Posted on 02/22/2020 7:09:29 PM PST by RummyChick
The Carolina Hurricanes had to turn to 42-year-old emergency backup goalie Dave Ayres on Saturday against the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Ayres, a Zamboni driver for the Toronto Marlies and the emergency backup for both teams on Saturday night, was forced into action midway through the second period after Hurricanes goalies Petr Mrazek and James Reimer had to exit the game due to injury.
For Ayres it adds another fascinating chapter to an already unbelievable story.
He has dressed as a backup for a number of American Hockey League games, and has also filled in at practice for the Toronto Maple Leafs.
He is also a kidney transplant survivor.
The Hurricanes ended up in this situation after Mrazek — who was already filling in for Reimer, the Hurricanes’ starter on Saturday — was leveled in a collision by Maple Leafs forward Kyle Clifford.
(Excerpt) Read more at nhl.nbcsports.com ...
He got $500 and a jersey.
dom luszczyszyn
@domluszczyszyn
“the leafs lost to their own zamboni driver in net” will be the new 1967 for years and years and years
LOL...the dream of every goalie!
But who drove the Zamboni if he was the goaltender …??
do they have a backup Zamboni driver ??
it really is
video:
Hockey Central
@HockeyCentraI
·
David Ayres, an AHL Zamboni driver, picks up the win against the Leafs as an emergency backup goaltender.
He then gets named 1st star of the game, and gets a standing ovation from the crowd in Toronto.
..stick tap and tap on the pads—well done!
Love it!!
Marlies, not Leafs.
and on the anniversary of the Miracle on Ice.
pretty cool story for the man for the rest of his life
Bring back Don Cherry!
I believe there is a rule in the NHL that a team can pick someone from the stands to fill in on an emergency basis
LOL
Teams usually have emergency goaltender - someone who played hockey at high level, like in college or in minor leagues
Usually sits on press box, team buys him dinner and watches the game
Of course sometimes ...
Ayers played well and the Hurricanes shut down the Leafs after he gave up a couple of quick goals.
Same kind of thing happened a couple of years back with the Chicago Blackhawks: their starting goalie got hurt, as did his back-up, and the Hawks called up a goalie from their minor league affiliate and signed the stadiums emergency back-up, a 36 year-old accountant named Scott Foster to a 1-day contract.
Sure enough the guy they recalled from the minors cramped up in middle of the third period, and the amateur (who had been a goal-keeper in college a decade earlier) came in and finished the game - and allowed no goals to boot. I got the impression that the Hawk’s defense played especially hard to protect him, but it was the NHL, and he did have to make a number of solid saves.
The guy played in an amateur league, as I recall, so he wasn’t completely just thrown in the deep-end, but it was a real feel good story at the time it happened. And the guy in question handled his new-found fame really well.
Watched it tonight on NHL network. What a great thing for this guy. Name in the books as the winning goalie. Back to driving the Zamboni tomorrow.
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