Igor Shesterkin becomes the 18th NHL goaltender to score a goal and first to do it for the Rangers

NEW YORK (AP) — Igor Shesterkin shot the puck down the ice toward the empty net like he has done so many times before. Then his view was blocked by players standing in the way.

“I didn’t see the puck land,” Shesterkin said, “so I didn’t know can I celebrate or not.”

It landed perfectly and bounced into the net with 2:34 left on the clock. The crowd went crazy and his New York Rangers teammates mobbed him in celebration as Shesterkin became the 18th goaltender in NHL history to score a goal and first to do it for the Rangers.

“I feel like probably a dozen times I’ve been on the bench thinking, ’OK, this one goes in,' and he barely misses,” longest-tenured Rangers player Mika Zibanejad said after Shesterkin's goal capped off a 5-1 victory over Tampa Bay on Thursday night in the home opener at Madison Square Garden. “Just seeing this one go in, the way he played today and obviously the amount of chances that he’s had to do that and now finally get it, it was great.”

The first goal of his career is the 21st by an NHL goalie, counting the playoffs. After trying often over his first seven seasons, he thought he would celebrate differently, but getting screened made him hesitate.

“I was just a little bit shy and didn’t know what I can do,” Shesterkin said. “Maybe next time. I will keep trying to score one more time.”

Serenaded by chants of “Igor! Igor!” from fans delighted to see him finally cash in, Shesterkin got to lead the parade of players skating to the bench to fist-bump smiling teammates.

“It’s pretty nice,” Shesterkin said. “I never did it before, so it’s a lot of fun.”

Two games into the season, Shesterkin is tied with Zibanejad, Gabriel Perreault and newcomers Pavel Dorofeyev and Eeli Tolvanen for the team lead in goals.

“He’s not just a great goalie — he’s a great goal-scorer right now,” Dorofeyev said. “I have a serious competitor right now, so got to keep an eye on him.”

Shesterkin had the opportunity because Lightning coach Jon Cooper pulled Andrei Vasilevskiy off and on the ice during the third period for an extra attacker. The goal was the first by a goalie since friend and fellow Russian Ilya Sorokin of the Islanders got credit last season when he was the last to touch the puck before it went into Nashville's net.

“Yeah, this one counts,” said Shesterkin, who was also terrific at the other end, stopping 24 of 25 Lightning shots.

Hall of Fame Rangers goaltender Henrik Lundqvist on social media called him “Igor the goal scorer” and said, “It was just a matter of time.”

Coach Mike Sullivan knew the shot had a chance to go in by the time it was at center ice. He's glad Shesterkin finally accomplished the feat.

“Obviously one of his strengths is his ability to handle the puck,” Sullivan said. “When those moments occur for a team, they are great moments. You can see the raw emotion on the players on the bench. Shesty, he’s such a great goalie. He makes so many timely saves for us. When he has a moment like that, I think the guys, they get pretty fired up about it. It was a lot of fun.”

See AP’s full NHL coverage here

New York Rangers goaltender Igor Shesterkin stands in the goal during the first period of an NHL hockey game against the Tampa Bay Lightning, Thursday, Oct. 1, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Pamela Smith)

New York Rangers goaltender Igor Shesterkin, center, after an NHL hockey game against the Tampa Bay Lightning Thursday, Oct. 1, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Pamela Smith)

New York Rangers players react after goaltender Igor Shesterkin scored a goal during the third period of an NHL hockey game against the Tampa Bay Lightning Thursday, Oct. 1, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Pamela Smith)

New York Rangers goaltender Igor Shesterkin (31) and New York Rangers' Marcus Pettersson (26) react after Shesterkin scored a goal during the third period of an NHL hockey game against the Tampa Bay Lightning Thursday, Oct. 1, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Pamela Smith)

New York Rangers goaltender Igor Shesterkin reacts after scoring a goal during the third period of an NHL hockey game against the Tampa Bay Lightning Thursday, Oct. 1, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Pamela Smith)

NEW YORK (AP) — Victor Hedman is back playing hockey, and the Tampa Bay Lightning captain hopes the trying times he went through over the past 10 months will benefit him down the road.

Hedman on Thursday night played his first NHL game that counts since stepping away in March to address his mental health. The well-respected Swedish defenseman also missed time last season with an elbow injury and subsequent surgery.

“Last year was hopefully a blip on the radar,” Hedman said ahead of playing 17 minutes, 45 seconds at the New York Rangers in Tampa Bay's season opener. “When you play 33 games, it was a tough year in that regard. At the same time, maybe a blessing, too. Feeling excited and energized.”

Hedman, who is less than three months away from turning 36, shed significant weight since the spring. He starts his 18th season in the league at 228 pounds, 18 lighter than he played his 17th at 244 — a conscious effort to get lighter as he ages.

“As you get older, the less mass you have to move around, the faster you feel,” Hedman said. “I don’t think I lost any power or strength in that regard. I’m still quite heavy for this league, so boxing out and winning battles is not going to be any different. But hopefully I feel as light as I am today and just get moving on my skates.”

Jon Cooper immediately noticed Hedman looking different — “He was ripped,” more than usual. Hedman, who debuted in 2009 after getting drafted with the No. 2 pick, is the only Lightning player who predates Cooper, the longest tenured coach in the NHL.

“He’s been playing this entire time. I just get to stand there,” Cooper said. "It’s impressive when you look at the type of athletes that are coming through our game in the last decade, and he’s been able to still excel with them. But I think when you get older, you really have to start looking after yourself and he did that this offseason.”

Cooper won the Jack Adams Award as coach of the year, winger Nikita Kucherov the Hart Trophy as MVP and Andrei Vasilevskiy the Vezina as the top goaltender. But Hedman is such an important piece on the blue line that Tampa Bay in his absence went 8-6-2 down the stretch and lost a hard-luck first-round series to Montreal in seven games despite outshooting the Canadiens by 196-156.

Hedman taking his usual place makes the rest of the defensive puzzle fit together correctly, and his presence itself is a morale boost in the locker room.

“Just to see him being himself, his outgoing self, his energetic self, it means a lot to this group,” teammate Ryan McDonagh said. “Certainly looking forward to him having a great year again.”

Hedman in his prime won the Norris Trophy as the best defenseman in 2017-18 and led the Lightning to back-to-back Stanley Cup runs in 2020 and '21, including earning playoff MVP honors the first time. Back then, he was averaging upwards of 24 minutes a game.

The workload is smaller now, with J.J. Moser and Charle-Edouard D’Astous getting bigger roles. Signing fellow Cup champion John Carlson in free agency also takes pressure off Hedman, especially on the power play.

“When Heddy used to play all situations all the time, first over the boards, he’s not as much anymore,” Cooper said. “It doesn’t make him any less effective. But it does manage his minutes a little.”

See AP’s full NHL coverage here

FILE - Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Victor Hedman (77) skates with the puck during the second period against the Florida Panther in Game 5 of an NHL hockey Stanley Cup first-round playoff series, Wednesday, April 30, 2025, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara, File)

Tampa Bay Lightning's Victor Hedman (77) skates during the first period of an NHL hockey game against the New York Rangers, Thursday, Oct. 1, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Pamela Smith)