List of goalscoring NHL goaltenders

Before the creation of the NHL in 1917, there were some instances recorded of goaltenders rushing down the ice to participate in the play, occasionally scoring a goal.

During the history of the league, there had been some near-misses by goaltenders, including attempts by Chuck Rayner by aiming at the empty net, or joining the attack.

Due to the distance between the two nets, the puck has to be shot with a trajectory and speed that prevents the opposing team from stopping it while it travels.

Perhaps uncoincidentally, both Osgood's 1995–96 Detroit Red Wings and Ullmark's 2022–23 Boston Bruins were in the latter stages of dominant Presidents' Trophy-winning seasons when their goals were scored.

Rule 27.7 was instituted in the 1966–67 season, after the Toronto Maple Leafs' Gary Smith had been knocked out by Montreal Canadiens defenceman J. C. Tremblay's bodycheck as the former was crossing the centre red line carrying the puck.

Before the institution of the rule, the only recorded instances of goaltenders scoring goals involved them rushing to the other end of the rink, and they occurred generally in the early days of ice hockey, around 1900.

This technique is credited to Art Ross, coach of the Boston Bruins, who pulled Tiny Thompson in game two of the semifinal playoff series against the Montreal Canadiens.

[3] An instance of an attempted empty-net goal was recorded in 1947, when New York Rangers goaltender Chuck Rayner missed the net "by a whisper" which was vacated when the Toronto Maple Leafs had pulled Turk Broda.

[2] Billy Smith of the New York Islanders, in the 1979–80 season, was the first goaltender to be credited with a goal in the NHL when Rob Ramage of the Colorado Rockies put the puck into his empty net.

[7] Brophy repeated the feat a year later on March 7, 1906, by skating the length of the ice to score on goaltender Nathan Frye of the Montreal Victorias of the Eastern Canada Amateur Hockey Association (ECAHA).

[2] The first goaltender credited with an assist in the NHL was Georges Vezina in the 1917–18 season after a puck rebounded off his leg pad to a teammate who skated the length of the ice to score.

[14] The most recent goaltender to have scored a goal by deliberately shooting the puck into his opponents' net was Alex Nedeljkovic on January 17, 2025.

Chris Mason, Damian Rhodes, Tristan Jarry, and Alex Nedeljkovic are the only goaltenders to be credited with a goal in both the AHL and the NHL.

Mike Smith was the first goaltender to score a goal in the NHL with the Turco grip, placing the catching glove overhand on the shaft of the stick.

In 1979, Billy Smith became the first NHL goaltender in history to be credited with a goal.
In 1987, Ron Hextall became the first goaltender to score via a direct shot on goal, and later became the first with a short-handed goal. Hextall is the only goaltender to have scored more than once with a direct shot on goal.
Martin Brodeur is the only goaltender to be credited with three goals, two in the regular season and one in the playoffs. He is also the only goaltender credited with a game-winning goal.
After a seven-year lull, Chris Osgood was the first goaltender to directly shoot a goal since Ron Hextall did so in the 1989 playoffs.
Jose Theodore , then playing for the Montreal Canadiens, scored a goal and shutout in a 3–0 game against the New York Islanders.
Evgeni Nabokov was the first non-North American goaltender to directly shoot a goal.
Mike Smith was the first goaltender in over 11 years, since Nabokov, to directly shoot a goal.
Alex Nedeljkovic , then with the Pittsburgh Penguins, was the first goaltender to record a goal and assist in the same game, as well as score goals in the NHL, American Hockey League , and ECHL .