Keith Kinkaid, who spent parts of two seasons as a backup goaltender with the New York Rangers , isn't giving up on a return to the NHL at age 36.
The Long Island native is spending the summer playing for Buffalo in 3ICE, an eight-team, 3-on-3 professional tournament being held at Baptist Health IcePlex in Fort Lauderdale, Florida , the Panthers ' training facility.
"I just want to keep playing. We'll see what happens," Kinkaid told NHL.com .
Ken Daneyko, who won the Stanley Cup as a defenseman with the New Jersey Devils in 1995, 2000 and 2003, is coaching 3ICE New York/New Jersey and got a close-up look at Kinkaid on Wednesday when his team lost 4-1 to Buffalo. The Devils longtime TV analyst, was impressed with the play of Kinkaid, who helped New Jersey reach the Stanley Cup Playoffs in 2017-18 when he was 26-10-3 with a 2.77 goals-against average and .913 save percentage.
"I saw how incredible he was with us in New Jersey over the years, especially in 2018 when he got us into the playoffs," Daneyko said. "He looks like he still has it. He showed that against us."
Kinkaid played nine games (seven starts) with the Rangers in 2020-21, finishing with a 3-2-1 record, 2.59 GAA, one shutout and a save percentage of .898. He became the ninth U.S.-born goalie to play for the Rangers, joining Jack McCartan (the 1960 U.S. Olympic gold-medal winner), Joe Schaefer, John Vanbiesbrouck, Mike Richter, Mike Dunham, Steve Baker, Guy Hebert and Brandon Halverson .
Jonathan Quick , a Connecticut native and current backup to Igor Shesterkin , became the 10th in 2023-24.
Kinkaid won his only appearance with the Blueshirts in 2021-22, making 29 saves in a 3-2 win against the Arizona Coyotes on Dec. 15, 2021. He spent the rest of that season with Hartford, the Rangers' AHL affiliate, where he was 20-14-3 with a 2.94 GAA, .904 save percentage and three shutouts that season.
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Kinkaid's last NHL appearance was March 4, 2023 , when he allowed one goal on nine shots in a relief role for the Colorado Avalanche against the Dallas Stars . His last start and win came on Nov. 12, 2022, when he made 30 saves in a 3-1 win for the Boston Bruins against the Buffalo Sabres .
He split the rest of 2022-23 between the AHL affiliates of the Bruins and Avalanche and played for the Chicago Wolves of the AHL in 2023-24. Kinkaid got a PTO from the Islanders last year but failed to make the team at training camp. So, he spent the season with the Savannah Ghost Pirates , the Florida Panthers' ECHL affiliate.
Kinkaid had 30 saves in two wins for Buffalo on Wednesday, leading his team into the championship round on Aug. 14. Buffalo was on the outside of the championship round entering Wednesday, but by beating Chicago 4-2 before topping Daneyko's NY/NJ team, Kinkaid helped his club not only get into the final day, but grab the top seed in the tournament.
"I knew we needed to win, and I knew I needed to be dialed in early," Kinkaid said.
Buffalo will face No. 4 Minnesota in the first semifinal; No. 2 NY/NJ will play No. 3 Tennessee in the other semifinal. The winners will meet for the league title.
Of all the players in the 3ICE tournament, Kinkaid has the most NHL experience — 10 seasons, six of them with New Jersey, where he was 64-55-17 with a 2.90 GAA, .906 save percentage and seven shutouts in 151 games (132 starts). He is 0-2 with a 5.88 GAA and .804 save percentage in two Stanley Cup Playoff games, both for New Jersey in 2018.
Kinkaid is 70-58-21 in the NHL with a 2.91 GAA, .905 save percentage and eight shutouts in 169 games (146 starts) with the Devils, Montreal Canadiens , Rangers, Bruins and Avalanche from 2012-23. He doesn't have a contract for 2025-26 after posting a 10-18-3 record with a 3.17 GAA, .893 save percentage and one shutout in 32 games for Savannah.
But his strong play with 3ICE Buffalo might help him change that, and Kinkaid said he's ready to go.
"This is a great opportunity to show I still have it," Kinkaid explained. "My body is holding up very well. I am 36, but I am just trying to prolong my career because once it's done, it's done. [3ICE] has given me the chance to keep playing, to showcase that I still have gas left in the tank. It has been a tough couple of years just bouncing around, but hopefully someone calls and I get the chance to play again this season.
"Any opportunity is fine with me."
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