"Zamboni Driver = Goaltender, wins NHL Game" (1 Viewer)

Clarkey

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Every NHL team has two goaltenders ready to play for each game. The home team is required to have an "emergency goalie" in the building ready to play in case EITHER team should lose both goaltenders during the game. Extremely rare, but it happened last night in Toronto. In this case, the guy is the driver of the Zamboni for the Leafs' near by farm team (AHL). He got the win and the story was blowing up on social media last night... I didn't see anything here on SR about the story, so I thought I'd post, simply because it's a great sports moment.

 
"It was awesome. I had the time of my life out there," Ayres told the Sportsnet broadcast after the game. After he was named the No. 1 star, the crowd in Toronto gave him a loud ovation.


"I had no idea I was going to get a shower before I got in the shower," Ayres said with a grin. "I got one."

"He probably dreams of playing in the National Hockey League," Foegele said of Ayres. "What a moment for him. Something he'll never forget, and something we won't, either."

"It was something I will never forget."

Thats the coolest story I have heard in a while.
 
Happened in the 2017-18 season as well.
 
carolina (n, s, whatever) has an nhl team?

The Hurricanes. They play in Raleigh. They reached to the finals once, won the Stanley once. Surprisingly enough, there is a loyal hockey following in NC. I got season tickets for my local minor league team, and they put 2000+ people in there every game.

If Florida and Arizona have teams... at least it snows in Raleigh once in a while :hihi:
 
The Hurricanes. They play in Raleigh. They reached to the finals once, won the Stanley once. Surprisingly enough, there is a loyal hockey following in NC. I got season tickets for my local minor league team, and they put 2000+ people in there every game.

If Florida and Arizona have teams... at least it snows in Raleigh once in a while :hihi:
that is cool (lol punny). i'm still stuck in the days when roy was the canadiens goalie.
 
I know hockey has its own traditions and stuff. Just kind of surprised the last defenseman off the bench or someone like that wouldn’t don some goalie gear in the event of two injuries to goaltenders. Maybe the way hockey line shifts work preclude that, though.
 
The guy is on Fox now doing an interview. They said he is the oldest player to enter a game in NHL history. (I thought Gordy Howel was older) One interesting thing that he said was that he often practices with the Mapleleafs so had a rare advanytage in knowing how a Toronto player would attempt a shot so he prepare for that type of shot. (high, low)


This happened on the 40th anniversary of the "Miracle on Ice" game where the underdog U.S. amateurs beat the professional Russian Allstar team in the 1980 Olympics for the right to play Sweden for the Gold Medal.
 
This is such a great story. Anyone who has ever played sports has dreamed this sort of scenario playing out - for someone to live it, and to play well (win the game), it's just awesome.

Letting those first two in had to have been terrifying for him, but he dug deep and pulled it together. Just an awesome story.
 
With the firepower Toronto has in Tavares, Matthews and Marner, it's really impressive that guy only gave up 2 goals. I think Toronto is near the top of the NHL in goals scored. That said, I hope the Hurricanes put him back in net when they host the Stars tomorrow night. :hihi:
 

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