42 y/o Zamboni Driver Emergency Backup Goalie - Gets the win!

[mikephoen]

Originally Posted by 2macinnis2

As a life long hockey fan, truthfully I have watched as little hockey this season as I can remember since the advent of Center Ice. I think the product stinks. The irony is the Flames are in the middle of a tight playoff race and if they make it, heck with how ridiculous the game has become they could legitimately go on a run in playoffs.

It wouldn't change (actually would reinforce) my opinion that these games go about as random now as throwing darts. It's silly.

I actually agree with a lot of what you said, but dude, this is a happy thread about a crazy once in our lifetimes event. It’s not the time or place for the discussion you want to have.

[Chingas]

Originally Posted by Manhattanboy

I agree this was bush league and that the NHL needs to address.

This is not some sort of Make-a-Wish thing.

Imagine what the teams chasing the Leafs in the standings were thinking. They were lucky this time.

This happens so rarely that it doesn't even warrant addressing imo. How would you suggest that the NHL addresses it? I am at a total loss as why this is such an issue on the heels of a win by an emergency backup. If the guy let in 10 goals in the third then it might more pertinent, even so they rarely play and when they do it's rarely more than a few minutes.

This is a good love of the game story. I will choose to enjoy it.

[Dion]

Originally Posted by Manhattanboy

I agree this was bush league and that the NHL needs to address.

This is not some sort of Make-a-Wish thing.

Imagine what the teams chasing the Leafs in the standings were thinking. They were lucky this time.

The fact that this so rarely happens is what makes this so special. Fans will talking about this game years down the road. Just think of all the free publicity the NHL gets from this incident and the chance to grow it's fan base.

Just enjoy it for what it is.

[Scroopy Noopers]

Are you guys saying wasting a goalies development by having him in the stands for every game, hoping he’s on one of the 32 teams that needs to use an emergency goalie once this half decade, isn’t a viable option to avoid these great stories in the future?

[CroFlames]

There's a lot of talk about zamboni driver David Ayres getting a once-in-a-lifetime win, but I don't think we've seen the last of him in the NHL.

I could definitely see him resurfacing again someday.





from r/hockey

[afc wimbledon]

Originally Posted by Manhattanboy

I agree this was bush league and that the NHL needs to address.

This is not some sort of Make-a-Wish thing.

Imagine what the teams chasing the Leafs in the standings were thinking. They were lucky this time.

so bush league the guy shut the leafs out in the 3rd and brought home the win?

[MoneyGuy]

What if in a playoff game a guy had to come in for the visitors and lost, maybe a game 7?

Anyway, great story for this guy.

[FireGilbert]

Great story. Having to put a non professional goalie in a professional game is not ideal but sure beats the alternatives of playing with 6 skaters, putting the pads on one of your defencemen, making teams carry a 3rd goalie, or postponing the game.

Carolina shutting down the Leafs with Ayers in net does add to the argument that GAA and SV% are meaningless goalie stats that are more dependant on team defence than goalie ability.

[Tiger]

Originally Posted by MoneyGuy

What if in a playoff game a guy had to come in for the visitors and lost, maybe a game 7?

Anyway, great story for this guy.

you have Black Ace's in the playoffs. you don't have to use the EBUG, you can dress another.

[powderjunkie]

I don't even think either of the goals against were that bad.

First one was a freak play where one defender gets hurt, so Tavares is left alone to fire it through another defender. Most NHL goalies make the stop more often than not, but it's an NHL calibre 'bad goal' (and just an awful situation to first shot attempt...you could tell he didn't see it at all).

Don't remember the exact sequence of the second, but pinball puck that he can't recover for fast enough (not sure if it was his rebound or not?)...looked a lot like a typical NHL goal (though probably still a bad one).


I will say that the Leafs were being sportsmen - non-typical goal celebrations. It seems they may have put the cart before the horse and were trying to avoid an embarrassing situation, but that is inexcusable until you have a 2 goal lead. I understood Keefe not pulling the goalie as early as normal on a 3 goal deficit, but it was hilarious that they were never able to get him out at all in the last 2-3 mins.

