Most Points By A Goaltender In A Single Game

We learned last week that most hockey fans tend not to think about their goaltender as a captain of an NHL team.

Well, I think we can safely add that most do not think of the goalie as a player who produces offensively either. However,  on February 10, 1993, Jeff Reese of the Calgary Flames had a monumental night in a 13-1 drubbing of the San Jose Sharks.

3 Assists For Reese

On that night, Jeff Reese managed to assist on three of the Flames’ thirteen goals, helping Calgary to it’s fifth consecutive win. During that game Reese’s opposing goaltender was Arturs Irbe, who was chased from the net in favor of Jeff Hackett. When that proved futile, the Sharks put Irbe back between the pipes to finish the game.

Calgary would go on to win every game against the Sharks for the remainder of that season.

On a Division winning team led by Theoren Fleury, Gary Roberts, Joe Nieuwendyk and starting goalie Mike Vernon, Reese played just 26 games that season.  Interestingly, Reese was 14-4-1 with a 3.20 GAA in those 26 games, while Vernon managed a 29-26-9 record on the year.

Despite displaying solid numbers in the 1992-93 season, Reese was destined to wear a Hartford Whalers jersey as he was shipped to the Whalers with future considerations in exchange for Defenceman Dan Keczmer on November 19,1993. The move was made primarily to make room for a young Flames goaltending prospect named Trevor Kidd.

Jeff Reese’s Career

Over parts of 11 seasons in the NHL with the Toronto Maple Leafs , Calgary Flames, Hartford Whalers, Tampa BayLightning and New Jersey Devils , Reese posted a 53-65-17 record with a 3.66 goals-against average and five shutouts in 174 contests.

Scoring the most points by a goaltender in a single game would prove to be Jeff Reese’s claim to fame.  However, Reese did go on to win a Stanley Cup in 2004 as a Goalie Coach for the Tampa Bay Lightning and currently holds that same position with the Philadelphia Flyers.