[VeniVidiVici]

This is one of those obscure rules that even many hockey fans don't even know. NHL teams carry two goalies on their roster. For every NHL game, the home team must have a guy in the stands who serves as the emergency third-string goalie for BOTH teams. This dude was a local Toronto guy who drove the Zamboni for the Toronto junior team. He got a standing ovation from the Toronto crowd even though he came in and was the winning goalie for the VISITING team!

Yup. I didn't know about it :)

[Alberta's Child]

The rule actually allows a team to use their OWN emergency goalie, and in many cases it is an equipment manager, assistant coach, or a family member of a team executive who has played the position in the past.

There was one case a few years ago where a team playing in Vancouver called up a college student who worked in the skate shop at a nearby rink. He had the night of his life, I'm sure.

It's worth noting that most cases with emergency backup goalies involve situations where a team needs a backup before the game even begins ... due to a pregame injury to one of their two goalies, or a scenario like the Vancouver one where the team called up a goalie from the minors for that game but the guy had problems or delays traveling to the arena on time. It's very rare that you see a team go into a game without an emergency backup and then need one after losing both goalies in the game.