[N-E-B]

Originally Posted by Chingas

This happens so rarely that it doesn't even warrant addressing imo. How would you suggest that the NHL addresses it? I am at a total loss as why this is such an issue on the heels of a win by an emergency backup. If the guy let in 10 goals in the third then it might more pertinent, even so they rarely play and when they do it's rarely more than a few minutes.

This is a good love of the game story. I will choose to enjoy it.

I think a standard age, minimum level played, and how recently they played is a good start.

For example: must be between the ages of 22 and 35 and must have played at least Jr A. or higher in the last 3 years. Something like that.

Loved the story but I think the debate as to the quality of emergency goaltenders is legitimate.

[Chingas]

Originally Posted by N-E-B

I think a standard age, minimum level played, and how recently they played is a good start.

For example: must be between the ages of 22 and 35 and must have played at least Jr A. or higher in the last 3 years. Something like that.

Loved the story but I think the debate as to the quality of emergency goaltenders is legitimate.

This is all fine and a reasonable response thanks. That being said Aire has been doing this for a couple of seasons and practices with the Leafs sometimes. Do you think that any team in the NHL would have someone who was a terrible goalie as the emergency backup? I am comfortable that the teams can and are managing this themselves to an acceptable level. After all it could have been the Leafs that needed him instead and I doubt that they would have a total hack on stand by.

[Cleveland Steam Whistle]

I don’t understand all this need to address this stuff. You don’t need to make rules / policies to completely protect against the most remote scenarios.

Having to grab some random to actually play significant minutes happens so infrequently and it happening like this in a meaningful playoff run game hasn’t happened in so long that I can’t even think of the last time it happened. We don’t need to change anything because once every 20 years some team in a playoff rub or game might get a lucky break.

That kind of thinking is why we have to endure painful offside challenges now and turn back goals all the time that were meaningless amounts offside with 0 impact on the play because once in the last 50 years a linesman blew an offside call super badly in a playoff game so they decided to invent a bunch of crappy new rules because of it.

[DeluxeMoustache]

Originally Posted by CroFlames

There's a lot of talk about zamboni driver David Ayres getting a once-in-a-lifetime win, but I don't think we've seen the last of him in the NHL.

I could definitely see him resurfacing again someday.


from r/hockey

Word is the Leafs were a bit upset as he got the W over them, and is employed by their farm team. He was reportedly able to smooth things over

[Dion]

I wonder if Ayers has gotten any invites from the late night talk shows in the States.

[Weitz]

Originally Posted by N-E-B

I think a standard age, minimum level played, and how recently they played is a good start.

For example: must be between the ages of 22 and 35 and must have played at least Jr A. or higher in the last 3 years. Something like that.

Loved the story but I think the debate as to the quality of emergency goaltenders is legitimate.

Are they paying the goalies to sit there and be ready? I don't think they are. You probably take who you can get as its a big commitment. I sure as hell wouldn't want to commit 42 of my nights.

[Dion]

It's a shame that Ayers wasn't wearing the #67. Canes could has used to take a shot at the Leafs and their futility record on not winning the Cup.

[jroc]

Originally Posted by N-E-B

I think a standard age, minimum level played, and how recently they played is a good start.

For example: must be between the ages of 22 and 35 and must have played at least Jr A. or higher in the last 3 years. Something like that.

Loved the story but I think the debate as to the quality of emergency goaltenders is legitimate.

Being that this game was in Toronto, ya, they could have hit those perimeters, but what if it it was in Carolina, Florida, Tampa etc? David Ayers would likely be better than those markets would have on deck.

[powderjunkie]

Originally Posted by N-E-B

I think a standard age, minimum level played, and how recently they played is a good start.

For example: must be between the ages of 22 and 35 and must have played at least Jr A. or higher in the last 3 years. Something like that.

Loved the story but I think the debate as to the quality of emergency goaltenders is legitimate.

Miami. Tampa. Glendale. Dallas. Raleigh. Nashville. etc.

While there may be a few people in/around each of these cities who meet those requirements, are they willing to show up 41 nights a year?

Maybe plan c should just be a shooter tutor?

[Flashpoint]

Haven’t both EBUGs won? Doesn’t that mean the system works?