. He might go a month without giving up a bad goal and then as soon as he lets one in everybody's jumping down his throat or laughing at him. But I think he's handled it really well." (Scott Mellanby, ESPN Sportszone, April 1998)

"He was part of two Flyers' teams that made it to the Stanley Cup final, but he's on the downside of his career. He struggled with an .888 save percentage last season. A big goaltender who used to be able to win games by himself. The veteran has accepted life as a backup goalie. He was phased out by Brian Boucher and Jean-Marc Pelletier in Philadelphia and is now looking for employment elsewhere." (The Sports Forecaster 1999-2000, p. 220)

TRANSACTIONS:

ACCOLADES:

VEZINA TROPHY BALLOTING:

PTS1st2nd3rdRANKSHARE
1986-876587410.62
1987-882002120.02
1988-89300390.03
1994-951001130.01
1995-962323450.18

ALL-STAR TEAM BALLOTING:

PTS1st2nd3rdRANKSHARE
1986-871982228410.73
1987-88911170.03
1988-8913011050.04
1992-93501260.02
1995-9646271540.17

INJURIES:

SUSPENSIONS:

PENALTY SHOTS:

SEASON RECORDS:

REGULAR SEASON
Year  Team                        GP    Min   W   L   T    GA    GAA   Shots    Sv%   ShO   G   A   PiM     S/60    PERS
80-81 Melville Millionaires SJHL  37   2001   7  24   0   219   6.57                    0
81-82 Brandon Wheat Kings WHL     30   1398  12  11   0   133   5.71                    0
82-83 Brandon Wheat Kings WHL     44   2589  13  30   0   249   5.77                    0
83-84 Brandon Wheat Kings WHL     46   2670  29  13   2   190   4.27                    0
84-85 Kalamazoo Wings IHL         19   1103   6  11   1    80   4.35                    0
      Hershey Bears AHL           11    555   4   6   0    34   3.68                    0
85-86 Hershey Bears AHL           53   3061  30  19   2   174   3.41                    5
86-87 Philadelphia Flyers NHL     66   3799  37  21   6   190   3.00    1933   .902     1   0   6   104    30.53  952.59
87-88 Philadelphia Flyers NHL     62   3561  30  22   7   208   3.50    1817   .886     0   1   6   104    30.61  936.55
88-89 Philadelphia Flyers NHL     64   3756  30  28   6   202   3.23    1860   .891     0   0   8   113    29.71  940.92
89-90 Philadelphia Flyers NHL      8    419   4   2   1    29   4.15     219   .868     0   0   0    14    31.36  919.85
      Hershey Bears AHL            1     49   1   0   0     3   3.67                    0
90-91 Philadelphia Flyers NHL     36   2035  13  16   5   106   3.13     982   .892     0   0   1    10    28.95  940.31
91-92 Philadelphia Flyers NHL     45   2668  16  21   6   151   3.40    1294   .883     3   0   3    35    29.10  931.81
92-93 Quebec Nordiques NHL        54   2988  29  16   5   172   3.45    1529   .888     0   0   2    56    30.70  938.68
93-94 New York Islanders NHL      65   3581  27  26   6   184   3.08    1801   .898     5   0   3    52    30.18  948.13
94-95 Philadelphia Flyers NHL     31   1824  17   9   4    88   2.89     801   .890     1   0   0    13    26.35  934.05
95-96 Philadelphia Flyers NHL     53   3102  31  13   7   112   2.17    1292   .913     4   0   1    28    24.99  954.96
96-97 Philadelphia Flyers NHL     55   3094  31  16   5   132   2.56    1285   .897     5   0   0    43    24.92  938.81
97-98 Philadelphia Flyers NHL     46   2687  21  17   7    97   2.17    1089   .911     4   0   0    10    24.32  951.46
98-99 Philadelphia Flyers NHL     23   1235  10   7   4    52   2.53     464   .888     0   0   2     2    22.54  925.50
THIRTEEN (13) NHL SEASONS        608  34749 296 214  69  1723   2.98   16366  0.895    23   1  32   584    28.26  941.82

POST-SEASON
Year  Team                        GP    Min   W   L   GA    GAA   Shots    Sv%   ShO   G   A   PiM     S/60    PERS
81-82 Brandon Wheat Kings WHL      3    103   0   2   16   9.32                    0
83-84 Brandon Wheat Kings WHL     10    592   5   5   37   3.75                    0
85-86 Hershey Bears AHL           13    780   5   7   42   3.23                    1
86-87 Philadelphia Flyers NHL     26   1540  15  11   71   2.77     769   .908     2   0   1    43    29.96  957.61
87-88 Philadelphia Flyers NHL      7    379   2   4   30   4.75     196   .847     0   0   2    30    31.03  898.65
88-89 Philadelphia Flyers NHL     15    886   8   7   49   3.32     445   .890     0   1   0    28    30.14  940.11
92-93 Quebec Nordiques NHL         6    372   2   4   18   2.90     211   .915     0   0   0     0    34.03  971.41
93-94 New York Islanders NHL       3    158   0   3   16   6.08      80   .800     0   0   0     4    30.38  850.63
94-95 Philadelphia Flyers NHL     15    897  10   5   42   2.81     437   .904     0   0   1     4    29.23  952.61
95-96 Philadelphia Flyers NHL     12    761   6   6   27   2.13     319   .915     0   0   0     6    25.15  957.28
96-97 Philadelphia Flyers NHL      8    443   4   3   22   2.98     203   .892     0   0   0     0    27.49  937.45
97-98 Philadelphia Flyers NHL      1     20   0   0    1   3.00       8   .875     0   0   0     0    24.00  915.00
NINE (9) NHL POSTSEASONS          93   5456  47  43  276   3.04    2668  0.897     2   1   4   115    29.34  945.45

NHL GAME DIRECTORY:

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