Professional sports does so much to tick me off these days. For example, why is Mookie Betts now a Dodger? Why does the NFL have to expand its regular season to 17 games? Who in the NBA gave the go-ahead on those awful 'city' uniforms? (Don't get me started on all the "is Tom leaving or not" stuff...) But for all its greed and, well, greed, professional sports can still deliver in a way that nothing else can. Such was the case this past weekend with Dave Ayres.
Ayres is the 42 year old Zamboni driver for the Toronto Marlies, the AHL affiliate of the Toronto Maple Leafs. He is also the emergency goalie at Maple Leafs home games. Each NHL game has an emergency goalie in the stands, in case somehow all of a team's goalies get injured. It's a rule nobody ever knew about until two years ago, when the emergency goalie, 36 year old Scott Foster, played in a game for his hometown Chicago Blackhawks. In Ayres case, however, he got called into emergency duty for the OTHER team. While he works for the Maple Leafs, he had to suit up for the Carolina Hurricanes when their backup goalie was injured in the second period. So there was Ayres, wearing a Toronto Marlies goalie mask, trying to help the Hurricanes beat his Maple Leafs. And he did. After letting in the first two shots against him (yeesh!), he assured the 'Canes in the second intermission that his jitters were gone, and he promised to shut down the Leafs in the third period. Sure enough, he stopped the next eight shots, leading to a 6-3 win for the Hurricanes.
If you haven't seen the video yet, do yourself a favor and go to the Carolina Hurricanes Twitter page. Watch as the team reacts when Ayres walks into the locker room at the end of the game. If that video doesn't make you smile, nothing will. Dave Ayres got to live out something every one of us dreams about, and it was fantastic. And the NHL players in that locker room couldn't have been more excited for him, which was fantastic to see. Professional sports doesn't always get it right, but when it does, the moment can be magical. Last Saturday in Toronto was one of times, thank you Dave Ayres and the Carolina Hurricanes.
-VB