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49ers fans will spend years wondering what would’ve happened if the team hadn’t exhausted its options at QB after Brock Purdy was injured in the NFC Championship Game in 2023, but that’s not the only sport where a lack of depth at a specific position will put you at a disadvantage. Hockey teams usually won’t fare too well without a capable goalie, which makes the story of a 42-year-old Zamboni driver who earned a win in his one and only NHL game a story for the ages.
Most of us grow up dreaming about becoming a professional athlete, but the vast majority of people will never realize that goal. You can try to keep those dreams alive, but if you haven’t punched your ticket to the pros by the time you’re in your mid-20s, you’re probably going to have to accept it’s not in the cards.
It’s safe to assume David Ayres had accepted that reality when he headed to Scotiabank Arena for a showdown between the Maple Leafs and the Hurricanes on February 22, 2020.
At the time, Ayres was working for the Toronto Marlies (the AHL affiliate of the Maple Leafs), and while his background as a goaltender had seen him take some reps in practice for both squads, his primary job was driving a Zamboni for the farm club and tending to other maintenance duties at the arena.
However, by the time the night came to an end, he’d unexpectedly made his NHL debut at the age of 42 and walked away with a win against the franchise that signed his paychecks.
How 42-year-old Zamboni driver David Ayres stepped up to play goalie and help the Hurricanes beat the Maple Leafs
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As a native of Ontario, it’s only natural that Ayres grew up playing hockey. He played a handful of games for the Norwood Vipers (a member of the senior Allan Cup Hockey league) in 2014, but it wasn’t a stretch to assume a guy who’d surrendered 58 goals in his eight winless efforts wouldn’t exactly be able to hold his own against NHL players.
With that said, he theoretically had the chance to do exactly that thanks to a rule the NHL instituted prior to the 2016-17 season that mandated every team in the league needed to have a designated emergency backup goaltender (EBUG) on standby to step up in the rare event either of the squads facing off found themselves without the talents of both of the two goalies who could be signed a roster at the time.
The only real scenario where an EBUG would be called on to suit up would involve a team losing their starting goalie and his backup to an injury, which is the situation that led to Scott Foster filling in for the Blackhawks in 2018 (it’s worth noting Foster was a bit more accomplished and also had a higher chance of seeing action, as he was serving as the primary backup in the wake of a setback that had knocked Chicago’s starting netminder out of commission before the game got underway).
Ayres was the designated EBUG when the Maples Leafs and Hurricanes kicked off their game on February 22nd, and while he was watching the contest in the stands when the puck dropped, he got a text instructing him to head down to the locker room to throw on some gear after Carolina goalie James Reimer was knocked out of the game in the first period.
Reimer was replaced by Petr Mrázek, but things took a turn when the backup goalie was also injured after taking a hit to the head during a collision with around nine minutes left in the second period. As a result, Ayres made his way onto the ice and spent a few minutes warming up before play resumed to kick off his NHL debut with a 3-1 lead.
After the game, Ayres admitted he was (understandably) “nervous for the whole second period,” and he was unable to prevent the first two shots that were fired his way from going into the net.
With that said, the Hurricanes still headed into the locker room with a 4-3 lead, and after getting a pep talk from his new teammates, he emerged with renewed confidence and made eight saves to record a spotless third period that helped Carolina walk away with the 6-3 win.
Ayres (who signed a one-game contract for $500 and was also allowed to keep his jersey) was rightfully named the “First Star” of the game and was still having a bit of trouble processing everything when he spoke to the media after the tilt.
Ayres became the second-oldest player to make their NHL debut (Lester Patrick was 44 when he replaced a Rangers goalie who was injured during the Stanley Cup Finals), and while he never played another game, the man who now serves as the head coach of the Port Perry Lumberjacks of the Provincial Junior Hockey League will always have this moment (and his 1-0 record) to brag about.