Ron Hextall
A revolutionary goaltender who played with a fiery temper and puck-handling skill that permanently changed his position.
Born 1964 (age 62)·Canadian ice hockey player·Birthday: May 3·Baby Boomers
Biography
Ron Hextall didn't just stop pucks; he attacked the game with a volatility that made him must-watch television. Drafted by the Philadelphia Flyers, he brought the franchise's broad-street bully ethos directly into the crease. He was famously combative, using his stick on opponents and sparking line brawls, but his legacy is built on more than fury. Hextall was the first NHL goalie to score a goal by shooting the puck the length of the ice into an empty net, a feat that showcased his unprecedented puck-handling ability. He backstopped the Flyers to the Stanley Cup Finals in 1987, winning the Conn Smythe Trophy in a losing effort. Injuries later slowed his career, but his style—aggressive, skilled, and utterly fearless—directly inspired a generation of modern, athletic netminders who act as a third defenseman.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Ron was born in 1964, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Ron Was Born
The biggest hits of 1964
#1 Movie
Mary Poppins
Best Picture
My Fair Lady
#1 TV Show
Bonanza
Ron's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1964Born
Civil Rights Act signed; Beatles arrive in America
Gas: $0.30/galHome: $13,450Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"I Want to Hold Your Hand" — The BeatlesBest Picture: My Fair Lady
1969Started school
Apollo 11: humans walk on the Moon; Woodstock festival
Gas: $0.35/galHome: $15,550Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Sugar, Sugar" — The ArchiesBest Picture: Midnight Cowboy
1977Became a teenager
Star Wars premieres; Elvis dies
Gas: $0.62/galHome: $31,800Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Tonight's the Night" — Rod StewartBest Picture: Annie Hall
1980Could drive
John Lennon shot and killed in New York
Gas: $1.19/galHome: $47,200Min wage: $3.10/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Call Me" — BlondieBest Picture: Ordinary People
1982Could vote
Michael Jackson releases Thriller
Gas: $1.22/galHome: $55,200Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Physical" — Olivia Newton-JohnBest Picture: Gandhi
1985Turned 21
Live Aid concerts raise money for Ethiopian famine
Gas: $1.12/galHome: $62,900Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Careless Whisper" — Wham!Best Picture: Out of Africa
1994Turned 30
Nelson Mandela elected president of South Africa
Gas: $1.11/galHome: $90,400Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"The Sign" — Ace of BaseBest Picture: Forrest Gump
2004Turned 40
Indian Ocean tsunami kills over 230,000
Gas: $1.88/galHome: $157,300Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Yeah!" — UsherBest Picture: Million Dollar Baby
2014Turned 50
Russia annexes Crimea; Ebola outbreak in West Africa
Gas: $3.37/galHome: $160,700Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Happy" — Pharrell WilliamsBest Picture: Birdman
2024Turned 60
AI reshapes industries; Paris Olympics
Gas: $3.31/galHome: $372,000Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Joe Biden"Espresso" — Sabrina CarpenterBest Picture: Anora
2026Age 62 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Became the first goaltender in NHL history to score a goal by shooting the puck into an empty net in 1987.
- Won the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP in 1987 despite his team losing the Stanley Cup Final.
- Won the Vezina Trophy as the league's best goaltender in the 1986-87 season.
- Served as the general manager for both the Philadelphia Flyers and the Pittsburgh Penguins.
Did You Know?
He is part of a multi-generational hockey family; his grandfather, father, and brother all played professional hockey.
He was the first goalie to be credited with two career goals.
He once received a 12-game suspension for slashing Montreal's Chris Chelios in the 1989 playoffs.
“I play to win, and I'll do whatever it takes to get there.”
