The NHL’s general managers are scheduled Monday to meet in Florida and one of the points of discussion, according to deputy commissioner Bill Daly, is the league’s emergency backup goalie (EBUG) policy.
That’s the same EBUG system that gave sports in general, and the NHL in particular, one of the feel-good stories of the year Saturday. That's when David Ayres, a 42-year-old Zamboni-driving, kidney-transplant survivor, was forced into action. Playing the final 28 minutes, he helped the Carolina Hurricanes hold on for a 6-3 victory over his hometown Toronto Maple Leafs.
The system is simple: Each NHL city has a roster of amateur/former pro goaltenders who can be called to the arena in case of emergency, namely late-breaking injuries from one of the two goalies each NHL team carries (they can play for the home or visiting team).