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An NHL goalie can score in two ways: shoot the puck into the opponent’s empty net, or receive credit when an opponent accidentally puts the puck into their own net and the goalie was the last player on the goalie’s team to touch it. The goalie does not have to leave the crease or be replaced, but the puck must enter the goal legally.
Two ways a goalie can be credited with a goal
NHL Rule 78.2 gives the general standard: “A goal shall be credited in the scoring records to a player who shall have propelled the puck into the opponent’s goal.” Rule 78.4 also addresses a defending player putting the puck into their own goal. In that case, the last attacking-side player to touch the puck receives credit.
| Route | Who sends the puck into the net? | Why the goalie gets credit |
|---|---|---|
| Direct empty-net goal | The goalie shoots the puck into the opponent’s unguarded net. | The goalie propelled it into the opponent’s goal. |
| Credited own goal | An opponent accidentally puts the puck into their own net. | The goalie was the last player on the scoring team to touch the puck. |
The rules apply to goalies as players; there is no separate scoring privilege for the position. A save or touch alone is not enough. The puck must subsequently enter the opponent’s goal under the applicable attribution rule.
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Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Scenario 1: The goalie shoots into an empty net
When a team trailing late in a game replaces its goalie with an extra skater, its net is empty. If the opposing goalie gains control and shoots the puck the length of the ice into that unguarded goal, the goalie scores directly.
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For example, NHL.com reported that Igor Shesterkin’s October 1, 2026 shot entered Tampa Bay’s empty net with 2:34 remaining. In another example, Alex Nedeljkovic gathered a dump-in and sent a shot that bounced into Buffalo’s empty net on January 18, 2025. These are direct goals: the goalie is the player who sends the puck into the opponent’s net.
Scenario 2: An opponent puts the puck into their own net
A goalie can also be credited without shooting the puck toward the net. If the goalie is the last player on their team to touch the puck and an opponent later sends it into their own goal, the goalie receives the scoring credit.
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In a March 1, 2025 example, Ilya Sorokin made a save before Nashville’s Steven Stamkos made an errant pass that went out of the zone and into Nashville’s own net. Sorokin was credited because he was the last player on his team to touch the puck before the own goal.
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When an apparent goalie goal does not count
A puck travelling the full length of the rink does not automatically make a goal. Under Rule 78.5, an apparent goal is disallowed in specified situations. Two relevant examples are a puck entering after the referee has deemed play stopped, or entering after the goal frame has become displaced.
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The official reference is the NHL Official Rules 2025-26, Section 10, Rule 78. Consult the applicable season’s rules for the full wording and any later changes: NHL Official Rules 2025-26 (PDF).
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.How rare are goalie goals?
NHL.com reported on October 2, 2026, that 21 goals had been credited to 18 different goalies in NHL history, with Shesterkin’s October 1 goal the latest example in that article. This is a time-specific historical tally and can change as new goals are scored. NHL.com’s account of the examples and tally is available in “Shesterkin latest NHL goalie with a goal”.
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