Report: Jonathan Quick coming out of retirement ‘a possibility’ to help Rangers goaltending

In a weird turn of events, the Blueshirts on Broadway might get a surprise act.

According to ESPN’s Emily Kaplan, former NHL goaltender Jonathan Quick could return from retirement to help the New York Rangers, who are dealing with a mess of injuries between the pipes.

In the last few hours, the Rangers have announced that star goaltender Igor Shesterkin is going to miss the remainder of the 2026-27 season due to a lower-body injury, while his backup, Joonas Korpisalo, is expected to be out another four weeks. That leaves just young Dylan Garand as the Rangers’ lone netminder.

According to Kaplan, Quick, who was hired as the Rangers’ new director of goaltending development over the summer, is comfortable in retirement. However, he has apparently stated that, in a pinch, he’d be willing to dust off his pads to give his old team some support.

The Original Six team’s dire situation came to a climax on Friday night, when Shesterkin went down with an injury during a game against the Washington Capitals. The Russian backstop had to be helped off the ice after tweaking his right leg near the halfway mark of the second period. With Garand in net, the Blueshirts went on to lose, 3-1. Korpisalo has been out since early in the season, as a lower-body injury knocked him out of the lineup and onto injured reserve in early October, before he appeared in a game.

With Shesterkin in net, the Rangers have been impressive to start the young season, winning four of their first five games, showing glimpses of a team that could contend for a playoff spot. However, with their two NHL backstops on the shelf, optimism has taken a dip in Manhattan.

The Blueshirts aren’t totally out of options in net, as they have both Callum Tung and Spencer Martin currently under contract. Both are currently with the Rangers’ American Hockey League affiliate, the Hartford Wolf Pack.

If Quick is to return, he would be continuing one of the greatest careers in NHL history. The Milford, Conn. native is a three-time Stanley Cup champion, winning two with the Los Angeles Kings before watching from the sidelines as the Vegas Golden Knights won it all in 2023. With 410 wins, he’s the winningest American-born backstop in NHL history. He won the Jennings Trophy twice with the Kings (2013-14, 2017-18) and took home the Conn Smythe Trophy during L.A.’s run to its first Cup in 2012.