There were 21-26 teams during ”Hextall’s era”, being a top 15 goaltender I suppose would mean that you’re generally a serviceable NHL starter in your era, but perhaps not a reliable star expected to carry your team for long stretches. He’d be quite a weak Hall of Fame entry as such, especially with arguably superior guys like Joseph, Liut, Vernon, Richter, Barrasso and Osgood on the outside (with only Joseph looking like an obvious hall of famer to me).
Growing up, I found myself captivated by Hextall’s player profile off his hockey card, for I guess much the same reasons as his fans here have pointed out, namely his PIMs and points. Probably my favorite player of all time, Jarmo Myllys on Luleå Hockey seemed to be channeling Hextall as a goltender: Jarmo was fierce and dangerous in defending his crease, while also a notorious stickhandler and playmaker, who’d start counter attacks from the net. Myllys shot and scored the first two goalie goals in the SHL, as Hextall did in the NHL. The Flyers were also my favorite NHL team as a kid, so Hextall was my default favorite NHL goaltender for all these reasons, although I never got to see him play back then.
Besides his 1986-87, his early dead puck era stats seem fine at a glance, but having watched him in the 1997 Stanley Cup Finals later on, I didn’t see a good goaltender in his crease. Vernon seemed like a weak Conn Smythe pick from my limited eye test, the Red Wings’ system and defense seemed to suffocate the Flyers more than anything, but he clearly outgoalied Hextall, that’s for sure.
