Which NHL goaltender was credited with the first goal by a goalie?

Billy Smith was credited with the first goal by an NHL goaltender, on November 28, 1979.

Smith played for the New York Islanders against the Colorado Rockies. The goal was credited to him because he was the last Islanders player to touch the puck before an opposing player accidentally put it into his own net. Smith did not shoot the puck directly into the Colorado goal, but NHL scoring rules awarded him the goal.

This distinction explains why the record is often misunderstood. Ron Hextall became the first NHL goaltender to shoot the puck directly into an opponent’s net in 1987, while Martin Brodeur later set the career record for goalie goals. Smith’s achievement came first because the league credited the own-goal play to the last teammate who touched the puck.

Smith was a key goaltender for the Islanders’ early-1980s dynasty. He won four consecutive Stanley Cups with New York from 1980 through 1983 and captured the Conn Smythe Trophy in 1983.