John E. Sokolowski-USA TODAY Sports
Connor Leslie thought his competitive hockey career was finished when he graduated from Amherst College in 2025. Instead, the 24-year-old is putting a planned career in federal law enforcement on hold because the Washington Capitals just hired him for one of the strangest full-time jobs in professional sports: emergency goalie.
The Capitals announced Leslie as the first full-time, dedicated emergency backup goaltender in franchise history, a role created by the NHL’s new collective bargaining agreement. Unlike the old EBUG setup, where a local goalie might sit in the building waiting for disaster, Leslie will practice with Washington, travel with the team, and be available at every game.
The NHL Turned A Great Side Gig Into An Actual Job
For years, the emergency backup goalie was one of hockey’s best little quirks.
Teams needed someone in the arena who could dress if both regular goalies became unavailable, which created legends like accountant Scott Foster and Zamboni driver David Ayres. Those guys had real jobs and, in the most ridiculous possible scenario, could suddenly find themselves facing NHL shooters.
The new CBA changes that model beginning in 2026-27. All 32 clubs now need their own dedicated emergency option, transforming a role once filled by local goalies with day jobs into something much closer to an actual traveling hockey-operations position.
Leslie fits perfectly.
He played four seasons at Division III Amherst, appearing in 39 games and finishing 18-13-4 with a 2.65 goals-against average, .901 save percentage, and three shutouts. His college career ended in May 2025, when he graduated with degrees in psychology and political science and started planning a move into federal law enforcement.
Then a few summer skates changed everything.
Capitals goaltending coach Scott Murray had gotten to know Leslie through offseason sessions at MedStar Capitals Iceplex and brought him in for an audition early this year. Leslie showed enough that Washington eventually offered him the newly created job.
Connor Leslie Now Gets To Travel Like An NHL Player
This is not a ceremonial position where Leslie gets a nice jacket and spends 82 nights eating popcorn in the press box.
He will essentially serve as Washington’s third goalie in practice, taking reps when the Capitals want to rest their regular tandem, staying available for skill work and preparing to dress if an emergency hits. The team could also use him for video, analytics or other hockey-operations work when he is not stopping pucks.
There are restrictions designed to keep teams from conveniently stashing an extra NHL-caliber goalie in the role. An EBUG cannot have played an NHL game, cannot have more than 80 professional appearances, and cannot have played professionally during the previous three seasons.
That makes Leslie’s Division III background useful rather than a limitation. It also creates a ridiculous career detour.
A year ago, he was figuring out how to use two Amherst degrees to enter federal law enforcement. Now he will spend an 84-game NHL season flying around North America with Alex Ovechkin and the Capitals, potentially one freak sequence of goalie injuries away from dressing in an actual game.
Leslie grew up in Leesburg, Virginia, played eight years for the Washington Little Capitals and watched the organization win the Stanley Cup in 2018. Now he works for them, and federal law enforcement can apparently wait one more year.