Perhaps it could not have happened on a night other than the fortieth anniversary of the Miracle on Ice. It might have taken nothing less than the celebration of such a monumental accomplishment to align the stars as they were aligned on Saturday night in Toronto.
The Carolina Hurricanes were in town playing the home-standing Maple Leafs. During the game, first Carolina's starting goalie and, then, Carolina's backup goalie sustained game-ending injuries. Thus, into the fray was thrust Toronto's own David Ayres, fifteen-plus years removed from receiving the gift of a transplanted kidney from his mother. Mr. Ayres, the operations manager at the facility formerly known as Maple Leaf Gardens, was in attendance on Saturday night as an emergency goalie.
I have watched hockey for most of my life. I had no idea that the NHL had such a rule. The fun thing about the rule is that Mr. Ayres was not designated to be the emergency goalie for one of the two teams but, instead, to play in an emergency for either team. It was Carolina who needed him. So it was Carolina for whom he played.
He entered the game late in the second period with the Canes ahead 3-1. Carolina quickly added a goal to pad their lead before Toronto put the first two shots Ayres faced past him, cutting Carolina's lead to 4-3 at the end of two periods.
In the third period, David Ayres made like Ken Dryden, stopping all eight shots he faced. Carolina scored twice and won 6-3.
At game's end, he was voted the game's first star...and received a standing ovation. And then perhaps even more significantly, in the Carolina locker room, he was feted by the Canes and saluted by Carolina's head coach, Rod Brind'Amour.
I have no idea how David Ayres spent his Sunday this past weekend and I wonder whether one year from now he, himself, shall remember. But I wager that he shall never forget how he spent this past Saturday night.
Neither shall the men with whom he played.
-AK
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