Igor Shesterkin was born on December 30, 1995 in Moscow, Russia. He began his journey a a goaltender with Krylya Sovetov Moscow. In 2012 he was drafted 43rd overall by Spartak Moscow of the Kontinental Hockey League at 16 years old. His first season with Spartak was at the MHL level during the 2012-13 season.
Shesterkin was drafted in the fourth round, 118th overall, by the New York Rangers in the 2014 NHL Entry Draft. On June 6, 2014, he signed a contract with SKA Saint Petersburg and continued to play in the KHL until May 3, 2019, when he signed a two-year, entry-level contract with the New York Rangers.
Igor Shesterkin Stats & Salary Cap
Shesterkin played in his first NHL preseason game on September 21st resulting in a 4-1 loss against the Philadelphia Flyers. He was assigned to the Hartford Wolf Pack and made his AHL debut during the season opener against the Charlotte Checkers. The Rangers called Shesterkin up to the NHL on January 6, 2020, after posting a 15-4-3 record with Hartford and being named a 2020 AHL All-Star. He made his official NHL debut with the Rangers on January 7th and had 29 saves in a 5-3 win against the Colorado Avalanche.
After an impressive start with the Rangers, Igor earned a four-year $22.67 million contract extension on August 9, 2021. During the 20201-22 season, he hit quite a few milestones:
– Seventh win with 40-plus saves since his NHL debut in January of 2020, the most across all goaltenders during that time span
– On February 20, 2022, he became the 14th NHL goalie with at least 50 wins across 7 starts.
– Concluded the 2021-22 season with a 36-13-4 record, leading the league in save percentage and goals against average.
– Named as a finalist for the Vezina and Hart Trophies, winning the Vezina and finishing third in Hart voting.
During the 2022 Eastern Conference First Round, Shesterkin set a record for the Rangers with 79 saves in a 4-3 triple-overtime loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins. Over the 53 games he started in, he led the league with a 2.09 GAA and a .935 save percentage.
Over Shesterkin’s career with the Rangers, he has played in 213 games, with 135 wins, 59 losses, 17 overtime losses, and 15 shutouts. He’s faced 6,358 shots against and holds a 2.43 GAA and a .921 save percentage, along with three assists.
Outside of the NHL, Shesterkin is a husband and father of one. He was also the third goaltender for Russia’s 2018 Winter Olympic team. He didn’t see any action on ice but his team did take home a gold medal.
Shesterkin has continuously proven his place as one of the best goaltenders in the league and will hopefully help lead the Rangers to another, and his first, Stanley Cup.
