Here's an inside look at Igor Shesterkin's upbringing in Russia and journey to becoming the highest-paid goalie in NHL history.
Everyone knows Igor Shesterkin as the superstar goalie for the New York Rangers, but the man behind the mask is a mystery to many.
Shesterkin is a quiet guy as he mostly keeps to himself and rarely opens up to the media, so it’s difficult to get a solid read on him.
It’s fascinating because he plays the game in such a flashy and dramatic way, yet his personality is the complete opposite of that.
Who is Shesterkin the man, and how did he get to where he is today?
The Rangers goalie was born and raised in Moscow where his family really shaped his childhood.
“I enjoyed my childhood,” Shesterkin said. “My parents did everything for me. It was the best childhood. I practiced and played with my buddies outside of the house.”
Shesterkin’s father, Oleg, was a professional soccer player in Russia. However, it wasn’t soccer that sparked Shesterkin’s attention as a boy.
Hockey was the sport he ultimately fell in love with at a young age, which he joked was due to his distaste for school.
“Hockey school was near my house, which is why I tried it,” Shesterkin said about what sparked his love for hockey. “I enjoyed it for the first time… My father said if I didn’t practice really hard I will go to school and I didn’t want to go to school.”
It wasn’t long before Shesterkin was playing professional hockey. At 16 years old, he was drafted by the Spartak Moscow of the KHL with the 43rd overall pick.
The teenager spent the next couple of years between the KHL and MHL. It wasn’t easy to immediately jump into this environment for Shesterkin. As a result, he leaned on his veteran teammates for mentorship.
“A lot of great players supported me,” Shesterkin said of his time in the KHL. “When I was called up to Spartak (KHL), they had a lot of great players. They would take me and help me. We worked before practice, after practice. Step by step, I tried to bring my best everyday and a lot of players helped me.”
Shesterkin showed enough to be selected by the Rangers with the 118th overall pick in the 2014 Draft.
He spent the following years developing in the KHL and didn’t actually arrive in New York until 2019.
Coming to the United States, Shesterkin barely knew English. However, he was determined to etch his mark in the NHL and with the help of his wife Anna Butusova, he blossomed into a star.
“I came here and I knew this was my opportunity, my time,” Shesterkin said. “I brought my best and worked hard to get this chance. My family of course helped me so much. My wife, she was always around me, helped me outside of hockey.”
Shesterkin didn’t become the King of New York immediately. That title belonged to Henrik Lundqvist.
Ironically, Shesterkin’s first year with the Rangers was Lundqvist’s last season in New York as the two legendary goalies were teammates for a brief period.
Despite their limited amount of time around each other, Shetsrekin took advantage of every second he spent with Lundqvist and had so much respect for the player fans call ‘The King.’
“He was an awesome person, awesome player,” Shesterkin said about Lundqvist. “He is a Hall Of Famer, so I just tried to learn like small details. I just tried to find something that I can really take and what I can really do on the ice. Only Henrik could do some things. I didn’t play with him too much, but all the time when I was around him, I tried to be focus and take the small adjustments.”
King Lundqvist relinquished his throne to Shesterkin and he took over The Big Apple by storm.
In his first season as the full-time starter during the 2021-22 campaign, Shesterkin won the Vezina Trophy and led his team all the way to the Eastern Conference Final.
He’s propelled the Rangers to the playoffs each of the past three years, serving as the anchor for this legendary original six franchise.
Just a few weeks ago, Shesterkin signed an eight-year, $92 million contract, making him the highest-paid goalie in NHL history.
We’re getting back to the things we already know about Shesterkin though. Who is the man behind the mask?
If you look through Shesterkin’s shy nature, you can see a guy who has a sneaky sense of humor, which he gives little hints of during practices and even interviews.
His competitiveness and fiery side are not shown in the locker room, but certainly come pouring out on the ice.
The 29-year-old’s work ethic and absolute focus to win at all costs are the traits that stick out to his teammates the most.
“He’s intense,” K’Andre Miller said of Shesterkin. “He holds himself to a high standard… He always wants to win at whatever he’s doing. Just tries his hardest at whatever he does. He wants to be the best at what he does.”
Peter Laviolette has coached hockey for well over a decade now and is still in awe of how hard Shesterkin works to perfect his craft.
“When I watch him prepare for games, I think he’s a complete professional,” Laviolette said. “His work ethic on the ice, that’s one thing that stands out to me… That’s a great example to set for your team. He’s in a class of a guy who knows how to work on the ice, he knows how to prepare himself for practice and games. Oftentimes, the results follow those types of players.”
Off of the ice, Shesterkin is a father to his young son Timofey and newly born daughter. At heart, Shesterkin is a family-oriented person, he’s always been since growing up in Russia.
Playing for the Rangers is something special, but there is no better feeling for Shesterkin than going home and seeing his family.
Between his professional and family life, Shesterkin is happy and that’s all that matters.
“It’s something special to come back to the house and play with your kids,” Shesterkin said. “It’s a great time right now. I’m so happy to be a part of that and I can enjoy to play hockey.”
