| Position: | Goaltender |
| Catches: | Left |
| Height Ft: | 6 |
| Height In: | 3 |
| Weight Lb: | 200 |
| Played For: | New York Rangers |
| Ntl Team: | USA |
| Birth Date: | May 6, 1957 |
| Birth Place: | Boston, Massachusetts, U.S. |
| Draft: | 44th overall |
| Draft Year: | 1977 |
| Draft Team: | New York Rangers |
| Wha Draft: | 40th overall |
| Wha Draft Year: | 1977 |
| Wha Draft Team: | Birmingham Bulls |
| Career Start: | 1977 |
| Career End: | 1984 |
Steve Baker (born May 6, 1957) is an American retired ice hockey goaltender who played 57 games in the National Hockey League with the New York Rangers between 1979 and 1983. The rest of his career, which lasted from 1977 to 1984, was spent in the minor leagues.
Baker was born in Boston and raised in Braintree, Massachusetts. He was a member of the Union College men's hockey team, resigning in protest when his coach Ned Harkness was forced to resign.[1]
Baker was drafted by the Rangers with the 44th pick overall in the 1977 NHL Entry Draft.[2] Highlights of his brief NHL career include losing only one of his first ten National Hockey League games as a rookie in 1979–80 and the 1981 playoffs, when the Rangers advanced to the Stanley Cup semifinals with him as their starting goalie. In the autumn of 1981, Baker served as Tony Esposito's backup on the United States team at the 1981 Canada Cup.[3]
Baker and his wife, Rosemary, have two children.
| Regular season | Playoffs | ||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | League | GP | W | L | T | MIN | GA | SV% | GP | W | L | MIN | GA | SO | GAA | SV% | ||||
| 1974–75 | Owen Sound Salvagemen | CJCHL | 22 | — | — | — | 1320 | 38 | 5 | 1.73 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1975–76 | Union College | ECAC 2 | 9 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 480 | 21 | 0 | 2.62 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1976–77 | Union College | ECAC 2 | 19 | 16 | 3 | 0 | 1117 | 67 | 0 | 3.60 | — | 2 | 1 | 1 | 120 | 10 | 0 | 5.00 | — | ||
| 1977–78 | Union College | ECAC 2 | 5 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 300 | 16 | 0 | 3.20 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1977–78 | Toledo Goaldiggers | IHL | 10 | — | — | — | 544 | 46 | 0 | 5.07 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1978–79 | New Haven Nighthawks | AHL | 24 | 15 | 5 | 4 | 1435 | 82 | 1 | 3.43 | .885 | 5 | 2 | 3 | 297 | 17 | 0 | 3.43 | — | ||
| 1979–80 | New York Rangers | NHL | 27 | 9 | 8 | 6 | 1390 | 79 | 1 | 3.41 | .882 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1979–80 | New Haven Nighthawks | AHL | 9 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 492 | 29 | 0 | 3.54 | .891 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1980–81 | New York Rangers | NHL | 21 | 10 | 6 | 5 | 1257 | 73 | 2 | 3.49 | .880 | 14 | 7 | 7 | 824 | 55 | 0 | 4.01 | .856 | ||
| 1980–81 | New Haven Nighthawks | AHL | 25 | 10 | 11 | 4 | 1497 | 90 | 1 | 3.57 | .887 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1981–82 | New York Rangers | NHL | 6 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 329 | 33 | 0 | 6.03 | .795 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1981–82 | Springfield Indians | AHL | 11 | 2 | 7 | 1 | 503 | 42 | 0 | 5.01 | .887 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1982–83 | New York Rangers | NHL | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 101 | 5 | 0 | 2.98 | .881 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1982–83 | Tulsa Oilers (1964–1984) | CHL | 49 | 22 | 27 | 0 | 2901 | 186 | 0 | 3.85 | .867 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1983–84 | Binghamton Whalers | AHL | 6 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 345 | 35 | 0 | 6.09 | .833 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1983–84 | Maine Mariners | AHL | 13 | 5 | 5 | 2 | 744 | 41 | 0 | 3.31 | .894 | 6 | 3 | 3 | 353 | 23 | 0 | 3.91 | — | ||
| NHL totals | 57 | 20 | 20 | 11 | 3075 | 190 | 3 | 3.71 | .872 | 14 | 7 | 7 | 824 | 55 | 0 | 4.01 | .856 | ||||