Igor Shesterkin has one of the most unique personalities in the NHL. 

Coming from Russia with a bit of a language barrier, Shesterkin is shy in front of the media and is usually a man of very few words. 

However, Shesterkin has a sly sense of humor that he displays in front of the media on occasion, especially in front of his teammates, whether it be on the ice or in the locker room. 

He seems to be a generally quiet person by nature, but the way the 29-year-old goaltender conducts himself on the ice is loud and boisterous. 

Out of all of the seasons Shesterkin has been with the New York Rangers, the 2024-25 campaign was clearly the toughest for him. 

Going into the year, there was a ton of outside noise regarding Shesterkin’s future with the Rangers, as he entered the season without a contract extension. 

Even when he ultimately signed an eight-year, $92 million contract extension to remain in New York long-term, the Rangers were spiraling out of control both on and off the ice from an internal standpoint, which led to more turmoil within the organization. 

After the Rangers ended the season without making the playoffs, Shesterkin was as candid as we’ve ever seen him, admitting that “something broke” during the course of the year, while also opening up about how hard it was to deal with the outside noise. 

Months later, Shesterkin seems to have taken lessons from everything that transpired last year. 

“Yeah, of course,” Shesterkin said of not having to deal with all of the outside noise. “It just doesn't let you play your best game sometimes. You need to work on that and let the noise go around you and just keep playing your game.”

When Shesterkin came to North America to join the Rangers organization, he was just a young kid, who was going through a seismic change in his life. 

As he began to rise up the team’s goalie depth chart, he began to be known as “The Prince”, the eventual heir-apparent to Henrik Lundqvist, who was proclaimed as “The King”. How long ago that was. 

“I still feel young,” Shesterkin emphasized. 

From The Prince to widely being considered to be one of the best if not the best goalie in the NHL, Shesterkin has been through it all. 

“I still cannot believe I came all the way here right now,” Shesterkin said. “I’m still under 30, it’s pretty good for me right now. I feel young. We are all in the same boat with everyone, just try to help each other be a better version and be better every day.”

Rangers Try To Find Positives Despite Breaking Record For Longest Season-Opening Streak Without A Goal At Home Bad puck luck may be the best word to describe the New York Rangers’ 2-0 loss against the Edmonton Oilers on Tuesday night. 

In his tenure with the Rangers thus far, Shesterkin has won a Vezina Trophy, while also leading the Rangers to the Eastern Conference Final twice.

There’s a lot for Shesterkin to look back on as well as so much to look forward to, but he remains locked in on the present. 

Shesterkin feels like a completely different person compared to the start of his NHL career, and he knows he’ll continue to grow and learn lessons along the way.

“You just try to live in a moment and you try to enjoy what you do,” said Shesterkin. “Of course every year is different. You need to take the best of the year and keep it with you. Try to be a better person every day, every year.”